diff --git a/lib/site-settings.ts b/lib/site-settings.ts
index 47c2837..121d6f6 100644
--- a/lib/site-settings.ts
+++ b/lib/site-settings.ts
@@ -110,35 +110,17 @@ export function parseSiteSettingsValue(
     const siteSettings: SiteSettings = {
       locales: {
         ar: normalizeSiteLocaleSettings(
-          {
-            titleTemplate:
-              typeof parsed.titleTemplate === "string" && parsed.titleTemplate.trim()
-                ? parsed.titleTemplate.trim()
-                : undefined,
-            ...(locales.ar && typeof locales.ar === "object" ? (locales.ar as Record<string, unknown>) : {}),
-          },
+          locales.ar && typeof locales.ar === "object" ? (locales.ar as Record<string, unknown>) : {},
           defaults.locales.ar.siteName,
           defaults.locales.ar.siteDescription,
         ),
         en: normalizeSiteLocaleSettings(
-          {
-            titleTemplate:
-              typeof parsed.titleTemplate === "string" && parsed.titleTemplate.trim()
-                ? parsed.titleTemplate.trim()
-                : undefined,
-            ...(locales.en && typeof locales.en === "object" ? (locales.en as Record<string, unknown>) : {}),
-          },
+          locales.en && typeof locales.en === "object" ? (locales.en as Record<string, unknown>) : {},
           defaults.locales.en.siteName,
           defaults.locales.en.siteDescription,
         ),
         de: normalizeSiteLocaleSettings(
-          {
-            titleTemplate:
-              typeof parsed.titleTemplate === "string" && parsed.titleTemplate.trim()
-                ? parsed.titleTemplate.trim()
-                : undefined,
-            ...(locales.de && typeof locales.de === "object" ? (locales.de as Record<string, unknown>) : {}),
-          },
+          locales.de && typeof locales.de === "object" ? (locales.de as Record<string, unknown>) : {},
           defaults.locales.de.siteName,
           defaults.locales.de.siteDescription,
         ),
diff --git a/tests/app-config.test.ts b/tests/app-config.test.ts
index d7722d3..392e707 100644
--- a/tests/app-config.test.ts
+++ b/tests/app-config.test.ts
@@ -50,4 +50,20 @@ describe("site settings helpers", () => {
 
     expect(settings).toEqual(buildDefaultSiteSettings("Fallback Name"));
   });
+
+  it("ignores legacy top-level title template values", () => {
+    const settings = parseSiteSettingsValue(
+      JSON.stringify({
+        titleTemplate: "{pageTitle} | moh-sass | Legacy",
+        locales: {
+          ar: {
+            siteName: "اسم الموقع",
+          },
+        },
+      }),
+      "Fallback Name",
+    );
+
+    expect(settings.locales.ar.titleTemplate).toBe("{pageTitle} | {siteName}");
+  });
 });