diff --git a/rai/lib/CMakeLists.txt b/rai/lib/CMakeLists.txt
index f2a460c3..aaf40bc9 100644
--- a/rai/lib/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/rai/lib/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,11 +1,11 @@
 if (${CMAKE_SYSTEM_NAME} MATCHES "Darwin")
-	set (platform_sources plat/default/priority.cpp plat/posix/perms.cpp)
+	set (platform_sources plat/default/priority.cpp plat/posix/perms.cpp plat/darwin/thread_role.cpp)
 elseif (${CMAKE_SYSTEM_NAME} MATCHES "Windows")
-	set (platform_sources plat/windows/priority.cpp plat/windows/perms.cpp)
+	set (platform_sources plat/windows/priority.cpp plat/windows/perms.cpp plat/windows/thread_role.cpp)
 elseif (${CMAKE_SYSTEM_NAME} MATCHES "Linux")
-	set (platform_sources plat/linux/priority.cpp plat/posix/perms.cpp)
+	set (platform_sources plat/linux/priority.cpp plat/posix/perms.cpp plat/linux/thread_role.cpp)
 elseif (${CMAKE_SYSTEM_NAME} MATCHES "FreeBSD")
-	set (platform_sources plat/default/priority.cpp plat/posix/perms.cpp)
+	set (platform_sources plat/default/priority.cpp plat/posix/perms.cpp plat/freebsd/thread_role.cpp)
 else ()
 	error ("Unknown platform: ${CMAKE_SYSTEM_NAME}")
 endif ()
diff --git a/rai/lib/plat/darwin/thread_role.cpp b/rai/lib/plat/darwin/thread_role.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..014b5040
--- /dev/null
+++ b/rai/lib/plat/darwin/thread_role.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+#include <pthread.h>
+#include <rai/lib/utility.hpp>
+
+void rai::thread_role::set_name (std::string thread_name)
+{
+	pthread_setname_np (thread_name.c_str ());
+}
diff --git a/rai/lib/plat/freebsd/thread_role.cpp b/rai/lib/plat/freebsd/thread_role.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..870f9832
--- /dev/null
+++ b/rai/lib/plat/freebsd/thread_role.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+#include <pthread.h>
+#include <pthread_np.h>
+#include <rai/lib/utility.hpp>
+
+void rai::thread_role::set_name (std::string thread_name)
+{
+	pthread_set_name_np (pthread_self (), thread_name.c_str ());
+}
diff --git a/rai/lib/plat/linux/thread_role.cpp b/rai/lib/plat/linux/thread_role.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..d4c038ed
--- /dev/null
+++ b/rai/lib/plat/linux/thread_role.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+#include <pthread.h>
+#include <rai/lib/utility.hpp>
+
+void rai::thread_role::set_name (std::string thread_name)
+{
+	pthread_setname_np (pthread_self (), thread_name.c_str ());
+}
diff --git a/rai/lib/plat/windows/thread_role.cpp b/rai/lib/plat/windows/thread_role.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..fa0b775b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/rai/lib/plat/windows/thread_role.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+#include <windows.h>
+
+#include <processthreadsapi.h>
+#include <rai/lib/utility.hpp>
+
+typedef HRESULT (*SetThreadDescription_t) (HANDLE, PCWSTR);
+
+void rai::thread_role::set_name (std::string thread_name)
+{
+	SetThreadDescription_t SetThreadDescription_local;
+
+	SetThreadDescription_local = (SetThreadDescription_t)GetProcAddress (GetModuleHandle (TEXT ("kernel32.dll")), "SetThreadDescription");
+	if (SetThreadDescription_local)
+	{
+		std::wstring thread_name_wide (thread_name.begin (), thread_name.end ());
+		SetThreadDescription_local (GetCurrentThread (), thread_name_wide.c_str ());
+	}
+}
diff --git a/rai/lib/utility.cpp b/rai/lib/utility.cpp
index 31647e4e..032fc682 100644
--- a/rai/lib/utility.cpp
+++ b/rai/lib/utility.cpp
@@ -1,6 +1,77 @@
 #include <iostream>
 #include <rai/lib/utility.hpp>
 
