diff --git a/3rdparty/w32pthreads/config.h b/3rdparty/w32pthreads/config.h
index b2115698e5..2773ecd741 100644
--- a/3rdparty/w32pthreads/config.h
+++ b/3rdparty/w32pthreads/config.h
@@ -23,7 +23,8 @@
 #undef NEED_DUPLICATEHANDLE
 
 /* Define if you don't have Win32 _beginthreadex. (eg. WinCE) */
-#undef NEED_CREATETHREAD
+// PCSX2 : This is preferred when using the shared CRT, which we do! -- air
+#define NEED_CREATETHREAD
 
 /* Define if you don't have Win32 errno. (eg. WinCE) */
 #undef NEED_ERRNO
diff --git a/common/include/Pcsx2Defs.h b/common/include/Pcsx2Defs.h
index 2218b0b573..98d4d801d6 100644
--- a/common/include/Pcsx2Defs.h
+++ b/common/include/Pcsx2Defs.h
@@ -227,14 +227,17 @@ This theoretically unoptimizes. Not having much luck so far.
 #	define __naked		// GCC lacks the naked specifier
 #	define CALLBACK	// CALLBACK is a win32-specific mess
 
-// GCC uses attributes for a lot of things that Visual C+ doesn't.
+// Inlining note: GCC needs ((unused)) attributes defined on inlined functions to suppress
+// warnings when a static inlined function isn't used in the scope of a single file (which
+// happens *by design* like all the friggen time >_<)
+
 #	define __fastcall		__attribute__((fastcall))
 #	define __unused			__attribute__((unused))
 #	define _inline			__inline__ __attribute__((unused))
 #	ifdef NDEBUG
 #		define __forceinline	__attribute__((always_inline,unused))
 #	else
-#		define __forceinline	// no forceinlines in debug builds
+#		define __forceinline	__attribute__((unused))
 #	endif
 #	define __noinline		__attribute__((noinline))
 #	define __hot			__attribute__((hot))
diff --git a/common/include/Utilities/Threading.h b/common/include/Utilities/Threading.h
index 7e7f5be934..ddb89ef1e7 100644
--- a/common/include/Utilities/Threading.h
+++ b/common/include/Utilities/Threading.h
@@ -149,6 +149,8 @@ namespace Threading
 		virtual void DoThreadCleanup();
 
 	protected:
+		void SetName( __unused const char* name );
+		
 		// Used to dispatch the thread callback function.
 		// (handles some thread cleanup on Win32, and is basically a typecast
 		// on linux).
diff --git a/common/src/Utilities/ThreadTools.cpp b/common/src/Utilities/ThreadTools.cpp
index 5d79f2ac70..8fac8d7ebf 100644
--- a/common/src/Utilities/ThreadTools.cpp
+++ b/common/src/Utilities/ThreadTools.cpp
@@ -203,6 +203,39 @@ namespace Threading
 
 		return (void*)owner.m_returncode;
 	}
+	
+	void PersistentThread::SetName( __unused const char* name )
+	{
+		wxASSERT( IsSelf() );	// only allowed from our own thread, thanks.
+
+	#ifdef _WINDOWS_
+		static const int MS_VC_EXCEPTION = 0x406D1388;
+
+		#pragma pack(push,8)
+		struct THREADNAME_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.
+		};
+		#pragma pack(pop)
+
+		THREADNAME_INFO info;
+		info.dwType = 0x1000;
+		info.szName = name;
+		info.dwThreadID = GetCurrentThreadId();
+		info.dwFlags = 0;
+
+		__try
+		{
+			RaiseException( MS_VC_EXCEPTION, 0, sizeof(info)/sizeof(ULONG_PTR), (ULONG_PTR*)&info );
+		}
+		__except(EXCEPTION_EXECUTE_HANDLER)
+		{
+		}
+	#endif
+	}
 
 // --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 //  BaseTaskThread Implementations
diff --git a/pcsx2/MTGS.cpp b/pcsx2/MTGS.cpp
index a8036dcf86..e88933a652 100644
--- a/pcsx2/MTGS.cpp
+++ b/pcsx2/MTGS.cpp
@@ -602,6 +602,8 @@ static void dummyIrqCallback()
 
 sptr mtgsThreadObject::ExecuteTask()
 {
+	SetName( "MTGS" );
+
 	memcpy_aligned( m_gsMem, PS2MEM_GS, sizeof(PS2MEM_GS) );
 	GSsetBaseMem( m_gsMem );
 	GSirqCallback( dummyIrqCallback );
diff --git a/pcsx2/ps2/CoreEmuThread.cpp b/pcsx2/ps2/CoreEmuThread.cpp
index 62d7cf424f..8c9fd32c41 100644
--- a/pcsx2/ps2/CoreEmuThread.cpp
+++ b/pcsx2/ps2/CoreEmuThread.cpp
@@ -116,6 +116,7 @@ static void _cet_callback_cleanup( void* handle )
 
 sptr SysCoreThread::ExecuteTask()
 {
+	SetName( "EE Core" );
 	tls_coreThread = this;
 
 	while( m_ExecMode != ExecMode_Running )
diff --git a/pcsx2/windows/WinConsolePipe.cpp b/pcsx2/windows/WinConsolePipe.cpp
index 64573a15d5..f9e0a12b57 100644
--- a/pcsx2/windows/WinConsolePipe.cpp
+++ b/pcsx2/windows/WinConsolePipe.cpp
@@ -166,14 +166,16 @@ protected:
 		try
 		{
 			SetThreadPriority( GetCurrentThread(), THREAD_PRIORITY_BELOW_NORMAL );
+			SetName( (m_color == Color_Red) ? "Redirect_Stderr" :" Redirect_Stdout" );
+
 			while( true )
 			{
 				Sleep( 100 );
 				pthread_testcancel();
-				ReadPipe(m_outpipe, m_color );
+				ReadPipe( m_outpipe, m_color );
 			}
 		}
-		catch( Exception::Win32Error& ex )
+		catch( Exception::RuntimeError& ex )
 		{
 			// Log error, and fail silently.  It's not really important if the
 			// pipe fails.  PCSX2 will run fine without it in any case.
@@ -220,13 +222,18 @@ WinPipeRedirection::WinPipeRedirection( FILE* stdstream ) :
 		// In some cases GetStdHandle can fail, even when the one we just assigned above is valid.
 		HANDLE newhandle = GetStdHandle(stdhandle);
 		if( newhandle == INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE )
-			throw Exception::Win32Error( "GetStdHandle failed." );
+			throw Exception::Win32Error( "PipeRedirection: GetStdHandle failed." );
 
 		if( newhandle == NULL )
-			throw Exception::RuntimeError( "GetStdHandle returned NULL." );		// not a Win32error (no error code)
+			throw Exception::RuntimeError( "PipeRedirection: GetStdHandle returned NULL." );		// not a Win32error (no error code)
 
 		m_crtFile	= _open_osfhandle( (intptr_t)newhandle, _O_TEXT );
+		if( m_crtFile == -1 ) 
+			throw Exception::RuntimeError( "PipeRedirection: _open_osfhandle returned -1." );
+
 		m_fp		= _fdopen( m_crtFile, "w" );
+		if( m_fp == NULL )
+			throw Exception::RuntimeError( "PipeRedirection: _fdopen returned NULL." );
 
 		*stdstream = *m_fp;
 		setvbuf( stdstream, NULL, _IONBF, 0 );