diff --git a/src/genworld.cpp b/src/genworld.cpp
--- a/src/genworld.cpp
+++ b/src/genworld.cpp
@@ -331,7 +331,7 @@ void GenerateWorld(GenWorldMode mode, ui
 		_gw.thread = NULL;
 	}
 
-	if (!VideoDriver::GetInstance()->HasGUI() || !ThreadObject::New(&_GenerateWorld, NULL, &_gw.thread)) {
+	if (!VideoDriver::GetInstance()->HasGUI() || !ThreadObject::New(&_GenerateWorld, NULL, &_gw.thread, "ottd:genworld")) {
 		DEBUG(misc, 1, "Cannot create genworld thread, reverting to single-threaded mode");
 		_gw.threaded = false;
 		_modal_progress_work_mutex->EndCritical();
diff --git a/src/linkgraph/linkgraphjob.cpp b/src/linkgraph/linkgraphjob.cpp
--- a/src/linkgraph/linkgraphjob.cpp
+++ b/src/linkgraph/linkgraphjob.cpp
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ void LinkGraphJob::EraseFlows(NodeID fro
  */
 void LinkGraphJob::SpawnThread()
 {
-	if (!ThreadObject::New(&(LinkGraphSchedule::Run), this, &this->thread)) {
+	if (!ThreadObject::New(&(LinkGraphSchedule::Run), this, &this->thread, "ottd:linkgraph")) {
 		this->thread = NULL;
 		/* Of course this will hang a bit.
 		 * On the other hand, if you want to play games which make this hang noticably
diff --git a/src/network/core/tcp_connect.cpp b/src/network/core/tcp_connect.cpp
--- a/src/network/core/tcp_connect.cpp
+++ b/src/network/core/tcp_connect.cpp
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ TCPConnecter::TCPConnecter(const Network
 	address(address)
 {
 	*_tcp_connecters.Append() = this;
-	if (!ThreadObject::New(TCPConnecter::ThreadEntry, this, &this->thread)) {
+	if (!ThreadObject::New(TCPConnecter::ThreadEntry, this, &this->thread, "ottd:tcp")) {
 		this->Connect();
 	}
 }
diff --git a/src/network/network_udp.cpp b/src/network/network_udp.cpp
--- a/src/network/network_udp.cpp
+++ b/src/network/network_udp.cpp
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ static void NetworkUDPQueryServerThread(
 void NetworkUDPQueryServer(NetworkAddress address, bool manually)
 {
 	NetworkUDPQueryServerInfo *info = new NetworkUDPQueryServerInfo(address, manually);
-	if (address.IsResolved() || !ThreadObject::New(NetworkUDPQueryServerThread, info)) {
+	if (address.IsResolved() || !ThreadObject::New(NetworkUDPQueryServerThread, info, NULL, "ottd:udp-query")) {
 		NetworkUDPQueryServerThread(info);
 	}
 }
@@ -565,7 +565,7 @@ void NetworkUDPRemoveAdvertise(bool bloc
 	/* Check if we are advertising */
 	if (!_networking || !_network_server || !_network_udp_server) return;
 
-	if (blocking || !ThreadObject::New(NetworkUDPRemoveAdvertiseThread, NULL)) {
+	if (blocking || !ThreadObject::New(NetworkUDPRemoveAdvertiseThread, NULL, NULL, "ottd:udp-advert")) {
 		NetworkUDPRemoveAdvertiseThread(NULL);
 	}
 }
@@ -648,7 +648,7 @@ void NetworkUDPAdvertise()
 	if (_next_advertisement < _last_advertisement) _next_advertisement = UINT32_MAX;
 	if (_next_retry         < _last_advertisement) _next_retry         = UINT32_MAX;
 
-	if (!ThreadObject::New(NetworkUDPAdvertiseThread, NULL)) {
+	if (!ThreadObject::New(NetworkUDPAdvertiseThread, NULL, NULL, "ottd:udp-advert")) {
 		NetworkUDPAdvertiseThread(NULL);
 	}
 }
diff --git a/src/newgrf_config.cpp b/src/newgrf_config.cpp
--- a/src/newgrf_config.cpp
+++ b/src/newgrf_config.cpp
@@ -786,7 +786,7 @@ void ScanNewGRFFiles(NewGRFScanCallback 
 	/* Only then can we really start, especially by marking the whole screen dirty. Get those other windows hidden!. */
 	MarkWholeScreenDirty();
 
-	if (!VideoDriver::GetInstance()->HasGUI() || !ThreadObject::New(&DoScanNewGRFFiles, callback, NULL)) {
+	if (!VideoDriver::GetInstance()->HasGUI() || !ThreadObject::New(&DoScanNewGRFFiles, callback, NULL, "ottd:newgrf-scan")) {
 		_modal_progress_work_mutex->EndCritical();
 		_modal_progress_paint_mutex->EndCritical();
 		DoScanNewGRFFiles(callback);
diff --git a/src/saveload/saveload.cpp b/src/saveload/saveload.cpp
--- a/src/saveload/saveload.cpp
+++ b/src/saveload/saveload.cpp
@@ -2585,7 +2585,7 @@ static SaveOrLoadResult DoSave(SaveFilte
 	SlSaveChunks();
 
 	SaveFileStart();
-	if (!threaded || !ThreadObject::New(&SaveFileToDiskThread, NULL, &_save_thread)) {
+	if (!threaded || !ThreadObject::New(&SaveFileToDiskThread, NULL, &_save_thread, "ottd:savegame")) {
 		if (threaded) DEBUG(sl, 1, "Cannot create savegame thread, reverting to single-threaded mode...");
 