+namespace rai
+{
+namespace thread_role
+{
+	/*
+	 * rai::thread_role namespace
+	 *
+	 * Manage thread role
+	 */
+	static thread_local rai::thread_role::name current_thread_role = rai::thread_role::name::unknown;
+	rai::thread_role::name get (void)
+	{
+		return current_thread_role;
+	}
+
+	void set (rai::thread_role::name role)
+	{
+		std::string thread_role_name_string;
+
+		switch (role)
+		{
+			case rai::thread_role::name::unknown:
+				thread_role_name_string = "<unknown>";
+				break;
+			case rai::thread_role::name::io:
+				thread_role_name_string = "I/O";
+				break;
+			case rai::thread_role::name::work:
+				thread_role_name_string = "Work pool";
+				break;
+			case rai::thread_role::name::packet_processing:
+				thread_role_name_string = "Pkt processing";
+				break;
+			case rai::thread_role::name::alarm:
+				thread_role_name_string = "Alarm";
+				break;
+			case rai::thread_role::name::vote_processing:
+				thread_role_name_string = "Vote processing";
+				break;
+			case rai::thread_role::name::block_processing:
+				thread_role_name_string = "Blck processing";
+				break;
+			case rai::thread_role::name::announce_loop:
+				thread_role_name_string = "Announce loop";
+				break;
+			case rai::thread_role::name::wallet_actions:
+				thread_role_name_string = "Wallet actions";
+				break;
+			case rai::thread_role::name::bootstrap_initiator:
+				thread_role_name_string = "Bootstrap init";
+				break;
+		}
+
+		/*
+		 * We want to constrain the thread names to 15
+		 * characters, since this is the smallest maximum
+		 * length supported by the platforms we support
+		 * (specifically, Linux)
+		 */
+		assert (thread_role_name_string.size () < 16);
+
+		rai::thread_role::set_name (thread_role_name_string);
+
+		rai::thread_role::current_thread_role = role;
+	}
+}
+}
+
+/*
+ * Backing code for "release_assert", which is itself a macro
+ */
 void release_assert_internal (bool check, const char * check_expr, const char * file, unsigned int line)
 {
 	if (check)
diff --git a/rai/lib/utility.hpp b/rai/lib/utility.hpp
index 1c7bd3d7..aee88961 100644
--- a/rai/lib/utility.hpp
+++ b/rai/lib/utility.hpp
@@ -22,6 +22,29 @@ void set_secure_perm_directory (boost::filesystem::path const & path, boost::sys
 void set_secure_perm_file (boost::filesystem::path const & path);
 void set_secure_perm_file (boost::filesystem::path const & path, boost::system::error_code & ec);
 
+/*
+ * Functions for understanding the role of the current thread
+ */
+namespace thread_role
+{
+	enum class name
+	{
+		unknown,
+		io,
+		work,
+		packet_processing,
+		alarm,
+		vote_processing,
+		block_processing,
+		announce_loop,
+		wallet_actions,
+		bootstrap_initiator,
+	};
+	rai::thread_role::name get (void);
+	void set (rai::thread_role::name);
+	void set_name (std::string);
+}
+
 template <typename... T>
 class observer_set
 {
diff --git a/rai/lib/work.cpp b/rai/lib/work.cpp
index 2388797d..b25cbec5 100644
--- a/rai/lib/work.cpp
+++ b/rai/lib/work.cpp
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ opencl (opencl_a)
 	for (auto i (0); i < count; ++i)
 	{
 		auto thread (std::thread ([this, i]() {
+			rai::thread_role::set (rai::thread_role::name::work);
 			rai::work_thread_reprioritize ();
 			loop (i);
 		}));
diff --git a/rai/node/bootstrap.cpp b/rai/node/bootstrap.cpp
index 44a5b294..7b4e7598 100644
--- a/rai/node/bootstrap.cpp
+++ b/rai/node/bootstrap.cpp
@@ -1126,7 +1126,10 @@ void rai::bootstrap_attempt::add_bulk_push_target (rai::block_hash const & head,
 rai::bootstrap_initiator::bootstrap_initiator (rai::node & node_a) :
 node (node_a),
 stopped (false),
-thread ([this]() { run_bootstrap (); })
+thread ([this]() {
+	rai::thread_role::set (rai::thread_role::name::bootstrap_initiator);
+	run_bootstrap ();
+})
 {
 }
 
