diff --git a/examples/vhost/Makefile b/examples/vhost/Makefile
index c269466..e95c68a 100644
--- a/examples/vhost/Makefile
+++ b/examples/vhost/Makefile
@@ -52,6 +52,7 @@ SRCS-y := main.c
 
 CFLAGS += -O2 -D_FILE_OFFSET_BITS=64
 CFLAGS += $(WERROR_FLAGS)
+CFLAGS += -D_GNU_SOURCE
 
 include $(RTE_SDK)/mk/rte.extapp.mk
 
diff --git a/examples/vhost/main.c b/examples/vhost/main.c
index 1b137b9..cfe3c6c 100644
--- a/examples/vhost/main.c
+++ b/examples/vhost/main.c
@@ -2896,6 +2896,7 @@ main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	uint8_t portid;
 	uint16_t queue_id;
 	static pthread_t tid;
+	char thread_name[RTE_MAX_THREAD_NAME_LEN];
 
 	signal(SIGINT, sigint_handler);
 
@@ -3018,8 +3019,24 @@ main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	memset(&dev_statistics, 0, sizeof(dev_statistics));
 
 	/* Enable stats if the user option is set. */
-	if (enable_stats)
-		pthread_create(&tid, NULL, (void*)print_stats, NULL );
+	if (enable_stats) {
+
+		ret = pthread_create(&tid, NULL, (void *)print_stats, NULL);
+
+		if (ret != 0)
+			rte_exit(EXIT_FAILURE,
+				"Cannot create print-stats thread\n");
+
+		/* Set thread_name for aid in debugging.  */
+		snprintf(thread_name, RTE_MAX_THREAD_NAME_LEN,
+			"print-stats");
+
+		ret = pthread_setname_np(tid, thread_name);
+
+		if (ret != 0)
+			RTE_LOG(ERR, VHOST_CONFIG,
+				"Cannot set print-stats name\n");
+	}
 
 	/* Launch all data cores. */
 	if (zero_copy == 0) {
diff --git a/examples/vhost_xen/Makefile b/examples/vhost_xen/Makefile
index e6fa1a1..47e1489 100644
--- a/examples/vhost_xen/Makefile
+++ b/examples/vhost_xen/Makefile
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ SRCS-y := main.c vhost_monitor.c xenstore_parse.c
 
 CFLAGS += -O2 -I/usr/local/include -D_FILE_OFFSET_BITS=64 -Wno-unused-parameter
 CFLAGS += $(WERROR_FLAGS)
+CFLAGS += -D_GNU_SOURCE
 LDFLAGS += -lxenstore
 
 include $(RTE_SDK)/mk/rte.extapp.mk
diff --git a/examples/vhost_xen/main.c b/examples/vhost_xen/main.c
index 5d20700..fb79efa 100644
--- a/examples/vhost_xen/main.c
+++ b/examples/vhost_xen/main.c
@@ -1432,6 +1432,7 @@ main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	int ret;
 	uint8_t portid;
 	static pthread_t tid;
+	char thread_name[RTE_MAX_THREAD_NAME_LEN];
 
 	/* init EAL */
 	ret = rte_eal_init(argc, argv);
@@ -1501,8 +1502,24 @@ main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	memset(&dev_statistics, 0, sizeof(dev_statistics));
 
 	/* Enable stats if the user option is set. */
-	if (enable_stats)
-		pthread_create(&tid, NULL, (void*)print_stats, NULL );
+	if (enable_stats) {
+
+		ret = pthread_create(&tid, NULL, (void *)print_stats, NULL);
+
+		if (ret != 0)
+			rte_exit(EXIT_FAILURE,
+				"Cannot create print-stats thread\n");
+
+		/* Set thread_name for aid in debugging. */
+		snprintf(thread_name, RTE_MAX_THREAD_NAME_LEN,
+			"print-xen-stats");
+
+		ret = pthread_setname_np(tid, thread_name);
+
+		if (ret != 0)
+			RTE_LOG(ERR, VHOST_CONFIG,
+				"Cannot set print-stats name\n");
+	}
 
