diff --git a/core/sys/posix/pthread.odin b/core/sys/posix/pthread.odin
index 36a3cd7b3..44b0c91d7 100644
--- a/core/sys/posix/pthread.odin
+++ b/core/sys/posix/pthread.odin
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ import "core:c"
 
 when ODIN_OS == .Darwin {
 	foreign import lib "system:System.framework"
-} else when ODIN_OS == .FreeBSD || ODIN_OS == .NetBSD || ODIN_OS == .Linux {
+} else when ODIN_OS == .FreeBSD || ODIN_OS == .NetBSD || ODIN_OS == .Linux || ODIN_OS == .OpenBSD {
 	foreign import lib "system:pthread"
 } else {
 	foreign import lib "system:c"
diff --git a/core/thread/thread.odin b/core/thread/thread.odin
index 194c7bfef..d4fb48862 100644
--- a/core/thread/thread.odin
+++ b/core/thread/thread.odin
@@ -155,6 +155,28 @@ yield :: proc() {
 	_yield()
 }
 
+/*
+Get thread's name/description.
+
+If thread is nil the procedure will get the name of the calling thread.
+
+allocates memory for the returned string using provided allocator.
+*/
+get_name :: proc(thread: ^Thread, allocator := context.allocator, loc := #caller_location) -> (string, runtime.Allocator_Error) #optional_allocator_error {
+	return _get_name(thread, allocator, loc)
+}
+
+/*
+Set thread's name/description.
+
+If thread is nil the procedure will set the name of the calling thread.
+
+MacOS: only support changing the name of the calling thread.
+if thread is not nil the procedure will do nothing.
+*/
+set_name :: proc(thread: ^Thread, name: string) {
+	_set_name(thread, name)
+}
 /*
 Run a procedure on a different thread.
 
diff --git a/core/thread/thread_name_darwin.odin b/core/thread/thread_name_darwin.odin
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..866f608a3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/thread/thread_name_darwin.odin
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+#+build darwin
+#+private
+package thread
+
+import "core:sys/posix"
+import "core:c"
+
+foreign import pthread "system:System.framework"
+
+foreign pthread {
+	pthread_getname_np :: proc(thread: posix.pthread_t, name: [^]u8, len: c.size_t) -> posix.Errno ---
+	pthread_setname_np :: proc(name: [^]u8) -> posix.Errno ---
+}
diff --git a/core/thread/thread_name_freebsd.odin b/core/thread/thread_name_freebsd.odin
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..9a36a54d2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/thread/thread_name_freebsd.odin
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+#+build freebsd
+#+private
+package thread
+
+import "core:sys/posix"
+import "core:c"
+
+foreign import pthread "system:pthread"
+
+foreign pthread {
+	pthread_getname_np :: proc(thread: posix.pthread_t, name: [^]u8, len: c.size_t) -> posix.Errno ---
+	pthread_setname_np :: proc(thread: posix.pthread_t, name: [^]u8) -> posix.Errno ---
+}
diff --git a/core/thread/thread_name_linux.odin b/core/thread/thread_name_linux.odin
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..67d72e5c9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/thread/thread_name_linux.odin
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+#+build linux
+#+private
+package thread
+
+import "core:sys/posix"
+import "core:c"
+
+foreign import pthread "system:pthread"
+
+foreign pthread {
+	pthread_getname_np :: proc(thread: posix.pthread_t, name: [^]u8, len: c.size_t) -> posix.Errno ---
+	pthread_setname_np :: proc(thread: posix.pthread_t, name: [^]u8) -> posix.Errno ---
+}
diff --git a/core/thread/thread_name_netbsd.odin b/core/thread/thread_name_netbsd.odin
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..ce350e5a4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/thread/thread_name_netbsd.odin
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+#+build netbsd
+#+private
+package thread
+
+import "core:sys/posix"
+import "core:c"
+
+foreign import pthread "system:pthread"
+
+foreign pthread {
+	pthread_getname_np :: proc(thread: posix.pthread_t, name: [^]u8, len: c.size_t) -> posix.Errno ---
+	pthread_setname_np :: proc(thread: posix.pthread_t, name: [^]u8, arg: rawptr) -> posix.Errno ---
+}
diff --git a/core/thread/thread_name_openbsd.odin b/core/thread/thread_name_openbsd.odin
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e91970649
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/thread/thread_name_openbsd.odin
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+#+build openbsd
+#+private
+package thread
+
+import "core:sys/posix"
+import "core:c"
+
+foreign import pthread "system:pthread"
+
+foreign pthread {
+	pthread_get_name_np :: proc(thread: posix.pthread_t, name: [^]u8, len: c.size_t) ---
+	pthread_set_name_np :: proc(thread: posix.pthread_t, name: [^]u8) ---
+}
diff --git a/core/thread/thread_other.odin b/core/thread/thread_other.odin
index dde2a8e48..d9fd9305e 100644
--- a/core/thread/thread_other.odin
+++ b/core/thread/thread_other.odin
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 package thread
 
 import "base:intrinsics"
+import "base:runtime"
 
 _IS_SUPPORTED :: false
 
@@ -45,3 +46,7 @@ _yield :: proc() {
 	unimplemented("core:thread procedure not supported on target")
 }
 
