diff --git a/src/Makefile.am b/src/Makefile.am
index bc1c45ac51..d9255cac92 100644
--- a/src/Makefile.am
+++ b/src/Makefile.am
@@ -165,6 +165,8 @@ BITCOIN_CORE_H = \
   util.h \
   utilmemory.h \
   utilmoneystr.h \
+  utilthread.h \
+  utilthreadnames.h \
   utiltime.h \
   utilstring.h \
   validation.h \
@@ -377,6 +379,8 @@ libdogecoin_util_a_SOURCES = \
   util.cpp \
   utilmoneystr.cpp \
   utilstrencodings.cpp \
+  utilthread.cpp \
+  utilthreadnames.cpp \
   utiltime.cpp \
   $(BITCOIN_CORE_H)
 
diff --git a/src/sync.cpp b/src/sync.cpp
index 3188242009..52840c177b 100644
--- a/src/sync.cpp
+++ b/src/sync.cpp
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 
 #include "util.h"
 #include "utilstrencodings.h"
+#include "utilthreadnames.h"
 
 #include <stdio.h>
 
diff --git a/src/utilthread.cpp b/src/utilthread.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..3e654145e1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/utilthread.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+// Copyright (c) 2021 The Bitcoin Core developers
+// Distributed under the MIT software license, see the accompanying
+// file COPYING or http://www.opensource.org/licenses/mit-license.php.
+
+#include <utilthread.h>
+
+#include <util.h>
+#include <utilthreadnames.h>
+
+#include <exception>
+
+void util::TraceThread(const char* thread_name, std::function<void()> thread_func)
+{
+    util::ThreadRename(thread_name);
+    try {
+        LogPrintf("%s thread start\n", thread_name);
+        thread_func();
+        LogPrintf("%s thread exit\n", thread_name);
+    } catch (const std::exception& e) {
+        PrintExceptionContinue(&e, thread_name);
+        throw;
+    } catch (...) {
+        PrintExceptionContinue(nullptr, thread_name);
+        throw;
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/utilthread.h b/src/utilthread.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..009bd8091c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/utilthread.h
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+// Copyright (c) 2021 The Bitcoin Core developers
+// Distributed under the MIT software license, see the accompanying
+// file COPYING or http://www.opensource.org/licenses/mit-license.php.
+
+#ifndef BITCOIN_UTILTHREAD_H
+#define BITCOIN_UTILTHREAD_H
+
+#include <functional>
+
+namespace util {
+/**
+ * A wrapper for do-something-once thread functions.
+ */
+void TraceThread(const char* thread_name, std::function<void()> thread_func);
+
+} // namespace util
+
+#endif // BITCOIN_UTILTHREAD_H
diff --git a/src/utilthreadnames.cpp b/src/utilthreadnames.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..9e18fbb636
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/utilthreadnames.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,68 @@
+// Copyright (c) 2018-2019 The Bitcoin Core developers
+// Distributed under the MIT software license, see the accompanying
+// file COPYING or http://www.opensource.org/licenses/mit-license.php.
+
+#if defined(HAVE_CONFIG_H)
+#include <config/bitcoin-config.h>
+#endif
+
+#include <string>
+#include <thread>
+#include <utility>
+
+#if (defined(__FreeBSD__) || defined(__OpenBSD__) || defined(__DragonFly__))
+#include <pthread.h>
+#include <pthread_np.h>
+#endif
+
+#include <utilthreadnames.h>
+
+#ifdef HAVE_SYS_PRCTL_H
+#include <sys/prctl.h>
+#endif
+
+//! Set the thread's name at the process level. Does not affect the
+//! internal name.
+static void SetThreadName(const char* name)
+{
+#if defined(PR_SET_NAME)
+    // Only the first 15 characters are used (16 - NUL terminator)
+    ::prctl(PR_SET_NAME, name, 0, 0, 0);
+#elif (defined(__FreeBSD__) || defined(__OpenBSD__) || defined(__DragonFly__))
+    pthread_set_name_np(pthread_self(), name);
+#elif defined(MAC_OSX)
+    pthread_setname_np(name);
+#else
+    // Prevent warnings for unused parameters...
+    (void)name;
+#endif
+}
+
+// If we have thread_local, just keep thread ID and name in a thread_local
+// global.
+#if defined(HAVE_THREAD_LOCAL)
+
+static thread_local std::string g_thread_name;
+const std::string& util::ThreadGetInternalName() { return g_thread_name; }
+//! Set the in-memory internal name for this thread. Does not affect the process
+//! name.
+static void SetInternalName(std::string name) { g_thread_name = std::move(name); }
+
+// Without thread_local available, don't handle internal name at all.
+#else
+
+static const std::string empty_string;
+const std::string& util::ThreadGetInternalName() { return empty_string; }
+static void SetInternalName(std::string name) { }
+#endif
+
+void util::ThreadRename(std::string&& name)
+{
+    SetThreadName(("b-" + name).c_str());
+    SetInternalName(std::move(name));
+}
+
+void util::ThreadSetInternalName(std::string&& name)
+{
+    SetInternalName(std::move(name));
+}
diff --git a/src/utilthreadnames.h b/src/utilthreadnames.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..dd99fdca3d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/utilthreadnames.h
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+// Copyright (c) 2018-2019 The Bitcoin Core developers
+// Distributed under the MIT software license, see the accompanying
+// file COPYING or http://www.opensource.org/licenses/mit-license.php.
+
+#ifndef BITCOIN_UTILTHREADNAMES_H
+#define BITCOIN_UTILTHREADNAMES_H
+
+#include <string>
+
+namespace util {
+//! Rename a thread both in terms of an internal (in-memory) name as well
+//! as its system thread name.
+//! @note Do not call this for the main thread, as this will interfere with
+//! UNIX utilities such as top and killall. Use ThreadSetInternalName instead.
+void ThreadRename(std::string&&);
+
+//! Set the internal (in-memory) name of the current thread only.
+void ThreadSetInternalName(std::string&&);
+
+//! Get the thread's internal (in-memory) name; used e.g. for identification in
+//! logging.
+const std::string& ThreadGetInternalName();
+
+} // namespace util
+
+#endif // BITCOIN_UTILTHREADNAMES_H