diff --git a/src/client.rs b/src/client.rs
index 5b46a5c9..806547d9 100644
--- a/src/client.rs
+++ b/src/client.rs
@@ -59,6 +59,7 @@ pub struct Client<S, T> {
     client_server_map: ClientServerMap,
 
     /// Client parameters, e.g. user, client_encoding, etc.
+    #[allow(dead_code)]
     parameters: HashMap<String, String>,
 
     /// Statistics
@@ -82,6 +83,9 @@ pub struct Client<S, T> {
     /// Postgres user for this client (This comes from the user in the connection string)
     username: String,
 
+    /// Application name for this client (defaults to pgcat)
+    application_name: String,
+
     /// Used to notify clients about an impending shutdown
     shutdown: Receiver<()>,
 }
@@ -365,6 +369,11 @@ where
             None => return Err(Error::ClientError),
         };
 
+        let application_name = match parameters.get("application_name") {
+            Some(application_name) => application_name,
+            None => "pgcat",
+        };
+
         let admin = ["pgcat", "pgbouncer"]
             .iter()
             .filter(|db| *db == &pool_name)
@@ -493,6 +502,7 @@ where
             last_server_id: None,
             pool_name: pool_name.clone(),
             username: username.clone(),
+            application_name: application_name.to_string(),
             shutdown,
             connected_to_server: false,
         });
@@ -526,6 +536,7 @@ where
             last_server_id: None,
             pool_name: String::from("undefined"),
             username: String::from("undefined"),
+            application_name: String::from("undefined"),
             shutdown,
             connected_to_server: false,
         });
@@ -759,13 +770,10 @@ where
                 server.address()
             );
 
-            // Set application_name if any.
             // TODO: investigate other parameters and set them too.
-            if self.parameters.contains_key("application_name") {
-                server
-                    .set_name(&self.parameters["application_name"])
-                    .await?;
-            }
+
+            // Set application_name.
+            server.set_name(&self.application_name).await?;
 
             // Transaction loop. Multiple queries can be issued by the client here.
             // The connection belongs to the client until the transaction is over,
diff --git a/src/server.rs b/src/server.rs
index 208385ef..3e5cf90a 100644
--- a/src/server.rs
+++ b/src/server.rs
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 /// Here we are pretending to the a Postgres client.
 use bytes::{Buf, BufMut, BytesMut};
 use log::{debug, error, info, trace};
+use std::io::Read;
 use std::time::SystemTime;
 use tokio::io::{AsyncReadExt, BufReader};
 use tokio::net::{
@@ -446,15 +447,14 @@ impl Server {
 
                 // CommandComplete
                 'C' => {
-                    let full_message = String::from_utf8_lossy(message.as_ref());
-                    let mut it = full_message.split_ascii_whitespace();
-                    let command_tag = it.next().unwrap().trim_end_matches(char::from(0));
+                    let mut command_tag = String::new();
+                    message.reader().read_to_string(&mut command_tag).unwrap();
 
-                    // Non-exhuastive list of commands that are likely to change session variables/resources
+                    // Non-exhaustive list of commands that are likely to change session variables/resources
                     // which can leak between client. This is a best effort to block bad clients
                     // from poisoning a transaction-mode pool by setting inappropriate session variables
-                    match command_tag {
-                        "SET" | "PREPARE" => {
+                    match command_tag.as_str() {
+                        "SET\0" | "PREPARE\0" => {
                             debug!("Server connection marked for clean up");
                             self.needs_cleanup = true;
                         }
@@ -585,13 +585,10 @@ impl Server {
             self.needs_cleanup = false;
         }
 
-        self.set_name("pgcat").await?;
-
         return Ok(());
     }
 
     /// A shorthand for `SET application_name = $1`.
-    #[allow(dead_code)]
     pub async fn set_name(&mut self, name: &str) -> Result<(), Error> {
         if self.application_name != name {
             self.application_name = name.to_string();