+_get_name :: proc(thread: Thread, allocator : runtime.Allocator, loc : runtime.Source_Code_Location) -> (string, runtime.Allocator_Error) {
+	unimplemented("core:thread procedure not supported on target")
+}
+
diff --git a/core/thread/thread_unix.odin b/core/thread/thread_unix.odin
index 1431442a9..5c935bbe6 100644
--- a/core/thread/thread_unix.odin
+++ b/core/thread/thread_unix.odin
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ import "core:sync"
 import "core:sys/posix"
 
 _IS_SUPPORTED :: true
-
+_MAX_PTHREAD_NAME_LENGTH :: 16
 // NOTE(tetra): Aligned here because of core/unix/pthread_linux.odin/pthread_t.
 // Also see core/sys/darwin/mach_darwin.odin/semaphore_t.
 Thread_Os_Specific :: struct #align(16) {
@@ -182,3 +182,57 @@ _terminate :: proc(t: ^Thread, exit_code: int) {
 _yield :: proc() {
 	posix.sched_yield()
 }
+
+_get_name :: proc(thread: ^Thread, allocator: runtime.Allocator, loc: runtime.Source_Code_Location) -> (name:string, err:runtime.Allocator_Error) {
+	// Haiku doesn't have pthread_getname yet
+	when ODIN_OS == .Haiku {
+		unimplemented("core:thread get_name for haiku is not yet supported")
+	}
+
+	tid : posix.pthread_t
+	if thread == nil do tid = transmute(posix.pthread_t)sync.current_thread_id()
+	else do tid = thread.unix_thread
+	
+	buf := make([]u8, _MAX_PTHREAD_NAME_LENGTH, allocator, loc) or_return
+
+	when ODIN_OS == .Darwin || ODIN_OS == .Linux || ODIN_OS == .FreeBSD || ODIN_OS == .NetBSD {
+		pthread_getname_np(tid, raw_data(buf), len(buf))
+	} else when ODIN_OS == .OpenBSD {
+		pthread_get_name_np(tid, raw_data(buf), len(buf))
+	}
+
+	name = transmute(string)buf
+
+	return
+}
+
+_set_name :: proc(thread: ^Thread, name:string) {
+	// Haiku doesn't have pthread_getname yet
+	when ODIN_OS == .Haiku {
+		unimplemented("core:thread set_name for haiku is not yet supported")
+	} else when ODIN_OS == .Darwin {
+		if thread != nil do return
+	} else {
+		tid: posix.pthread_t
+		if thread == nil do tid = transmute(posix.pthread_t)sync.current_thread_id
+		else do tid = t.unix_thread
+	}
+
+	buf : [_MAX_PTHREAD_NAME_LENGTH]u8
+	copy_from_string(buf[:], name)
+
+	// _MAX_PTHREAD_NAME_LENGTH includes terminating null
+	buf[len(buf) - 1] = 0
+
+	when ODIN_OS == .Darwin {
+		pthread_setname_np(raw_data(buf[:]))
+	} else when ODIN_OS == .OpenBSD {
+		pthread_set_name_np(tid, raw_data(buf[:]))
+	} else when ODIN_OS == .NetBSD {
+		format := []u8{'%','s', 0}
+		pthread_setname_np(tid, raw_data(format), raw_data(buf[:]))
+	} else {
+		pthread_setname_np(tid, raw_data(buf[:]))
+	}
+
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/core/thread/thread_windows.odin b/core/thread/thread_windows.odin
index 358e3e7f1..1609043dd 100644
--- a/core/thread/thread_windows.odin
+++ b/core/thread/thread_windows.odin
@@ -6,8 +6,11 @@ import "base:intrinsics"
 import "base:runtime"
 import "core:sync"
 import win32 "core:sys/windows"
+import "core:unicode/utf16"
 
 _IS_SUPPORTED :: true
+//NOTE(peperronii): not sure about the exact length but there must be a limit
+_THREAD_DESCRIPTION_LENGTH :: 64
 
 Thread_Os_Specific :: struct {
 	win32_thread:    win32.HANDLE,
@@ -152,3 +155,33 @@ _yield :: proc() {
 	win32.SwitchToThread()
 }
 
+_get_name :: proc(thread: ^Thread, allocator: runtime.Allocator, loc : runtime.Source_Code_Location) -> (name:string, err:runtime.Allocator_Error) {
+	t_handle : win32.HANDLE
+	if thread == nil do t_handle = win32.GetCurrentThread()
+	else do t_handle = t.win32_thread
+	
+	buf_8 : [_THREAD_DESCRIPTION_LENGTH * 2]u8
+	buf_16 : [_THREAD_DESCRIPTION_LENGTH]u16
+	win32.GetThreadDescription(t_handle, raw_data(buf_16[:]))
+	n := utf16.decode_to_utf(buf_8[:], buf_16[:])
+	buf := make([]u8, n, allocator, loc)
+
+	copy(buf, buf_8[:])
+
+	name = transmute(string)buf
+
+	return
+}
+
+_set_name :: proc(thread: ^Thread, name: string) {
+	t_handle : win32.HANDLE
+	if thread == nil do t_handle = win32.GetCurrentThread()
+	else do t_handle = t.win32_thread
+
+	buf : [_THREAD_DESCRIPTION_LENGTH]u16
+	utf16.encode_string(buf_16[:], name)
+	// _THREAD_DESCRIPTION_LENGTH includes terminating null
+	buf[len(buf) - 1] = 0
+	win32.SetThreadDescription(t_handle, raw_data(buf[:]))
+}
+