diff --git a/src/AudacityException.cpp b/src/AudacityException.cpp
index e37edf175..f8191aec4 100644
--- a/src/AudacityException.cpp
+++ b/src/AudacityException.cpp
@@ -13,7 +13,11 @@ wxAtomicInt sOutstandingMessages {};
 MessageBoxException::MessageBoxException( const wxString &caption_ )
    : caption{ caption_ }
 {
-   wxAtomicInc( sOutstandingMessages );
+   if (!caption.empty())
+      wxAtomicInc( sOutstandingMessages );
+   else
+      // invalidate me
+      moved = true;
 }
 
 // The class needs a copy constructor to be throwable
diff --git a/src/AudacityException.h b/src/AudacityException.h
index 31e2e3382..061c5d0c7 100644
--- a/src/AudacityException.h
+++ b/src/AudacityException.h
@@ -55,6 +55,7 @@ class MessageBoxException /* not final */ : public AudacityException
    void DelayedHandlerAction() override;
 
 protected:
+   // If default-constructed with empty caption, it makes no message box.
    explicit MessageBoxException( const wxString &caption = wxString{} );
    ~MessageBoxException() override;
 
@@ -74,7 +75,7 @@ class SimpleMessageBoxException /* not final */ : public MessageBoxException
 {
 public:
    explicit SimpleMessageBoxException( const wxString &message_,
-      const wxString &caption = wxString{} )
+      const wxString &caption = _("Message") )
       : MessageBoxException{ caption }
       , message{ message_ }
    {}
diff --git a/src/FileException.h b/src/FileException.h
index 0d0225fc0..6a6fcb6ec 100644
--- a/src/FileException.h
+++ b/src/FileException.h
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ public:
 
    explicit FileException
       ( Cause cause_, const wxFileName &fileName_,
-        const wxString &caption = wxString{},
+        const wxString &caption = _("File Error"),
         const wxFileName &renameTarget_ = {})
    : MessageBoxException{ caption }
    , cause{ cause_ }, fileName{ fileName_ }, renameTarget{ renameTarget_ }
diff --git a/src/InconsistencyException.h b/src/InconsistencyException.h
index 065919eff..a3fc21c5a 100644
--- a/src/InconsistencyException.h
+++ b/src/InconsistencyException.h
@@ -22,7 +22,8 @@ public:
 
    explicit InconsistencyException
       ( const char *fn, const char *f, unsigned l )
-         : func { fn }, file { f }, line { l }
+         : MessageBoxException{ _("Internal Error") }
+         , func { fn }, file { f }, line { l }
    {}
 
    InconsistencyException(InconsistencyException&& that)