diff --git a/rai/node/node.cpp b/rai/node/node.cpp
index dbb755cd..3c339c33 100644
--- a/rai/node/node.cpp
+++ b/rai/node/node.cpp
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@ on (true)
 	for (size_t i = 0; i < node.config.io_threads; ++i)
 	{
 		packet_processing_threads.push_back (std::thread ([this]() {
+			rai::thread_role::set (rai::thread_role::name::packet_processing);
 			try
 			{
 				process_packets ();
@@ -706,7 +707,10 @@ bool rai::operation::operator> (rai::operation const & other_a) const
 
 rai::alarm::alarm (boost::asio::io_service & service_a) :
 service (service_a),
-thread ([this]() { run (); })
+thread ([this]() {
+	rai::thread_role::set (rai::thread_role::name::alarm);
+	run ();
+})
 {
 }
 
@@ -1324,7 +1328,10 @@ node (node_a),
 started (false),
 stopped (false),
 active (false),
-thread ([this]() { process_loop (); })
+thread ([this]() {
+	rai::thread_role::set (rai::thread_role::name::vote_processing);
+	process_loop ();
+})
 {
 	std::unique_lock<std::mutex> lock (mutex);
 	while (!started)
@@ -1799,7 +1806,10 @@ port_mapping (*this),
 vote_processor (*this),
 warmed_up (0),
 block_processor (*this),
-block_processor_thread ([this]() { this->block_processor.process_blocks (); }),
+block_processor_thread ([this]() {
+	rai::thread_role::set (rai::thread_role::name::block_processing);
+	this->block_processor.process_blocks ();
+}),
 online_reps (*this),
 stats (config.stat_config)
 {
@@ -4189,7 +4199,10 @@ rai::active_transactions::active_transactions (rai::node & node_a) :
 node (node_a),
 started (false),
 stopped (false),
-thread ([this]() { announce_loop (); })
+thread ([this]() {
+	rai::thread_role::set (rai::thread_role::name::announce_loop);
+	announce_loop ();
+})
 {
 	std::unique_lock<std::mutex> lock (mutex);
 	while (!started)
@@ -4230,6 +4243,7 @@ rai::thread_runner::thread_runner (boost::asio::io_service & service_a, unsigned
 	for (auto i (0); i < service_threads_a; ++i)
 	{
 		threads.push_back (std::thread ([&service_a]() {
+			rai::thread_role::set (rai::thread_role::name::io);
 			try
 			{
 				service_a.run ();
diff --git a/rai/node/wallet.cpp b/rai/node/wallet.cpp
index a027694a..4944a486 100644
--- a/rai/node/wallet.cpp
+++ b/rai/node/wallet.cpp
@@ -1238,7 +1238,10 @@ observer ([](bool) {}),
 node (node_a),
 env (boost::polymorphic_downcast<rai::mdb_store *> (node_a.store_impl.get ())->env),
 stopped (false),
-thread ([this]() { do_wallet_actions (); })
+thread ([this]() {
+	rai::thread_role::set (rai::thread_role::name::wallet_actions);
+	do_wallet_actions ();
+})
 {
 	if (!error_a)
 	{