diff --git a/_config.yml b/_config.yml
index 60d4c8ace0c..066f6b48a11 100644
--- a/_config.yml
+++ b/_config.yml
@@ -8,8 +8,8 @@ date_format: "%B %d, %Y"
 sidebar: true                # show a sidebar instead of the usual header
 show_excerpts: false         # show article excerpts on the home page
 show_related: true           # show the previous and next links after every post
-dark_header: false           # keep the top-header dark
-hide_title: false            # hide the site title in the header
+show_title: false            # always show the site title
+dark_header: false           # always keep the top-header dark
 minimal: false               # minima-inspired style without box-shadows
 
 # see http://fontawesome.com/icons for icons
diff --git a/_layouts/default.html b/_layouts/default.html
index 2b41a2ea16d..54623df8f72 100644
--- a/_layouts/default.html
+++ b/_layouts/default.html
@@ -21,8 +21,8 @@
 {% if site.comments.isso %}<script data-isso="http://{{ site.comments.isso }}" src="//{{ site.comments.isso }}/js/embed.min.js"></script>{% endif %}
 
 <header class="icons">
-  {% unless site.hide_title or site.sidebar %}
-    <a href="{{ "/" | relative_url }}" {% if site.navigation and site.external %}class="full"{% endif %}>{{ site.title | escape }}</a>
+  {% unless site.show_title != true and site.sidebar or site.navigation and site.external %}
+    <a href="{{ "/" | relative_url }}" class="title">{{ site.title | escape }}</a>
   {% endunless %}
   {% if site.navigation or site.external %}
     {% include menu.html menu=site.navigation icons=false %}
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@
     {% include menu.html menu=pages %}
   {% endif %}
   {% if site.sidebar and site.description %}
-    <div class="hidden">{{ site.description }}</div>
+    <div class="hidden description">{{ site.description }}</div>
   {% endif %}
 </header>
 
diff --git a/assets/css/classes.sass b/assets/css/classes.sass
index 5a7b3742878..d5dd13853e2 100644
--- a/assets/css/classes.sass
+++ b/assets/css/classes.sass
@@ -63,16 +63,20 @@
 
 {% endif %}
 
-{% unless site.sidebar %}
-
-.icons a:hover svg
-  color: reduce(100)
+{% if site.show_title and site.navigation and site.external %}
 
-.full
+.title
   font-size: 1.5em
   width: 100%
   margin: .1em 0 .6em
 
+{% endif %}
+
+{% unless site.sidebar %}
+
+.icons a:hover svg
+  color: reduce(100)
+
 @media (min-width: 60em)
   .large
     max-width: 140%
diff --git a/assets/css/sidebar.sass b/assets/css/sidebar.sass
index 2ce31fc72be..73b4a2f02a0 100644
--- a/assets/css/sidebar.sass
+++ b/assets/css/sidebar.sass
@@ -45,8 +45,22 @@ nav a svg
 article header h1
   font-size: 2em
 
-body > header div
-  margin-top: 3em
-
 .hidden
   display: inline-block
+
+{% if site.show_title %}
+
+.title
+  display: block
+  font-family: "PT Serif", Georgia
+  font-size: 2.4em
+  margin: 0 0 .8em
+
+{% endif %}
+
+{% if site.description %}
+
+.description
+  margin-top: 3em
+
+{% endif %}