diff --git a/src/xenia/base/threading.h b/src/xenia/base/threading.h
index 480b76207..fef37dd06 100644
--- a/src/xenia/base/threading.h
+++ b/src/xenia/base/threading.h
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
  ******************************************************************************
  * Xenia : Xbox 360 Emulator Research Project                                 *
  ******************************************************************************
- * Copyright 2014 Ben Vanik. All rights reserved.                             *
+ * Copyright 2020 Ben Vanik. All rights reserved.                             *
  * Released under the BSD license - see LICENSE in the root for more details. *
  ******************************************************************************
  */
@@ -67,9 +67,10 @@ uint32_t current_thread_id();
 void set_current_thread_id(uint32_t id);
 
 // Sets the current thread name.
-void set_name(const std::string& name);
+void set_name(const std::string_view name);
 // Sets the target thread name.
-void set_name(std::thread::native_handle_type handle, const std::string& name);
+void set_name(std::thread::native_handle_type handle,
+              const std::string_view name);
 
 // Yields the current thread to the scheduler. Maybe.
 void MaybeYield();
@@ -358,7 +359,7 @@ class Thread : public WaitHandle {
   virtual uint32_t system_id() const = 0;
 
   // Returns the current name of the thread, if previously specified.
-  std::string name() const { return name_; }
+  const std::string& name() const { return name_; }
 
   // Sets the name of the thread, used in debugging and logging.
   virtual void set_name(std::string name) { name_ = std::move(name); }
diff --git a/src/xenia/base/threading_posix.cc b/src/xenia/base/threading_posix.cc
index e08074d93..28597e608 100644
--- a/src/xenia/base/threading_posix.cc
+++ b/src/xenia/base/threading_posix.cc
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
  ******************************************************************************
  * Xenia : Xbox 360 Emulator Research Project                                 *
  ******************************************************************************
- * Copyright 2014 Ben Vanik. All rights reserved.                             *
+ * Copyright 2020 Ben Vanik. All rights reserved.                             *
  * Released under the BSD license - see LICENSE in the root for more details. *
  ******************************************************************************
  */
@@ -32,13 +32,12 @@ uint32_t current_thread_system_id() {
   return static_cast<uint32_t>(syscall(SYS_gettid));
 }
 
-void set_name(const std::string& name) {
-  pthread_setname_np(pthread_self(), name.c_str());
+void set_name(std::thread::native_handle_type handle,
+              const std::string_view name) {
+  pthread_setname_np(handle, std::string(name).c_str());
 }
 
-void set_name(std::thread::native_handle_type handle, const std::string& name) {
-  pthread_setname_np(handle, name.c_str());
-}
+void set_name(const std::string_view name) { set_name(pthread_self(), name); }
 
 void MaybeYield() {
   pthread_yield();
diff --git a/src/xenia/base/threading_win.cc b/src/xenia/base/threading_win.cc
index 2b59d97f0..605c2ccbf 100644
--- a/src/xenia/base/threading_win.cc
+++ b/src/xenia/base/threading_win.cc
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
  ******************************************************************************
  * Xenia : Xbox 360 Emulator Research Project                                 *
  ******************************************************************************
- * Copyright 2014 Ben Vanik. All rights reserved.                             *
+ * Copyright 2020 Ben Vanik. All rights reserved.                             *
  * Released under the BSD license - see LICENSE in the root for more details. *
  ******************************************************************************
  */
@@ -41,25 +41,10 @@ struct THREADNAME_INFO {
 };
 #pragma pack(pop)
 
-void set_name(HANDLE thread, const std::string& name) {
-  auto kern = GetModuleHandleW(L"kernel32.dll");
-  if (kern) {
-    auto set_thread_description =
-        (SetThreadDescriptionFn)GetProcAddress(kern, "SetThreadDescription");
-    if (set_thread_description) {
-      int len = MultiByteToWideChar(CP_ACP, 0, name.c_str(), -1, NULL, 0);
-      auto str = (LPWSTR)alloca(len * sizeof(WCHAR));
-      if (str) {
-        MultiByteToWideChar(CP_ACP, 0, name.c_str(), -1, str, len);
-        set_thread_description(thread, str);
-      }
-    }
-  }
-
+void raise_thread_name_exception(HANDLE thread, const std::string& name) {
   if (!IsDebuggerPresent()) {
     return;
   }
-
   THREADNAME_INFO info;
   info.dwType = 0x1000;
   info.szName = name.c_str();
@@ -72,7 +57,21 @@ void set_name(HANDLE thread, const std::string& name) {
   }
 }
 
-void set_name(const std::string& name) { set_name(GetCurrentThread(), name); }
+void set_name(HANDLE thread, const std::string_view name) {
+  auto kernel = GetModuleHandleW(L"kernel32.dll");
+  if (kernel) {
+    auto func =
+        (SetThreadDescriptionFn)GetProcAddress(kernel, "SetThreadDescription");
+    if (func) {
+      func(thread, reinterpret_cast<PCWSTR>(xe::to_utf16(name).c_str()));
+    }
+  }
+  raise_thread_name_exception(thread, std::string(name));
+}
+
+void set_name(const std::string_view name) {
+  set_name(GetCurrentThread(), name);
+}
 
 void MaybeYield() {
   SwitchToThread();