diff --git a/crates/bds-core/src/engine/meta.rs b/crates/bds-core/src/engine/meta.rs
index ec685c2..ad722e6 100644
--- a/crates/bds-core/src/engine/meta.rs
+++ b/crates/bds-core/src/engine/meta.rs
@@ -174,6 +174,7 @@ pub fn add_category(data_dir: &Path, category: &str) -> EngineResult<()> {
         meta.insert(
             category.to_string(),
             CategorySettings {
+                title: None,
                 render_in_lists: true,
                 show_title: true,
                 post_template_slug: None,
@@ -318,6 +319,7 @@ mod tests {
         meta.insert(
             "article".to_string(),
             CategorySettings {
+                title: None,
                 render_in_lists: true,
                 show_title: true,
                 post_template_slug: None,
@@ -330,6 +332,33 @@ mod tests {
         assert!(read["article"].render_in_lists);
     }
 
+    #[test]
+    fn category_meta_json_preserves_bds2_title() {
+        let dir = setup();
+        let mut meta = HashMap::new();
+        meta.insert(
+            "news".to_string(),
+            CategorySettings {
+                title: Some("News Archive".to_string()),
+                render_in_lists: false,
+                show_title: true,
+                post_template_slug: Some("article".to_string()),
+                list_template_slug: Some("listing".to_string()),
+            },
+        );
+
+        write_category_meta_json(dir.path(), &meta).unwrap();
+
+        let content = std::fs::read_to_string(dir.path().join("meta/category-meta.json")).unwrap();
+        let json: serde_json::Value = serde_json::from_str(&content).unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(json["news"]["title"], "News Archive");
+        assert_eq!(json["news"]["renderInLists"], false);
+        assert_eq!(json["news"]["showTitle"], true);
+
+        let read = read_category_meta_json(dir.path()).unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(read["news"].title.as_deref(), Some("News Archive"));
+    }
+
     // ── publishing.json ─────────────────────────────────────────────
 
     #[test]
@@ -407,6 +436,7 @@ mod tests {
         meta.insert(
             "article".to_string(),
             CategorySettings {
+                title: None,
                 render_in_lists: true,
                 show_title: true,
                 post_template_slug: None,
diff --git a/crates/bds-core/src/engine/preview.rs b/crates/bds-core/src/engine/preview.rs
index 7e4355f..1ed5ebb 100644
--- a/crates/bds-core/src/engine/preview.rs
+++ b/crates/bds-core/src/engine/preview.rs
@@ -1530,6 +1530,7 @@ mod tests {
                 (
                     "hidden".to_string(),
                     crate::model::CategorySettings {
+                        title: None,
                         render_in_lists: false,
                         show_title: true,
                         post_template_slug: None,
@@ -1539,6 +1540,7 @@ mod tests {
                 (
                     "featured".to_string(),
                     crate::model::CategorySettings {
+                        title: None,
                         render_in_lists: true,
                         show_title: false,
                         post_template_slug: None,
diff --git a/crates/bds-core/src/model/metadata.rs b/crates/bds-core/src/model/metadata.rs
index 20dd525..da41dbc 100644
--- a/crates/bds-core/src/model/metadata.rs
+++ b/crates/bds-core/src/model/metadata.rs
@@ -97,6 +97,8 @@ impl ProjectMetadata {
 #[derive(Debug, Clone, Serialize, Deserialize)]
 #[serde(rename_all = "camelCase")]
 pub struct CategorySettings {
+    #[serde(skip_serializing_if = "Option::is_none")]
+    pub title: Option<String>,
     #[serde(default = "default_true")]
     pub render_in_lists: bool,
     #[serde(default = "default_true")]
@@ -167,12 +169,14 @@ mod tests {
     #[test]
     fn category_settings_camel_case() {
         let settings = CategorySettings {
+            title: Some("Article".into()),
             render_in_lists: false,
             show_title: true,
             post_template_slug: Some("article-tpl".into()),
             list_template_slug: None,
         };
         let json = serde_json::to_string(&settings).unwrap();
+        assert!(json.contains("title"));
         assert!(json.contains("renderInLists"));
         assert!(json.contains("showTitle"));
         assert!(json.contains("postTemplateSlug"));
diff --git a/crates/bds-core/tests/m4_generation_engine.rs b/crates/bds-core/tests/m4_generation_engine.rs
index 93caa40..5aaf011 100644
--- a/crates/bds-core/tests/m4_generation_engine.rs
+++ b/crates/bds-core/tests/m4_generation_engine.rs
@@ -619,6 +619,7 @@ fn generation_respects_category_list_settings_and_writes_bundled_images() {
             (
                 "hidden".to_string(),
                 CategorySettings {
+                    title: None,
                     render_in_lists: false,
                     show_title: true,
                     post_template_slug: None,
@@ -628,6 +629,7 @@ fn generation_respects_category_list_settings_and_writes_bundled_images() {
             (
                 "featured".to_string(),
                 CategorySettings {
+                    title: None,
                     render_in_lists: true,
                     show_title: false,
                     post_template_slug: None,
diff --git a/crates/bds-ui/src/app.rs b/crates/bds-ui/src/app.rs
index 89153ba..5e1d54b 100644
--- a/crates/bds-ui/src/app.rs
+++ b/crates/bds-ui/src/app.rs
@@ -7110,7 +7110,9 @@ impl BdsApp {
                 .map(|name| {
                     let meta = category_meta.get(&name);
                     SettingsCategoryRow {
-                        title: name.clone(),
+                        title: meta
+                            .and_then(|value| value.title.clone())
+                            .unwrap_or_else(|| name.clone()),
                         render_in_lists: meta.map(|value| value.render_in_lists).unwrap_or(true),
                         show_title: meta.map(|value| value.show_title).unwrap_or(true),
                         post_template_slug: meta
@@ -7781,6 +7783,7 @@ impl BdsApp {
                     category_meta.insert(
                         row.name.clone(),
                         bds_core::model::metadata::CategorySettings {
+                            title: Some(row.title.clone()).filter(|title| !title.trim().is_empty()),
                             render_in_lists: row.render_in_lists,
                             show_title: row.show_title,
                             post_template_slug: (!row.post_template_slug.is_empty())
@@ -7822,6 +7825,8 @@ impl BdsApp {
                             (
                                 row.name,
                                 bds_core::model::metadata::CategorySettings {
+                                    title: Some(row.title.clone())
+                                        .filter(|title| !title.trim().is_empty()),
                                     render_in_lists: row.render_in_lists,
                                     show_title: row.show_title,
                                     post_template_slug: None,