Index: maintenance/language/messages.inc
===================================================================
--- maintenance/language/messages.inc	(revision 38729)
+++ maintenance/language/messages.inc	(working copy)
@@ -250,6 +250,7 @@
 		'ok',
 		'sitetitle',
 		'pagetitle',
+		'pagetitle-view-mainpage',
 		'sitesubtitle',
 		'retrievedfrom',
 		'youhavenewmessages',
Index: maintenance/language/messageTypes.inc
===================================================================
--- maintenance/language/messageTypes.inc	(revision 38729)
+++ maintenance/language/messageTypes.inc	(working copy)
@@ -150,6 +150,7 @@
 	'fewestrevisions-summary',
 	'missingfiles-summary',
 	'upload-summary',
+	'pagetitle-view-mainpage',
 );
 
 /** Optional messages, which may be translated only if changed in the target language. */
Index: includes/OutputPage.php
===================================================================
--- includes/OutputPage.php	(revision 38729)
+++ includes/OutputPage.php	(working copy)
@@ -278,7 +278,11 @@
 			}
 		}
 
-		$this->setHTMLTitle( wfMsg( 'pagetitle', $name ) );
+		if (($action != 'view' && $action != 'purge') /* do not apply special main page title processing if not viewing casually */ || $name != wfMsg('mainpage') || wfMsg('pagetitle-view-mainpage', $name) == '') {
+			$this->setHTMLTitle( wfMsg( 'pagetitle', $name ) );
+		} else {
+			$this->setHTMLTitle( wfMsg( 'pagetitle-view-mainpage', $name ) );
+		}
 	}
 	public function getHTMLTitle() { return $this->mHTMLtitle; }
 	public function getPageTitle() { return $this->mPagetitle; }
Index: languages/messages/MessagesEn.php
===================================================================
--- languages/messages/MessagesEn.php	(revision 38729)
+++ languages/messages/MessagesEn.php	(working copy)
@@ -728,6 +728,7 @@
 'ok'                           => 'OK',
 'sitetitle'                    => '{{SITENAME}}', # do not translate or duplicate this message to other languages
 'pagetitle'                    => '$1 - {{SITENAME}}', # only translate this message to other languages if you have to change it
+'pagetitle-view-mainpage'      => '', # do not translate or duplicate this message to other languages
 'sitesubtitle'                 => '', # do not translate or duplicate this message to other languages
 'retrievedfrom'                => 'Retrieved from "$1"',
 'youhavenewmessages'           => 'You have $1 ($2).',