 	/* Launch all data cores. */
 	RTE_LCORE_FOREACH_SLAVE(lcore_id) {
diff --git a/lib/librte_eal/bsdapp/eal/eal.c b/lib/librte_eal/bsdapp/eal/eal.c
index 1b6f705..7c1cd7a 100644
--- a/lib/librte_eal/bsdapp/eal/eal.c
+++ b/lib/librte_eal/bsdapp/eal/eal.c
@@ -467,6 +467,7 @@ rte_eal_init(int argc, char **argv)
 	pthread_t thread_id;
 	static rte_atomic32_t run_once = RTE_ATOMIC32_INIT(0);
 	char cpuset[RTE_CPU_AFFINITY_STR_LEN];
+	char thread_name[RTE_MAX_THREAD_NAME_LEN];
 
 	if (!rte_atomic32_test_and_set(&run_once))
 		return -1;
@@ -572,6 +573,12 @@ rte_eal_init(int argc, char **argv)
 				     eal_thread_loop, NULL);
 		if (ret != 0)
 			rte_panic("Cannot create thread\n");
+
+		/* Set thread_name for aid in debugging. */
+		snprintf(thread_name, RTE_MAX_THREAD_NAME_LEN,
+				"lcore-slave-%d", i);
+
+		pthread_set_name_np(lcore_config[i].thread_id, thread_name);
 	}
 
 	/*
diff --git a/lib/librte_eal/common/include/rte_eal.h b/lib/librte_eal/common/include/rte_eal.h
index f36a792..d2816a8 100644
--- a/lib/librte_eal/common/include/rte_eal.h
+++ b/lib/librte_eal/common/include/rte_eal.h
@@ -51,6 +51,9 @@ extern "C" {
 
 #define RTE_MAGIC 19820526 /**< Magic number written by the main partition when ready. */
 
+/* Maximum thread_name length. */
+#define RTE_MAX_THREAD_NAME_LEN 16
+
 /**
  * The lcore role (used in RTE or not).
  */
diff --git a/lib/librte_eal/linuxapp/eal/Makefile b/lib/librte_eal/linuxapp/eal/Makefile
index 376d275..0e49545 100644
--- a/lib/librte_eal/linuxapp/eal/Makefile
+++ b/lib/librte_eal/linuxapp/eal/Makefile
@@ -93,6 +93,8 @@ SRCS-$(CONFIG_RTE_LIBRTE_EAL_LINUXAPP) += malloc_heap.c
 
 CFLAGS_eal.o := -D_GNU_SOURCE
 CFLAGS_eal_interrupts.o := -D_GNU_SOURCE
+CFLAGS_eal_pci_vfio_mp_sync.o := -D_GNU_SOURCE
+CFLAGS_eal_timer.o := -D_GNU_SOURCE
 CFLAGS_eal_lcore.o := -D_GNU_SOURCE
 CFLAGS_eal_thread.o := -D_GNU_SOURCE
 CFLAGS_eal_log.o := -D_GNU_SOURCE
diff --git a/lib/librte_eal/linuxapp/eal/eal.c b/lib/librte_eal/linuxapp/eal/eal.c
index 33e1067..20acb31 100644
--- a/lib/librte_eal/linuxapp/eal/eal.c
+++ b/lib/librte_eal/linuxapp/eal/eal.c
@@ -734,6 +734,7 @@ rte_eal_init(int argc, char **argv)
 	struct shared_driver *solib = NULL;
 	const char *logid;
 	char cpuset[RTE_CPU_AFFINITY_STR_LEN];
+	char thread_name[RTE_MAX_THREAD_NAME_LEN];
 
 	if (!rte_atomic32_test_and_set(&run_once))
 		return -1;
@@ -863,6 +864,16 @@ rte_eal_init(int argc, char **argv)
 				     eal_thread_loop, NULL);
 		if (ret != 0)
 			rte_panic("Cannot create thread\n");
+
+		/* Set thread_name for aid in debugging. */
+		snprintf(thread_name, RTE_MAX_THREAD_NAME_LEN,
+			"lcore-slave-%d", i);
+
+		ret = pthread_setname_np(lcore_config[i].thread_id,
+						thread_name);
+		if (ret != 0)
+			RTE_LOG(ERR, EAL,
+				"Cannot set name for lcore thread\n");
 	}
 
 	/*
diff --git a/lib/librte_eal/linuxapp/eal/eal_interrupts.c b/lib/librte_eal/linuxapp/eal/eal_interrupts.c
index 3f87875..c6bd49e 100644
--- a/lib/librte_eal/linuxapp/eal/eal_interrupts.c
+++ b/lib/librte_eal/linuxapp/eal/eal_interrupts.c
@@ -67,6 +67,7 @@
 
 #include "eal_private.h"
 #include "eal_vfio.h"
+#include "eal_thread.h"
 
 #define EAL_INTR_EPOLL_WAIT_FOREVER (-1)
 #define NB_OTHER_INTR               1
@@ -864,7 +865,8 @@ eal_intr_thread_main(__rte_unused void *arg)
 int
 rte_eal_intr_init(void)
 {
-	int ret = 0;
+	int ret = 0, ret_1 = 0;
+	char thread_name[RTE_MAX_THREAD_NAME_LEN];
 
