diff --git a/libs/main/thread/pithread.cpp b/libs/main/thread/pithread.cpp
index c79e3b3f..413155b6 100644
--- a/libs/main/thread/pithread.cpp
+++ b/libs/main/thread/pithread.cpp
@@ -533,7 +533,6 @@ PRIVATE_DEFINITION_START(PIThread)
 	pthread_t thread = 0;
 	sched_param sparam;
 #endif
-	std::atomic_bool starting = {false};
 PRIVATE_DEFINITION_END(PIThread)
 
 
@@ -732,16 +731,15 @@ int PIThread::priority2System(PIThread::Priority p) {
 
 
 bool PIThread::_startThread(void * func) {
-	terminating       = false;
-	running_          = true;
-	PRIVATE->starting = true;
-	PIScopeExitCall ec([this] { PRIVATE->starting = false; });
+	terminating = false;
+	running_    = true;
 
 #ifdef FREERTOS
 
+	auto name_ba = createThreadName();
 	if (xTaskCreate((__THREAD_FUNC_RET__(*)(void *))func,
-					((PIString &)name().elided(15, 0.4f).resize(15, PIChar('\0'))).dataAscii(), // A name just for humans
-					128, // This stack size can be checked & adjusted by reading the Stack Highwater
+					(const char *)name_ba.data(), // A name just for humans
+					128,                          // This stack size can be checked & adjusted by reading the Stack Highwater
 					this,
 					priority_,
 					&PRIVATE->thread) == pdPASS) {
@@ -753,13 +751,12 @@ bool PIThread::_startThread(void * func) {
 
 	if (PRIVATE->thread) CloseHandle(PRIVATE->thread);
 #  ifdef CC_GCC
-	PRIVATE->thread = (void *)_beginthreadex(0, 0, (__THREAD_FUNC_RET__(*)(void *))func, this, 0, 0);
+	PRIVATE->thread = (void *)_beginthreadex(0, 0, (__THREAD_FUNC_RET__(*)(void *))func, this, CREATE_SUSPENDED, 0);
 #  else
-	PRIVATE->thread = CreateThread(0, 0, (LPTHREAD_START_ROUTINE)func, this, 0, 0);
+	PRIVATE->thread = CreateThread(0, 0, (LPTHREAD_START_ROUTINE)func, this, CREATE_SUSPENDED, 0);
 #  endif
-	// piCout << "started" << PRIVATE->thread;
 	if (PRIVATE->thread != 0) {
-		setPriority(priority_);
+		ResumeThread(PRIVATE->thread);
 		return true;
 	}
 
@@ -769,23 +766,10 @@ bool PIThread::_startThread(void * func) {
 	pthread_attr_init(&attr);
 	pthread_attr_setdetachstate(&attr, PTHREAD_CREATE_DETACHED);
 	int ret = pthread_create(&PRIVATE->thread, &attr, (__THREAD_FUNC_RET__(*)(void *))func, this);
-	// PICout(PICoutManipulators::DefaultControls) << "pthread_create" << PRIVATE->thread;
 	pthread_attr_destroy(&attr);
+	// PICout(PICoutManipulators::DefaultControls) << "pthread_create" << PRIVATE->thread;
+	// piCout << "started" << PRIVATE->thread;
 	if (ret == 0) {
-		// if (name().isNotEmpty()) {
-		PIString tname = name().simplified();
-		tname.elide(15, 0.4f).resize(15, PIChar('\0'));
-		PIByteArray tn_data = tname.toAscii();
-		tn_data.resize(16);
-		tn_data.back() = 0;
-#  ifdef MAC_OS
-		pthread_setname_np((const char *)tn_data.data());
-		pthread_threadid_np(PRIVATE->thread, (__uint64_t *)&tid_);
-#  else
-		pthread_setname_np(PRIVATE->thread, (const char *)tn_data.data());
-#  endif
-		setPriority(priority_);
-		// }
 		return true;
 	}
 
@@ -818,7 +802,6 @@ void PIThread::setPriority(PIThread::Priority prior) {
 		= priority2System(priority_);
 	pthread_setschedparam(PRIVATE->thread, policy_, &(PRIVATE->sparam));
 #  else
-	if (!running_ || (PRIVATE->thread == 0)) return;
 	SetThreadPriority(PRIVATE->thread, priority2System(priority_));
 #  endif
 #endif // FREERTOS
@@ -896,6 +879,8 @@ void PIThread::_beginThread() {
 #ifdef LINUX
 	tid_ = gettid();
 #endif
+	setPriority(priority_);
+	setThreadName();
 	PIINTROSPECTION_THREAD_START(this);
 	REGISTER_THREAD(this);
 	running_ = true;
@@ -934,11 +919,10 @@ void PIThread::_endThread() {
 	PIScopeExitCall ec([this] {
 		terminating = running_ = false;
 		tid_                   = -1;
-		PRIVATE->thread        = 0;
 	});
-	while (PRIVATE->starting)
-		piMinSleep();
-	// PICout(PICoutManipulators::DefaultControls) << "thread" << this << "stop" << "...";
+	// while (PRIVATE->starting)
+	//	piMinSleep();
+	//  PICout(PICoutManipulators::DefaultControls) << "thread" << this << "stop" << "...";
 	stopped();
 	// PICout(PICoutManipulators::DefaultControls) << "thread" << this << "stop" << "ok";
 	if (lockRun) thread_mutex.lock();
@@ -1077,3 +1061,26 @@ void PIThread::runOnce(std::function<void()> func, const PIString & name) {
 #endif
 	t->startOnce();
 }
+
+
+PIByteArray PIThread::createThreadName(int size) const {
+	PIString tname = name().simplified();
+	tname.elide(size - 1, 0.4f).resize(size - 1, PIChar('\0'));
+	PIByteArray ret = tname.toAscii();
+	ret.resize(size);
+	ret.back() = 0;
+	return ret;
+}
+
+
+void PIThread::setThreadName() {
+#ifndef WINDOWS
+	auto name_ba = createThreadName();
+#  ifdef MAC_OS
+	pthread_setname_np((const char *)name_ba.data());
+	pthread_threadid_np(PRIVATE->thread, (__uint64_t *)&tid_);
+#  else
+	pthread_setname_np(PRIVATE->thread, (const char *)name_ba.data());
+#  endif
+#endif
+}
diff --git a/libs/main/thread/pithread.h b/libs/main/thread/pithread.h
index bb47db84..af27d37f 100644
--- a/libs/main/thread/pithread.h
+++ b/libs/main/thread/pithread.h
@@ -299,6 +299,9 @@ private:
 	void _beginThread();
 	void _runThread();
 	void _endThread();
+
+	PIByteArray createThreadName(int size = 16) const;
+	void setThreadName();
 };
 
 
diff --git a/utils/cloud_dispatcher/main.cpp b/utils/cloud_dispatcher/main.cpp
index e210a488..cb522254 100644
--- a/utils/cloud_dispatcher/main.cpp
+++ b/utils/cloud_dispatcher/main.cpp
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ void usage() {
 }
 
 
-PIString confDir() {
+PIString pisdConfDir() {
 	return
 #ifdef WINDOWS
 		PIDir::home().path() + "/AppData/Local"
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ int main(int argc, char * argv[]) {
 	}
 	PINetworkAddress addr = PINetworkAddress("0.0.0.0", 10101);
 
-	PIString conf_path    = confDir();
+	PIString conf_path    = pisdConfDir();
 	PIDir::make(conf_path);
 	conf_path += "/picloud.conf";
 	uint max_connections = 1000;