diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index b71d7834..a8afc6d6 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -4,9 +4,43 @@
 
 cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.0)
 project("Libmultiprocess" CXX)
+include(CMakePushCheckState)
 include(CTest)
+include(CheckCXXSourceCompiles)
 find_package(Boost)
 find_package(CapnProto)
+find_package(Threads REQUIRED)
+
+cmake_push_check_state()
+set(CMAKE_REQUIRED_LIBRARIES Threads::Threads)
+check_cxx_source_compiles("
+  #include <pthread.h>
+  int main(int argc, char** argv)
+  {
+    char thread_name[16];
+    return pthread_getname_np(pthread_self(), thread_name, sizeof(thread_name));
+  }"
+  HAVE_PTHREAD_GETNAME_NP)
+
+check_cxx_source_compiles("
+  #include <pthread.h>
+  int main(int argc, char** argv)
+  {
+    uint64_t tid;
+    pthread_threadid_np(NULL, &tid);
+    return 0;
+  }"
+  HAVE_PTHREAD_THREADID_NP)
+
+check_cxx_source_compiles("
+  #include <pthread.h>
+  #include <pthread_np.h>
+  int main(int argc, char** argv)
+  {
+    return pthread_getthreadid_np();
+  }"
+  HAVE_PTHREAD_GETTHREADID_NP)
+cmake_pop_check_state()
 
 capnp_generate_cpp(MP_PROXY_SRCS MP_PROXY_HDRS include/mp/proxy.capnp)
 
diff --git a/include/mp/config.h.in b/include/mp/config.h.in
index c0ec4dd4..72f0d5e6 100644
--- a/include/mp/config.h.in
+++ b/include/mp/config.h.in
@@ -8,4 +8,8 @@
 #cmakedefine CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX "@CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX@"
 #cmakedefine capnp_PREFIX "@capnp_PREFIX@"
 
+#cmakedefine HAVE_PTHREAD_GETNAME_NP @HAVE_PTHREAD_GETNAME_NP@
+#cmakedefine HAVE_PTHREAD_THREADID_NP @HAVE_PTHREAD_THREADID_NP@
+#cmakedefine HAVE_PTHREAD_GETTHREADID_NP @HAVE_PTHREAD_GETTHREADID_NP@
+
 #endif // MP_CONFIG_H
diff --git a/src/mp/util.cpp b/src/mp/util.cpp
index 79b2287e..8be50d9b 100644
--- a/src/mp/util.cpp
+++ b/src/mp/util.cpp
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 // Distributed under the MIT software license, see the accompanying
 // file COPYING or http://www.opensource.org/licenses/mit-license.php.
 
+#include <mp/config.h>
 #include <mp/util.h>
 
 #include <kj/array.h>
@@ -13,12 +14,17 @@
 #include <sys/types.h>
 #include <sys/un.h>
 #include <sys/wait.h>
+#include <thread>
 #include <unistd.h>
 
 #if __linux__
 #include <syscall.h>
 #endif
 
+#ifdef HAVE_PTHREAD_GETTHREADID_NP
+#include <pthread_np.h>
+#endif // HAVE_PTHREAD_GETTHREADID_NP
+
 namespace mp {
 namespace {
 
@@ -37,16 +43,28 @@ size_t MaxFd()
 
 std::string ThreadName(const char* exe_name)
 {
-    char thread_name[17] = {0};
+    char thread_name[16] = {0};
+#ifdef HAVE_PTHREAD_GETNAME_NP
     pthread_getname_np(pthread_self(), thread_name, sizeof(thread_name));
-    uint64_t tid = 0;
+#endif // HAVE_PTHREAD_GETNAME_NP
+
+    std::ostringstream buffer;
+    buffer << (exe_name ? exe_name : "") << "-" << getpid() << "/" << thread_name << "-";
+
+    // Prefer platform specific thread ids over the standard C++11 ones because
+    // the former are shorter and are the same as what gdb prints "LWP ...".
 #if __linux__
-    tid = syscall(SYS_gettid);
-#else
+    buffer << syscall(SYS_gettid);
+#elif defined(HAVE_PTHREAD_THREADID_NP)
+    uint64_t tid = 0;
     pthread_threadid_np(NULL, &tid);
+    buffer << tid;
+#elif defined(HAVE_PTHREAD_GETTHREADID_NP)
+    buffer << pthread_getthreadid_np();
+#else
+    buffer << std::this_thread::get_id();
 #endif
-    std::ostringstream buffer;
-    buffer << (exe_name ? exe_name : "") << "-" << getpid() << "/" << thread_name << "-" << tid;
+
     return std::move(buffer.str());
 }