diff --git a/autotest/gcore/data/gtiff/compdcrs_no_citation.tif b/autotest/gcore/data/gtiff/compdcrs_no_citation.tif
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..658d10fe6ea3
Binary files /dev/null and b/autotest/gcore/data/gtiff/compdcrs_no_citation.tif differ
diff --git a/autotest/gcore/tiff_srs.py b/autotest/gcore/tiff_srs.py
index 0e0dac65fc28..1596a5427842 100755
--- a/autotest/gcore/tiff_srs.py
+++ b/autotest/gcore/tiff_srs.py
@@ -1418,3 +1418,9 @@ def test_tiff_srs_projection_method_unknown_of_geotiff_without_crs_code():
     assert got_srs.IsSame(srs), got_srs.ExportToWkt()
     ds = None
     gdal.Unlink(filename)
+
+
+def test_tiff_srs_build_compd_crs_name_without_citation():
+
+    ds = gdal.Open("data/gtiff/compdcrs_no_citation.tif")
+    assert ds.GetSpatialRef().GetName() == "WGS 84 / UTM zone 17N + EGM2008 height"
diff --git a/frmts/gtiff/gt_wkt_srs.cpp b/frmts/gtiff/gt_wkt_srs.cpp
index 7895aaf6d2f0..6e31d12d9ecd 100644
--- a/frmts/gtiff/gt_wkt_srs.cpp
+++ b/frmts/gtiff/gt_wkt_srs.cpp
@@ -1659,6 +1659,7 @@ OGRSpatialReferenceH GTIFGetOGISDefnAsOSR(GTIF *hGTIF, GTIFDefn *psDefn)
     if ((verticalCSType != 0 || verticalDatum != 0 || verticalUnits != 0) &&
         (oSRS.IsGeographic() || oSRS.IsProjected() || oSRS.IsLocal()))
     {
+        std::string osVertCRSName;
         if (GDALGTIFKeyGetASCII(hGTIF, VerticalCitationGeoKey, citation,
                                 sizeof(citation)))
         {
@@ -1669,12 +1670,9 @@ OGRSpatialReferenceH GTIFGetOGISDefnAsOSR(GTIF *hGTIF, GTIFDefn *psDefn)
                 char *pszPipeChar = strchr(citation, '|');
                 if (pszPipeChar)
                     *pszPipeChar = '\0';
+                osVertCRSName = citation;
             }
         }
-        else
-        {
-            strcpy(citation, "unknown");
-        }
 
         OGRSpatialReference oVertSRS;
         bool bCanBuildCompoundCRS = oSRS.GetRoot() != nullptr;
@@ -1685,7 +1683,13 @@ OGRSpatialReferenceH GTIFGetOGISDefnAsOSR(GTIF *hGTIF, GTIFDefn *psDefn)
             {
                 bCanBuildCompoundCRS = false;
             }
+            else
+            {
+                osVertCRSName = oVertSRS.GetName();
+            }
         }
+        if (osVertCRSName.empty())
+            osVertCRSName = "unknown";
 
         if (bCanBuildCompoundCRS)
         {
@@ -1718,8 +1722,9 @@ OGRSpatialReferenceH GTIFGetOGISDefnAsOSR(GTIF *hGTIF, GTIFDefn *psDefn)
             }
             else
             {
-                oSRS.SetNode("COMPD_CS",
-                             (osHorizontalName + " + " + citation).c_str());
+                oSRS.SetNode(
+                    "COMPD_CS",
+                    (osHorizontalName + " + " + osVertCRSName).c_str());
             }
 
             oSRS.GetRoot()->AddChild(poOldRoot);