diff --git a/src/ProcessInfo.cpp b/src/ProcessInfo.cpp
index 1f5505a1..2b98f747 100644
--- a/src/ProcessInfo.cpp
+++ b/src/ProcessInfo.cpp
@@ -80,6 +80,7 @@ ProcessInfo::ProcessInfo(int aPid , bool enableEnvironmentRead)
     , _lastError(NoError)
     , _userName(QString())
     , _userHomeDir(QString())
+    , _userNameRequired(true)
 {
 }
 
@@ -106,7 +107,8 @@ QString ProcessInfo::validCurrentDir() const
     int currentPid = parentPid(&ok);
     QString dir = currentDir(&ok);
     while (!ok && currentPid != 0) {
-        ProcessInfo* current = ProcessInfo::newInstance(currentPid);
+        QString tmp = QString("");
+        ProcessInfo* current = ProcessInfo::newInstance(currentPid, tmp);
         current->update();
         currentPid = current->parentPid(&ok);
         dir = current->currentDir(&ok);
@@ -296,6 +298,16 @@ void ProcessInfo::setForegroundPid(int aPid)
     _fields |= FOREGROUND_PID;
 }
 
+void ProcessInfo::setUserNameRequired(bool need)
+{
+    _userNameRequired = need;
+}
+
+bool ProcessInfo::userNameRequired() const
+{
+    return _userNameRequired;
+}
+
 QString ProcessInfo::currentDir(bool* ok) const
 {
     if (ok)
@@ -348,7 +360,7 @@ void ProcessInfo::setFileError(QFile::FileError error)
 // implementations of the UnixProcessInfo abstract class.
 //
 
-NullProcessInfo::NullProcessInfo(int aPid, bool enableEnvironmentRead)
+NullProcessInfo::NullProcessInfo(int aPid, const QString& /*titleFormat*/, bool enableEnvironmentRead)
     : ProcessInfo(aPid, enableEnvironmentRead)
 {
 }
@@ -363,9 +375,10 @@ void NullProcessInfo::readUserName()
 }
 
 #if !defined(Q_OS_WIN)
-UnixProcessInfo::UnixProcessInfo(int aPid, bool enableEnvironmentRead)
+UnixProcessInfo::UnixProcessInfo(int aPid, const QString& titleFormat, bool enableEnvironmentRead)
     : ProcessInfo(aPid, enableEnvironmentRead)
 {
+    setUserNameRequired(titleFormat.contains(QLatin1String("%u")));
 }
 
 bool UnixProcessInfo::readProcessInfo(int aPid , bool enableEnvironmentRead)
@@ -419,8 +432,8 @@ void UnixProcessInfo::readUserName()
 class LinuxProcessInfo : public UnixProcessInfo
 {
 public:
-    LinuxProcessInfo(int aPid, bool env) :
-        UnixProcessInfo(aPid, env) {
+    LinuxProcessInfo(int aPid, const QString& titleFormat, bool env) :
+        UnixProcessInfo(aPid, titleFormat, env) {
     }
 
 private:
@@ -462,7 +475,10 @@ private:
             const int uid = uidString.toInt(&ok);
             if (ok)
                 setUserId(uid);
-            readUserName();
+            // This will cause constant opening of /etc/passwd
+            if (userNameRequired()) {
+                readUserName();
+            }
         } else {
             setFileError(statusInfo.error());
             return false;
@@ -611,8 +627,8 @@ private:
 class FreeBSDProcessInfo : public UnixProcessInfo
 {
 public:
-    FreeBSDProcessInfo(int aPid, bool readEnvironment) :
-        UnixProcessInfo(aPid, readEnvironment) {
+    FreeBSDProcessInfo(int aPid, const QString& titleFormat, bool readEnvironment) :
+        UnixProcessInfo(aPid, titleFormat, readEnvironment) {
     }
 
 private:
@@ -731,8 +747,8 @@ private:
 class OpenBSDProcessInfo : public UnixProcessInfo
 {
 public:
-    OpenBSDProcessInfo(int aPid, bool readEnvironment) :
-        UnixProcessInfo(aPid, readEnvironment) {
+    OpenBSDProcessInfo(int aPid, const QString& titleFormat, bool readEnvironment) :
+        UnixProcessInfo(aPid, titleFormat, readEnvironment) {
     }
 
 private:
@@ -865,8 +881,8 @@ private:
 class MacProcessInfo : public UnixProcessInfo
 {
 public:
-    MacProcessInfo(int aPid, bool env) :
-        UnixProcessInfo(aPid, env) {
+    MacProcessInfo(int aPid, const QString& titleFormat, bool env) :
+        UnixProcessInfo(aPid, titleFormat, env) {
     }
 
 private:
@@ -961,8 +977,8 @@ private:
 class SolarisProcessInfo : public UnixProcessInfo
 {
 public:
-    SolarisProcessInfo(int aPid, bool readEnvironment)
-        : UnixProcessInfo(aPid, readEnvironment) {
+    SolarisProcessInfo(int aPid, const QString& titleFormat, bool readEnvironment)
+        : UnixProcessInfo(aPid, titleFormat, readEnvironment) {
     }
 private:
     virtual bool readProcInfo(int aPid) {
@@ -1164,20 +1180,20 @@ QString SSHProcessInfo::format(const QString& input) const
     return output;
 }
 
