diff --git a/libresapi/src/api/RsControlModule.cpp b/libresapi/src/api/RsControlModule.cpp
index 43a5c2241..71848301e 100644
--- a/libresapi/src/api/RsControlModule.cpp
+++ b/libresapi/src/api/RsControlModule.cpp
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ RsControlModule::RsControlModule(int argc, char **argv, StateTokenServer* sts, A
     this->argv = argv;
     // start worker thread
     if(full_control)
-        start();
+        start("RS ctrl module");
     else
         mRunState = RUNNING_OK_NO_FULL_CONTROL;
 
diff --git a/libretroshare/src/ft/ftserver.cc b/libretroshare/src/ft/ftserver.cc
index 2bcb53a5f..4656fe4a5 100644
--- a/libretroshare/src/ft/ftserver.cc
+++ b/libretroshare/src/ft/ftserver.cc
@@ -188,19 +188,18 @@ void    ftServer::StartupThreads()
 
 	/* self contained threads */
 	/* startup ExtraList Thread */
-	mFtExtra->start();
+	mFtExtra->start("RS ft extra lst");
 
 	/* startup Monitor Thread */
 	/* startup the FileMonitor (after cache load) */
 	/* start it up */
-	
-	mFiMon->start();
+	mFiMon->start("RS ft monitor");
 
 	/* Controller thread */
-	mFtController->start();
+	mFtController->start("RS ft ctrl");
 
 	/* Dataplex */
-	mFtDataplex->start();
+	mFtDataplex->start("RS ft dataplex");
 }
 
 void ftServer::StopThreads()
diff --git a/libretroshare/src/util/rsthreads.cc b/libretroshare/src/util/rsthreads.cc
index 970b241a2..f0e37f7fe 100644
--- a/libretroshare/src/util/rsthreads.cc
+++ b/libretroshare/src/util/rsthreads.cc
@@ -83,6 +83,7 @@ RsThread::RsThread()
     mHasStoppedSemaphore.set(1) ;
     mShouldStopSemaphore.set(0) ;
 }
+
 bool RsThread::isRunning()
 {
     // do we need a mutex for this ?
@@ -142,7 +143,8 @@ void RsTickingThread::fullstop()
     THREAD_DEBUG << "  finished!" << std::endl;
 #endif
 }
-void RsThread::start()
+
+void RsThread::start(const std::string &threadName)
 {
     pthread_t tid;
     void  *data = (void *)this ;
@@ -158,11 +160,27 @@ void RsThread::start()
     // -> the new thread will see mIsRunning() = true
 
     if( 0 == (err=pthread_create(&tid, 0, &rsthread_init, data)))
+    {
         mTid = tid;
+
+        // set name
+		if(!threadName.empty()) {
+			// thread names are restricted to 16 characters including the terminating null byte
+			if(threadName.length() > 15)
+			{
+#ifdef DEBUG_THREADS
+				THREAD_DEBUG << "RsThread::start called with to long name '" << name << "' truncating..." << std::endl;
+#endif
+				pthread_setname_np(mTid, threadName.substr(0, 15).c_str());
+			} else {
+				pthread_setname_np(mTid, threadName.c_str());
+			}
+		}
+    }
     else
     {
         THREAD_DEBUG << "Fatal error: pthread_create could not create a thread. Error returned: " << err << " !!!!!!!" << std::endl;
-	mHasStoppedSemaphore.set(1) ;
+        mHasStoppedSemaphore.set(1) ;
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/libretroshare/src/util/rsthreads.h b/libretroshare/src/util/rsthreads.h
index ac08a9404..e089671d3 100644
--- a/libretroshare/src/util/rsthreads.h
+++ b/libretroshare/src/util/rsthreads.h
@@ -245,7 +245,7 @@ class RsThread
     RsThread();
     virtual ~RsThread() {}
 
-    void start() ;
+    void start(const std::string &threadName = "");
 
     // Returns true of the thread is still running.