diff --git a/audio/out/ao_audiotrack.c b/audio/out/ao_audiotrack.c
index 9620e45bd68fb..321e3cb8511c2 100644
--- a/audio/out/ao_audiotrack.c
+++ b/audio/out/ao_audiotrack.c
@@ -554,7 +554,7 @@ static void *playthread(void *arg)
     struct ao *ao = arg;
     struct priv *p = ao->priv;
     JNIEnv *env = MP_JNI_GET_ENV(ao);
-    mpthread_set_name("audiotrack");
+    mpthread_set_name("ao/audiotrack");
     pthread_mutex_lock(&p->lock);
     while (!p->thread_terminate) {
         int state = AudioTrack.PLAYSTATE_PAUSED;
diff --git a/audio/out/ao_wasapi.c b/audio/out/ao_wasapi.c
index a2460ab513301..5f6468f33e41a 100644
--- a/audio/out/ao_wasapi.c
+++ b/audio/out/ao_wasapi.c
@@ -199,7 +199,7 @@ static DWORD __stdcall AudioThread(void *lpParameter)
 {
     struct ao *ao = lpParameter;
     struct wasapi_state *state = ao->priv;
-    mpthread_set_name("wasapi event");
+    mpthread_set_name("ao/wasapi");
     CoInitializeEx(NULL, COINIT_APARTMENTTHREADED);
 
     state->init_ok = wasapi_thread_init(ao);
diff --git a/common/msg.c b/common/msg.c
index 48767e89ec3a0..66a7a6f1fff04 100644
--- a/common/msg.c
+++ b/common/msg.c
@@ -541,7 +541,7 @@ static void *log_file_thread(void *p)
 {
     struct mp_log_root *root = p;
 
-    mpthread_set_name("log-file");
+    mpthread_set_name("log");
 
     pthread_mutex_lock(&root->log_file_lock);
 
diff --git a/filters/f_decoder_wrapper.c b/filters/f_decoder_wrapper.c
index 2830ada5d50b8..ad090ecd7f895 100644
--- a/filters/f_decoder_wrapper.c
+++ b/filters/f_decoder_wrapper.c
@@ -1102,10 +1102,10 @@ static void *dec_thread(void *ptr)
 {
     struct priv *p = ptr;
 
-    char *t_name = "?";
+    char *t_name = "dec/?";
     switch (p->header->type) {
-    case STREAM_VIDEO: t_name = "vdec"; break;
-    case STREAM_AUDIO: t_name = "adec"; break;
+    case STREAM_VIDEO: t_name = "dec/video"; break;
+    case STREAM_AUDIO: t_name = "dec/audio"; break;
     }
     mpthread_set_name(t_name);
 
diff --git a/input/input.c b/input/input.c
index 9d50abb50d8fa..4b13841224526 100644
--- a/input/input.c
+++ b/input/input.c
@@ -1622,7 +1622,7 @@ static void *input_src_thread(void *ptr)
     void (*loop_fn)(struct mp_input_src *src, void *ctx) = args[1];
     void *ctx = args[2];
 
-    mpthread_set_name("input source");
+    mpthread_set_name("input");
 
     src->in->thread_running = true;
 
diff --git a/input/ipc-unix.c b/input/ipc-unix.c
index 5a638ea49fd01..2cb53be546134 100644
--- a/input/ipc-unix.c
+++ b/input/ipc-unix.c
@@ -105,7 +105,9 @@ static void *client_thread(void *p)
     struct client_arg *arg = p;
     bstr client_msg = { talloc_strdup(NULL, ""), 0 };
 
-    mpthread_set_name(arg->client_name);
+    char *tname = talloc_asprintf(NULL, "ipc/%s", arg->client_name);
+    mpthread_set_name(tname);
+    talloc_free(tname);
 
     int pipe_fd = mpv_get_wakeup_pipe(arg->client);
     if (pipe_fd < 0) {
@@ -302,7 +304,7 @@ static void *ipc_thread(void *p)
 
     struct mp_ipc_ctx *arg = p;
 
-    mpthread_set_name("ipc socket listener");
+    mpthread_set_name("ipc/socket");
 
     MP_VERBOSE(arg, "Starting IPC master\n");
 
diff --git a/input/ipc-win.c b/input/ipc-win.c
index aec754a281f9e..42a519ecf0de0 100644
--- a/input/ipc-win.c
+++ b/input/ipc-win.c
@@ -210,7 +210,9 @@ static void *client_thread(void *p)
     DWORD ioerr = 0;
     DWORD r;
 
-    mpthread_set_name(arg->client_name);
+    char *tname = talloc_asprintf(NULL, "ipc/%s", arg->client_name);
+    mpthread_set_name(tname);
+    talloc_free(tname);
 
     arg->write_ol.hEvent = CreateEventW(NULL, TRUE, TRUE, NULL);
     if (!wakeup_event || !ol.hEvent || !arg->write_ol.hEvent) {
@@ -356,7 +358,7 @@ static void *ipc_thread(void *p)
     HANDLE client = INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE;
     int client_num = 0;
 
-    mpthread_set_name("ipc named pipe listener");
+    mpthread_set_name("ipc/named-pipe");
     MP_VERBOSE(arg, "Starting IPC master\n");
 