 	/* init the global interrupt source head */
 	TAILQ_INIT(&intr_sources);
@@ -879,9 +881,24 @@ rte_eal_intr_init(void)
 	/* create the host thread to wait/handle the interrupt */
 	ret = pthread_create(&intr_thread, NULL,
 			eal_intr_thread_main, NULL);
-	if (ret != 0)
+	if (ret != 0) {
 		RTE_LOG(ERR, EAL,
 			"Failed to create thread for interrupt handling\n");
+	} else {
+		/* Set thread_name for aid in debugging. */
+		snprintf(thread_name, RTE_MAX_THREAD_NAME_LEN,
+			"eal-intr-thread");
+
+		ret_1 = pthread_setname_np(intr_thread, thread_name);
+
+		/*
+		 * Log an error if setname fails and return rc
+		 * of pthread_create.
+		 */
+		if (ret_1 != 0)
+			RTE_LOG(ERR, EAL,
+			"Failed to set thread name for interrupt handling\n");
+	}
 
 	return -ret;
 }
diff --git a/lib/librte_eal/linuxapp/eal/eal_pci_vfio_mp_sync.c b/lib/librte_eal/linuxapp/eal/eal_pci_vfio_mp_sync.c
index fec7080..b95a055 100644
--- a/lib/librte_eal/linuxapp/eal/eal_pci_vfio_mp_sync.c
+++ b/lib/librte_eal/linuxapp/eal/eal_pci_vfio_mp_sync.c
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@
 #include <string.h>
 #include <fcntl.h>
 #include <sys/socket.h>
+#include <pthread.h>
 
 /* sys/un.h with __USE_MISC uses strlen, which is unsafe */
 #ifdef __USE_MISC
@@ -54,6 +55,7 @@
 
 #include "eal_filesystem.h"
 #include "eal_pci_init.h"
+#include "eal_thread.h"
 
 /**
  * @file
@@ -374,6 +376,7 @@ int
 pci_vfio_mp_sync_setup(void)
 {
 	int ret;
+	char thread_name[RTE_MAX_THREAD_NAME_LEN];
 
 	if (vfio_mp_sync_socket_setup() < 0) {
 		RTE_LOG(ERR, EAL, "Failed to set up local socket!\n");
@@ -383,11 +386,22 @@ pci_vfio_mp_sync_setup(void)
 	ret = pthread_create(&socket_thread, NULL,
 			pci_vfio_mp_sync_thread, NULL);
 	if (ret) {
-		RTE_LOG(ERR, EAL, "Failed to create thread for communication with "
-				"secondary processes!\n");
+		RTE_LOG(ERR, EAL,
+			"Failed to create thread for communication with secondary processes!\n");
 		close(mp_socket_fd);
 		return -1;
 	}
+
+	/* Set thread_name for aid in debugging. */
+	snprintf(thread_name, RTE_MAX_THREAD_NAME_LEN,
+		"pci-vfio-sync");
+
+	ret = pthread_setname_np(socket_thread, thread_name);
+
+	if (ret)
+		RTE_LOG(ERR, EAL,
+			"Failed to set thread name for secondary processes!\n");
+
 	return 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/lib/librte_eal/linuxapp/eal/eal_timer.c b/lib/librte_eal/linuxapp/eal/eal_timer.c
index 76a8a65..d76ecbd 100644
--- a/lib/librte_eal/linuxapp/eal/eal_timer.c
+++ b/lib/librte_eal/linuxapp/eal/eal_timer.c
@@ -166,6 +166,7 @@ int
 rte_eal_hpet_init(int make_default)
 {
 	int fd, ret;
+	char thread_name[RTE_MAX_THREAD_NAME_LEN];
 
 	if (internal_config.no_hpet) {
 		RTE_LOG(NOTICE, EAL, "HPET is disabled\n");
@@ -208,12 +209,23 @@ rte_eal_hpet_init(int make_default)
 	 * msb (hpet is 32 bits by default under linux) */
 	ret = pthread_create(&msb_inc_thread_id, NULL,
 			(void *(*)(void *))hpet_msb_inc, NULL);
-	if (ret < 0) {
+	if (ret != 0) {
 		RTE_LOG(ERR, EAL, "ERROR: Cannot create HPET timer thread!\n");
 		internal_config.no_hpet = 1;
 		return -1;
 	}
 
+	/*
+	 * Set thread_name for aid in debugging.
+	 */
+	snprintf(thread_name, RTE_MAX_THREAD_NAME_LEN, "hpet-msb-inc");
+
+	ret = pthread_setname_np(msb_inc_thread_id, thread_name);
+
+	if (ret != 0)
+		RTE_LOG(ERR, EAL,
+			"ERROR: Cannot set HPET timer thread name!\n");
+
 	if (make_default)
 		eal_timer_source = EAL_TIMER_HPET;
 	return 0;