 		SaveOrLoadResult result = SaveFileToDisk(false);
diff --git a/src/thread/thread.h b/src/thread/thread.h
--- a/src/thread/thread.h
+++ b/src/thread/thread.h
@@ -44,9 +44,10 @@ public:
 	 * @param proc The procedure to call inside the thread.
 	 * @param param The params to give with 'proc'.
 	 * @param thread Place to store a pointer to the thread in. May be NULL.
+	 * @param name A name for the thread. May be NULL.
 	 * @return True if the thread was started correctly.
 	 */
-	static bool New(OTTDThreadFunc proc, void *param, ThreadObject **thread = NULL);
+	static bool New(OTTDThreadFunc proc, void *param, ThreadObject **thread = NULL, const char *name = NULL);
 };
 
 /**
diff --git a/src/thread/thread_morphos.cpp b/src/thread/thread_morphos.cpp
--- a/src/thread/thread_morphos.cpp
+++ b/src/thread/thread_morphos.cpp
@@ -193,7 +193,7 @@ private:
 	}
 };
 
-/* static */ bool ThreadObject::New(OTTDThreadFunc proc, void *param, ThreadObject **thread)
+/* static */ bool ThreadObject::New(OTTDThreadFunc proc, void *param, ThreadObject **thread, const char *name)
 {
 	ThreadObject *to = new ThreadObject_MorphOS(proc, param, thread == NULL);
 	if (thread != NULL) *thread = to;
diff --git a/src/thread/thread_none.cpp b/src/thread/thread_none.cpp
--- a/src/thread/thread_none.cpp
+++ b/src/thread/thread_none.cpp
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@
 
 #include "../safeguards.h"
 
-/* static */ bool ThreadObject::New(OTTDThreadFunc proc, void *param, ThreadObject **thread)
+/* static */ bool ThreadObject::New(OTTDThreadFunc proc, void *param, ThreadObject **thread, const char *name)
 {
 	if (thread != NULL) *thread = NULL;
 	return false;
diff --git a/src/thread/thread_os2.cpp b/src/thread/thread_os2.cpp
--- a/src/thread/thread_os2.cpp
+++ b/src/thread/thread_os2.cpp
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ private:
 	}
 };
 
-/* static */ bool ThreadObject::New(OTTDThreadFunc proc, void *param, ThreadObject **thread)
+/* static */ bool ThreadObject::New(OTTDThreadFunc proc, void *param, ThreadObject **thread, const char *name)
 {
 	ThreadObject *to = new ThreadObject_OS2(proc, param, thread == NULL);
 	if (thread != NULL) *thread = to;
diff --git a/src/thread/thread_pthread.cpp b/src/thread/thread_pthread.cpp
--- a/src/thread/thread_pthread.cpp
+++ b/src/thread/thread_pthread.cpp
@@ -25,16 +25,18 @@ private:
 	OTTDThreadFunc proc; ///< External thread procedure.
 	void *param;         ///< Parameter for the external thread procedure.
 	bool self_destruct;  ///< Free ourselves when done?
+	const char *name;    ///< Name for the thread
 
 public:
 	/**
 	 * Create a pthread and start it, calling proc(param).
 	 */
-	ThreadObject_pthread(OTTDThreadFunc proc, void *param, bool self_destruct) :
+	ThreadObject_pthread(OTTDThreadFunc proc, void *param, bool self_destruct, const char *name) :
 		thread(0),
 		proc(proc),
 		param(param),
-		self_destruct(self_destruct)
+		self_destruct(self_destruct),
+		name(name)
 	{
 		pthread_create(&this->thread, NULL, &stThreadProc, this);
 	}
@@ -60,7 +62,15 @@ private:
 	 */
 	static void *stThreadProc(void *thr)
 	{
-		((ThreadObject_pthread *)thr)->ThreadProc();
+		ThreadObject_pthread *self = (ThreadObject_pthread *) thr;
+#if defined(__GLIBC__)
+#if __GLIBC_PREREQ(2, 12)
+		if (self->name) {
+			pthread_setname_np(pthread_self(), self->name);
+		}
+#endif
+#endif
+		self->ThreadProc();
 		pthread_exit(NULL);
 	}
 
@@ -85,9 +95,9 @@ private:
 	}
 };
 
-/* static */ bool ThreadObject::New(OTTDThreadFunc proc, void *param, ThreadObject **thread)
+/* static */ bool ThreadObject::New(OTTDThreadFunc proc, void *param, ThreadObject **thread, const char *name)
 {
-	ThreadObject *to = new ThreadObject_pthread(proc, param, thread == NULL);
+	ThreadObject *to = new ThreadObject_pthread(proc, param, thread == NULL, name);
 	if (thread != NULL) *thread = to;
 	return true;
 }
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
@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@ private:
 	}
 };
 
-/* static */ bool ThreadObject::New(OTTDThreadFunc proc, void *param, ThreadObject **thread)
+/* static */ bool ThreadObject::New(OTTDThreadFunc proc, void *param, ThreadObject **thread, const char *name)
 {
 	ThreadObject *to = new ThreadObject_Win32(proc, param, thread == NULL);
 	if (thread != NULL) *thread = to;
diff --git a/src/video/sdl_v.cpp b/src/video/sdl_v.cpp
--- a/src/video/sdl_v.cpp
+++ b/src/video/sdl_v.cpp
@@ -687,7 +687,7 @@ void VideoDriver_SDL::MainLoop()
 			_draw_mutex->BeginCritical();
 			_draw_continue = true;
 
-			_draw_threaded = ThreadObject::New(&DrawSurfaceToScreenThread, NULL, &_draw_thread);
+			_draw_threaded = ThreadObject::New(&DrawSurfaceToScreenThread, NULL, &_draw_thread, "ottd:draw-sdl");
 
 			/* Free the mutex if we won't be able to use it. */
 			if (!_draw_threaded) {