diff --git a/openide.windows/apichanges.xml b/openide.windows/apichanges.xml
--- a/openide.windows/apichanges.xml
+++ b/openide.windows/apichanges.xml
@@ -50,6 +50,21 @@
 <apidef name="winsys">Window System API</apidef>
 </apidefs>
 <changes>
+<change id="topcomponent.shortname">
+    <api name="winsys"/>
+    <summary>Added method TopComponent.getShortName()</summary>
+    <version major="6" minor="52"/>
+    <date day="6" month="3" year="2012"/>
+    <author login="saubrecht"/>
+    <compatibility addition="yes" source="compatible" semantic="compatible" deprecation="no" deletion="no" modification="no"/>
+    <description>
+        <p>The new method can be used to retrieve a short version of TopComponent's
+        display name, i.e. display name that does no include the name of activated
+        Node.</p>
+    </description>
+    <class package="org.openide.windows" name="TopComponent"/>
+    <issue number="209059"/>
+</change>
 <change id="topcomponent.busy">
     <api name="winsys"/>
     <summary>Added method TopComponent.makeBusy(boolean).</summary>
diff --git a/openide.windows/manifest.mf b/openide.windows/manifest.mf
--- a/openide.windows/manifest.mf
+++ b/openide.windows/manifest.mf
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 Manifest-Version: 1.0
 OpenIDE-Module: org.openide.windows
-OpenIDE-Module-Specification-Version: 6.51
+OpenIDE-Module-Specification-Version: 6.52
 OpenIDE-Module-Localizing-Bundle: org/openide/windows/Bundle.properties
 AutoUpdate-Essential-Module: true
 
diff --git a/openide.windows/src/org/openide/windows/TopComponent.java b/openide.windows/src/org/openide/windows/TopComponent.java
--- a/openide.windows/src/org/openide/windows/TopComponent.java
+++ b/openide.windows/src/org/openide/windows/TopComponent.java
@@ -999,6 +999,17 @@
     public String getDisplayName() {
         return displayName;
     }
+
+    /**
+     * Short version of TopComponent's name that doesn't include the name of
+     * activated Node.
+     * @return Short version of TopComponent's display name. The default implementation
+     * just delegates to getDisplayName().
+     * @since 6.52
+     */
+    public String getShortName() {
+        return getDisplayName();
+    }
     
     /** Sets localized html display name of this <code>TopComponent</code>.
      * Hmtl name usually contains basic html tags for text coloring and style.