diff --git a/source/backend/CarlaStandalone.cpp b/source/backend/CarlaStandalone.cpp
index 98e4c2508..00d686dd5 100644
--- a/source/backend/CarlaStandalone.cpp
+++ b/source/backend/CarlaStandalone.cpp
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@
 #include "CarlaBackendUtils.hpp"
 #include "CarlaBase64Utils.hpp"
 #include "CarlaOscUtils.hpp"
+#include "CarlaThread.hpp"
 
 #include "juce_audio_formats.h"
 
@@ -75,9 +76,6 @@ struct CarlaBackendStandalone {
         File binaryDir(File::getSpecialLocation(File::currentExecutableFile).getParentDirectory());
         engineOptions.binaryDir   = carla_strdup_safe(binaryDir.getFullPathName().toRawUTF8());
         engineOptions.resourceDir = carla_strdup_safe(binaryDir.getChildFile("resources").getFullPathName().toRawUTF8());
-#else
-        if (std::getenv("LADISH_APP_NAME") == nullptr && std::getenv("NSM_URL") == nullptr)
-            juce::Thread::setCurrentThreadName("Carla");
 #endif
     }
 
@@ -773,6 +771,11 @@ void carla_set_engine_option(EngineOption option, int value, const char* valueSt
     case CB:: ENGINE_OPTION_NSM_INIT:
         CARLA_SAFE_ASSERT_RETURN(value != 0,);
         CARLA_SAFE_ASSERT_RETURN(valueStr != nullptr && valueStr[0] != '\0',);
+
+        // this is only called if we're not a plugin, so it's safe
+        CarlaThread::setCurrentThreadName("Carla");
+        juce::Thread::setCurrentThreadName("Carla");
+
         gNSM.announce(value, valueStr);
         break;
 
diff --git a/source/utils/CarlaThread.hpp b/source/utils/CarlaThread.hpp
index aba8e3208..8c90893cc 100644
--- a/source/utils/CarlaThread.hpp
+++ b/source/utils/CarlaThread.hpp
@@ -21,9 +21,7 @@
 #include "CarlaMutex.hpp"
 #include "CarlaString.hpp"
 
-#if defined(__GLIBC__) && (__GLIBC__ * 1000 + __GLIBC_MINOR__) >= 2012
-// has pthread_setname_np
-#elif defined(CARLA_OS_LINUX)
+#ifdef CARLA_OS_LINUX
 # include <sys/prctl.h>
 #endif
 
@@ -198,10 +196,11 @@ public:
     {
         CARLA_SAFE_ASSERT_RETURN(name != nullptr && name[0] != '\0',);
 
+#ifdef CARLA_OS_LINUX
+        prctl(PR_SET_NAME, name, 0, 0, 0);
+#endif
 #if defined(__GLIBC__) && (__GLIBC__ * 1000 + __GLIBC_MINOR__) >= 2012
         pthread_setname_np(pthread_self(), name);
-#elif defined(CARLA_OS_LINUX)
-        prctl(PR_SET_NAME, name, 0, 0, 0);
 #endif
     }