     SECURITY_ATTRIBUTES sa = {
diff --git a/osdep/macosx_application.m b/osdep/macosx_application.m
index bf60e05389679..78fcb5cb485f0 100644
--- a/osdep/macosx_application.m
+++ b/osdep/macosx_application.m
@@ -275,7 +275,7 @@ static void cocoa_run_runloop(void)
 
 static void *playback_thread(void *ctx_obj)
 {
-    mpthread_set_name("playback core (OSX)");
+    mpthread_set_name("core/playback");
     @autoreleasepool {
         struct playback_thread_ctx *ctx = (struct playback_thread_ctx*) ctx_obj;
         int r = mpv_main(*ctx->argc, *ctx->argv);
@@ -377,4 +377,3 @@ int cocoa_main(int argc, char *argv[])
         return 1;
     }
 }
-
diff --git a/osdep/terminal-unix.c b/osdep/terminal-unix.c
index d31e1e753f3d7..43a74e6bdb513 100644
--- a/osdep/terminal-unix.c
+++ b/osdep/terminal-unix.c
@@ -408,7 +408,7 @@ static void quit_request_sighandler(int signum)
 
 static void *terminal_thread(void *ptr)
 {
-    mpthread_set_name("terminal");
+    mpthread_set_name("terminal/input");
     bool stdin_ok = read_terminal; // if false, we still wait for SIGTERM
     while (1) {
         getch2_poll();
diff --git a/osdep/terminal-win.c b/osdep/terminal-win.c
index 4e88f29679ca8..406829ed0226b 100644
--- a/osdep/terminal-win.c
+++ b/osdep/terminal-win.c
@@ -161,7 +161,7 @@ static void read_input(HANDLE in)
 
 static void *input_thread_fn(void *ptr)
 {
-    mpthread_set_name("terminal");
+    mpthread_set_name("terminal/input");
     HANDLE in = ptr;
     HANDLE stuff[2] = {in, death};
     while (1) {
diff --git a/osdep/threads.c b/osdep/threads.c
index 0b96216cc75f6..1802fea3cef69 100644
--- a/osdep/threads.c
+++ b/osdep/threads.c
@@ -40,17 +40,16 @@ int mpthread_mutex_init_recursive(pthread_mutex_t *mutex)
 
 void mpthread_set_name(const char *name)
 {
-    char tname[80];
-    snprintf(tname, sizeof(tname), "mpv/%s", name);
 #if HAVE_GLIBC_THREAD_NAME
-    if (pthread_setname_np(pthread_self(), tname) == ERANGE) {
-        tname[15] = '\0'; // glibc-checked kernel limit
+    if (pthread_setname_np(pthread_self(), name) == ERANGE) {
+        char tname[16] = {0}; // glibc-checked kernel limit
+        strncpy(tname, name, sizeof(tname) - 1);
         pthread_setname_np(pthread_self(), tname);
     }
 #elif HAVE_WIN32_INTERNAL_PTHREADS || HAVE_BSD_THREAD_NAME
-    pthread_set_name_np(pthread_self(), tname);
+    pthread_set_name_np(pthread_self(), name);
 #elif HAVE_OSX_THREAD_NAME
-    pthread_setname_np(tname);
+    pthread_setname_np(name);
 #endif
 }
 
diff --git a/player/client.c b/player/client.c
index a14d2e99a37c2..68cc055597fa6 100644
--- a/player/client.c
+++ b/player/client.c
@@ -602,7 +602,7 @@ static void *core_thread(void *p)
 {
     struct MPContext *mpctx = p;
 
-    mpthread_set_name("mpv core");
+    mpthread_set_name("core");
 
     while (!mpctx->initialized && mpctx->stop_play != PT_QUIT)
         mp_idle(mpctx);
diff --git a/player/main.c b/player/main.c
index cd84026730ddf..8f98754f2b380 100644
--- a/player/main.c
+++ b/player/main.c
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@
 #include "misc/thread_pool.h"
 #include "osdep/io.h"
 #include "osdep/terminal.h"
+#include "osdep/threads.h"
 #include "osdep/timer.h"
 #include "osdep/main-fn.h"
 
@@ -419,6 +420,7 @@ int mp_initialize(struct MPContext *mpctx, char **options)
 
 int mpv_main(int argc, char *argv[])
 {
+    mpthread_set_name("main");
     struct MPContext *mpctx = mp_create();
     if (!mpctx)
         return 1;
diff --git a/player/scripting.c b/player/scripting.c
index 9a23a0dae0c2a..15f35337382cf 100644
--- a/player/scripting.c
+++ b/player/scripting.c
@@ -85,10 +85,10 @@ static char *script_name_from_filename(void *talloc_ctx, const char *fname)
 
 static void run_script(struct mp_script_args *arg)
 {
-    char name[90];
-    snprintf(name, sizeof(name), "%s (%s)", arg->backend->name,
-             mpv_client_name(arg->client));
+    char *name = talloc_asprintf(NULL, "%s/%s", arg->backend->name,
+                                 mpv_client_name(arg->client));
     mpthread_set_name(name);
+    talloc_free(name);
 
     if (arg->backend->load(arg) < 0)
         MP_ERR(arg, "Could not load %s %s\n", arg->backend->name, arg->filename);
diff --git a/video/out/w32_common.c b/video/out/w32_common.c
index f58149e3c9f13..424369d5d0041 100644
--- a/video/out/w32_common.c
+++ b/video/out/w32_common.c
@@ -1730,7 +1730,7 @@ static void *gui_thread(void *ptr)
     bool ole_ok = false;
     int res = 0;
 
-    mpthread_set_name("win32 window");
+    mpthread_set_name("window");
 
     w32_api_load(w32);