-ProcessInfo* ProcessInfo::newInstance(int aPid, bool enableEnvironmentRead)
+ProcessInfo* ProcessInfo::newInstance(int aPid, const QString& titleFormat, bool enableEnvironmentRead)
 {
 #if defined(Q_OS_LINUX)
-    return new LinuxProcessInfo(aPid, enableEnvironmentRead);
+    return new LinuxProcessInfo(aPid, titleFormat, enableEnvironmentRead);
 #elif defined(Q_OS_SOLARIS)
-    return new SolarisProcessInfo(aPid, enableEnvironmentRead);
+    return new SolarisProcessInfo(aPid, titleFormat, enableEnvironmentRead);
 #elif defined(Q_OS_MAC)
-    return new MacProcessInfo(aPid, enableEnvironmentRead);
+    return new MacProcessInfo(aPid, titleFormat, enableEnvironmentRead);
 #elif defined(Q_OS_FREEBSD)
-    return new FreeBSDProcessInfo(aPid, enableEnvironmentRead);
+    return new FreeBSDProcessInfo(aPid, titleFormat, enableEnvironmentRead);
 #elif defined(Q_OS_OPENBSD)
-    return new OpenBSDProcessInfo(aPid, enableEnvironmentRead);
+    return new OpenBSDProcessInfo(aPid, titleFormat, enableEnvironmentRead);
 #else
-    return new NullProcessInfo(aPid, enableEnvironmentRead);
+    return new NullProcessInfo(aPid, titleFormat, enableEnvironmentRead);
 #endif
 }
 
diff --git a/src/ProcessInfo.h b/src/ProcessInfo.h
index a1643542..7c846b62 100644
--- a/src/ProcessInfo.h
+++ b/src/ProcessInfo.h
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ public:
      * of reading the (potentially large) environment data when it
      * is not required.
      */
-    static ProcessInfo* newInstance(int pid, bool readEnvironment = false);
+    static ProcessInfo* newInstance(int pid, const QString& titleFormat, bool readEnvironment = false);
 
     virtual ~ProcessInfo() {}
 
@@ -294,6 +294,9 @@ protected:
      */
     void addEnvironmentBinding(const QString& name , const QString& value);
 
+    void setUserNameRequired(bool need);
+    bool userNameRequired() const;
+
 private:
     // takes a full directory path and returns a
     // shortened version suitable for display in
@@ -316,6 +319,8 @@ private:
     QString _userHomeDir;
     QString _currentDir;
 
+    bool _userNameRequired;
+
     QVector<QString> _arguments;
     QMap<QString, QString> _environment;
 
@@ -338,7 +343,7 @@ public:
      * Constructs a new NullProcessInfo instance.
      * See ProcessInfo::newInstance()
      */
-    explicit NullProcessInfo(int pid, bool readEnvironment = false);
+    explicit NullProcessInfo(int pid, const QString& titleFormat, bool readEnvironment = false);
 protected:
     virtual bool readProcessInfo(int pid, bool readEnvironment);
     virtual void readUserName(void);
@@ -356,7 +361,7 @@ public:
      * Constructs a new instance of UnixProcessInfo.
      * See ProcessInfo::newInstance()
      */
-    explicit UnixProcessInfo(int pid, bool readEnvironment = false);
+    explicit UnixProcessInfo(int pid, const QString& titleFormat, bool readEnvironment = false);
 
 protected:
     /**
diff --git a/src/Session.cpp b/src/Session.cpp
index eec20df4..ee2b43bc 100644
--- a/src/Session.cpp
+++ b/src/Session.cpp
@@ -972,7 +972,8 @@ void Session::updateSessionProcessInfo()
     if (!_sessionProcessInfo ||
             (processId() != 0 && processId() != _sessionProcessInfo->pid(&ok))) {
         delete _sessionProcessInfo;
-        _sessionProcessInfo = ProcessInfo::newInstance(processId());
+        _sessionProcessInfo = ProcessInfo::newInstance(processId(),
+                    tabTitleFormat(Session::LocalTabTitle));
         _sessionProcessInfo->setUserHomeDir();
     }
     _sessionProcessInfo->update();
@@ -985,7 +986,8 @@ bool Session::updateForegroundProcessInfo()
     const int foregroundPid = _shellProcess->foregroundProcessGroup();
     if (foregroundPid != _foregroundPid) {
         delete _foregroundProcessInfo;
-        _foregroundProcessInfo = ProcessInfo::newInstance(foregroundPid);
+        _foregroundProcessInfo = ProcessInfo::newInstance(foregroundPid,
+                    tabTitleFormat(Session::LocalTabTitle));
         _foregroundPid = foregroundPid;
     }