diff --git a/documentation/RELEASE_NOTES.md b/documentation/RELEASE_NOTES.md
index 1f5ee6f96..10cd9118a 100644
--- a/documentation/RELEASE_NOTES.md
+++ b/documentation/RELEASE_NOTES.md
@@ -574,10 +574,10 @@ broken.
 
 This fixes [lauchpad bug #1896295](https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1896295).
 
-### Support for Apple M1 (arm64) Processors
+### Support for Apple M1/M2 (arm64) Processors
 
 Thanks to Jeong Han Lee this release comes with build support for Apple's new
-M1 CPUs running macOS, using the target name `darwin-aarch64`.
+M1/M2 CPUs running macOS, using the target name `darwin-aarch64`.
 
 It should also be possible to build universal binaries containing code for
 both the Intel and arm64 processors under either target name: In the
@@ -2191,6 +2191,17 @@ header and removed the need for dbScan.c to reach into the internals of its
 
 ## Changes from the 3.15 branch since 3.15.9
 
+### Support for Apple M1/M2 (arm64) Processors
+
+Thanks to Jeong Han Lee this release comes with build support for Apple's new
+M1/M2 CPUs running macOS, using the target name `darwin-aarch64`.
+
+### Set thread names on Windows
+
+On MS Windows, epicsThread names are made available to the OS and debugger
+using `SetThreadDescription()` if available as well as using the older
+exception mechanism.
+
 ### Fix timers on MS Windows for non-EPICS threads
 
 The waitable timer changes in 3.15.9 broke calls to `epicsThreadSleep()` and
diff --git a/modules/libcom/src/osi/os/WIN32/setThreadName.cpp b/modules/libcom/src/osi/os/WIN32/setThreadName.cpp
index a7a9c3e51..b218479e3 100644
--- a/modules/libcom/src/osi/os/WIN32/setThreadName.cpp
+++ b/modules/libcom/src/osi/os/WIN32/setThreadName.cpp
@@ -8,44 +8,86 @@
 * EPICS Base is distributed subject to a Software License Agreement found
 * in file LICENSE that is included with this distribution.
 \*************************************************************************/
-
 #define VC_EXTRALEAN
 #define STRICT
-#if _WIN64
-#   define _WIN32_WINNT 0x400 /* defining this drops support for W95 */
-#endif
 #include <windows.h>
 
+#include <string>
+
 /*
- * this was copied directly from an example in visual c++ 7 documentation,
- * It uses visual C++ specific keywords for exception handling, but is
- * probably only useful when using the visual c++ or later debugger.
- *
  * Usage: setThreadName (-1, "MainThread");
  */
+
+
+static void setThreadNameVS ( DWORD dwThreadID, LPCSTR szThreadName );
+typedef HRESULT (WINAPI* setDesc_t)(HANDLE, PCWSTR);
+
 extern "C" void setThreadName ( DWORD dwThreadID, LPCSTR szThreadName )
+{
+    static HMODULE hKernel = LoadLibrary("KernelBase.dll");
+    static setDesc_t pSetDesc = (hKernel != NULL ?
+        (setDesc_t)GetProcAddress(hKernel, "SetThreadDescription") : NULL);
+    if (szThreadName == NULL || *szThreadName == '\0')
+    {
+        return;
+    }
+    if (pSetDesc != NULL)
+    {
+#ifdef THREAD_SET_LIMITED_INFORMATION
+        DWORD thread_access = THREAD_SET_LIMITED_INFORMATION;
+#else
+        DWORD thread_access = THREAD_SET_INFORMATION;
+#endif /* ifdef THREAD_SET_LIMITED_INFORMATION */
+        HANDLE hThread = OpenThread(thread_access, FALSE, dwThreadID);
+        if (hThread != NULL)
+        {
+            const std::string s(szThreadName);
+            const std::wstring ws(s.begin(), s.end());
+            HRESULT hr = (*pSetDesc)(hThread, ws.c_str());
+            CloseHandle(hThread);
+        }
+    }
+    // if SetThreadDescription() was available and we have a recent
+    // visual studio debugger (2017 version 15.6 or higher) attached
+    // then the names will already be defined. However we don't know
+    // this for sure, so also trigger the old exception mechanism.
+    // See https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/visualstudio/debugger/how-to-set-a-thread-name-in-native-code
+    setThreadNameVS(dwThreadID, szThreadName);
+}
+
+static void setThreadNameVS( DWORD dwThreadID, LPCSTR szThreadName )
 {
 #if _MSC_VER >= 1300 && defined ( _DEBUG )
+// This was copied directly from an MSDN example
+// It sets the thread name by throwing a special exception that is caught by Visual Sudio
+// It requires the debugger to be already attached to the process 
+// when the exception is thrown for the name to be registered
+    static const DWORD MS_VC_EXCEPTION = 0x406D1388;
+#pragma pack(push,8)
     typedef struct tagTHREADNAME_INFO
     {
-        DWORD dwType; // must be 0x1000
-        LPCSTR szName; // pointer to name (in user addr space)
-        DWORD dwThreadID; // thread ID (-1=caller thread)
-        DWORD dwFlags; // reserved for future use, must be zero
+        DWORD dwType;     // Must be 0x1000.
+        LPCSTR szName;    // Pointer to name (in user addr space).
+        DWORD dwThreadID; // Thread ID (-1=caller thread).
+        DWORD dwFlags;    // Reserved for future use, must be zero.
     } THREADNAME_INFO;
+#pragma pack(pop)
     THREADNAME_INFO info;
     info.dwType = 0x1000;
     info.szName = szThreadName;
     info.dwThreadID = dwThreadID;
     info.dwFlags = 0;
-
+#pragma warning(push)
+#pragma warning(disable: 6320 6322)
     __try
     {
-        RaiseException( 0x406D1388, 0,
-            sizeof(info)/sizeof(DWORD), (const ULONG_PTR*)&info );
+        RaiseException(MS_VC_EXCEPTION, 0,
+                       sizeof(info) / sizeof(ULONG_PTR),
+                       (ULONG_PTR*)&info);
     }
-    __except(EXCEPTION_CONTINUE_EXECUTION)
+    __except (EXCEPTION_EXECUTE_HANDLER)
     {
     }
+#pragma warning(pop)
 #endif
 }