diff --git a/src/music/win32_m.cpp b/src/music/win32_m.cpp
--- a/src/music/win32_m.cpp
+++ b/src/music/win32_m.cpp
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
 #include "win32_m.h"
 #include <windows.h>
 #include <mmsystem.h>
+#include "../os/windows/win32.h"
 
 #include "../safeguards.h"
 
@@ -105,6 +106,8 @@ static bool MidiIntIsSongPlaying()
 
 static DWORD WINAPI MidiThread(LPVOID arg)
 {
+	SetWin32ThreadName(-1, "ottd:win-midi");
+
 	do {
 		char *s;
 		int vol;
diff --git a/src/os/windows/win32.cpp b/src/os/windows/win32.cpp
--- a/src/os/windows/win32.cpp
+++ b/src/os/windows/win32.cpp
@@ -785,3 +785,36 @@ uint GetCPUCoreCount()
 	GetSystemInfo(&info);
 	return info.dwNumberOfProcessors;
 }
+
+#ifdef _MSC_VER
+/* Code from MSDN: https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/xcb2z8hs.aspx */
+const DWORD MS_VC_EXCEPTION = 0x406D1388;
+#pragma pack(push,8)
+typedef struct {
+	DWORD dwType;     ///< Must be 0x1000.
+	LPCSTR szName;    ///< Pointer to name (in user addr space).
+	DWORD dwThreadID; ///< Thread ID (-1=caller thread).
+	DWORD dwFlags;    ///< Reserved for future use, must be zero.
+} THREADNAME_INFO;
+#pragma pack(pop)
+
+/**
+ * Signal thread name to any attached debuggers.
+ */
+void SetWin32ThreadName(DWORD dwThreadID, const char* threadName)
+{
+	THREADNAME_INFO info;
+	info.dwType = 0x1000;
+	info.szName = threadName;
+	info.dwThreadID = dwThreadID;
+	info.dwFlags = 0;
+
+#pragma warning(push)
+#pragma warning(disable: 6320 6322)
+	__try {
+		RaiseException(MS_VC_EXCEPTION, 0, sizeof(info) / sizeof(ULONG_PTR), (ULONG_PTR*)&info);
+	} __except (EXCEPTION_EXECUTE_HANDLER) {
+	}
+#pragma warning(pop)
+}
+#endif
diff --git a/src/os/windows/win32.h b/src/os/windows/win32.h
--- a/src/os/windows/win32.h
+++ b/src/os/windows/win32.h
@@ -39,4 +39,10 @@ HRESULT OTTDSHGetFolderPath(HWND, int, H
 #define SHGFP_TYPE_CURRENT 0
 #endif /* __MINGW32__ */
 
+#ifdef _MSC_VER
+void SetWin32ThreadName(DWORD dwThreadID, const char* threadName);
+#else
+void SetWin32ThreadName(DWORD dwThreadID, const char* threadName) {}
+#endif
+
 #endif /* WIN32_H */
diff --git a/src/sound/win32_s.cpp b/src/sound/win32_s.cpp
--- a/src/sound/win32_s.cpp
+++ b/src/sound/win32_s.cpp
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
 #include "win32_s.h"
 #include <windows.h>
 #include <mmsystem.h>
+#include "../os/windows/win32.h"
 
 #include "../safeguards.h"
 
@@ -41,6 +42,8 @@ static void PrepareHeader(WAVEHDR *hdr)
 
 static DWORD WINAPI SoundThread(LPVOID arg)
 {
+	SetWin32ThreadName(-1, "ottd:win-sound");
+
 	do {
 		for (WAVEHDR *hdr = _wave_hdr; hdr != endof(_wave_hdr); hdr++) {
 			if ((hdr->dwFlags & WHDR_INQUEUE) != 0) continue;
diff --git a/src/thread/thread_win32.cpp b/src/thread/thread_win32.cpp
--- a/src/thread/thread_win32.cpp
+++ b/src/thread/thread_win32.cpp
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <windows.h>
 #include <process.h>
+#include "../os/windows/win32.h"
 
 #include "../safeguards.h"
 
@@ -29,17 +30,19 @@ private:
 	OTTDThreadFunc proc; ///< External thread procedure.
 	void *param;         ///< Parameter for the external thread procedure.
 	bool self_destruct;  ///< Free ourselves when done?
+	const char *name;    ///< Thread name.
 
 public:
 	/**
 	 * Create a win32 thread and start it, calling proc(param).
 	 */
-	ThreadObject_Win32(OTTDThreadFunc proc, void *param, bool self_destruct) :
+	ThreadObject_Win32(OTTDThreadFunc proc, void *param, bool self_destruct, const char *name) :
 		thread(NULL),
 		id(0),
 		proc(proc),
 		param(param),
-		self_destruct(self_destruct)
+		self_destruct(self_destruct),
+		name(name)
 	{
 		this->thread = (HANDLE)_beginthreadex(NULL, 0, &stThreadProc, this, CREATE_SUSPENDED, &this->id);
 		if (this->thread == NULL) return;
@@ -85,6 +88,10 @@ private:
 	 */
 	void ThreadProc()
 	{
+#ifdef _MSC_VER
+		/* Set thread name for debuggers. Has to be done from the thread due to a race condition in older MS debuggers. */
+		SetWin32ThreadName(-1, this->name);
+#endif
 		try {
 			this->proc(this->param);
 		} catch (OTTDThreadExitSignal) {
@@ -98,7 +105,7 @@ private:
 
 /* static */ bool ThreadObject::New(OTTDThreadFunc proc, void *param, ThreadObject **thread, const char *name)
 {
-	ThreadObject *to = new ThreadObject_Win32(proc, param, thread == NULL);
+	ThreadObject *to = new ThreadObject_Win32(proc, param, thread == NULL, name);
 	if (thread != NULL) *thread = to;
 	return true;
 }
diff --git a/src/video/dedicated_v.cpp b/src/video/dedicated_v.cpp
--- a/src/video/dedicated_v.cpp
+++ b/src/video/dedicated_v.cpp
@@ -84,6 +84,7 @@ static void DedicatedSignalHandler(int s
 # endif
 # include <time.h>
 # include <tchar.h>
+# include "../os/windows/win32.h"
 static HANDLE _hInputReady, _hWaitForInputHandling;
 static HANDLE _hThread; // Thread to close
 static char _win_console_thread_buffer[200];
@@ -95,6 +96,8 @@ static void WINAPI CheckForConsoleInput(
 	/* WinCE doesn't support console stuff */
 	return;
 #else
+	SetWin32ThreadName(-1, "ottd:win-console");
+
 	DWORD nb;
 	HANDLE hStdin = GetStdHandle(STD_INPUT_HANDLE);
 	for (;;) {
diff --git a/src/video/win32_v.cpp b/src/video/win32_v.cpp
--- a/src/video/win32_v.cpp
+++ b/src/video/win32_v.cpp
@@ -1199,7 +1199,7 @@ void VideoDriver_Win32::MainLoop()
 			_draw_threaded = false;
 		} else {
 			_draw_continue = true;
-			_draw_threaded = ThreadObject::New(&PaintWindowThread, NULL, &_draw_thread);
+			_draw_threaded = ThreadObject::New(&PaintWindowThread, NULL, &_draw_thread, "ottd:draw-win32");
 
 			/* Free the mutex if we won't be able to use it. */
 			if (!_draw_threaded) {