diff --git a/src/input/Manager.cc b/src/input/Manager.cc
index 63fa59d0bc..9d2333ac9c 100644
--- a/src/input/Manager.cc
+++ b/src/input/Manager.cc
@@ -255,10 +255,10 @@ ReaderBackend* Manager::CreateBackend(ReaderFrontend* frontend, bro_int_t type)
 
 	assert(ir->factory);
 
+	frontend->ty_name = ir->name;
 	ReaderBackend* backend = (*ir->factory)(frontend);
 	assert(backend);
 
-	frontend->ty_name = ir->name;
 	return backend;
 	}
 
diff --git a/src/logging/Manager.cc b/src/logging/Manager.cc
index f0b5cc1748..e916922edc 100644
--- a/src/logging/Manager.cc
+++ b/src/logging/Manager.cc
@@ -191,10 +191,10 @@ WriterBackend* Manager::CreateBackend(WriterFrontend* frontend, bro_int_t type)
 
 	assert(ld->factory);
 
+	frontend->ty_name = ld->name;
 	WriterBackend* backend = (*ld->factory)(frontend);
 	assert(backend);
 
-	frontend->ty_name = ld->name;
 	return backend;
 	}
 
diff --git a/src/threading/BasicThread.cc b/src/threading/BasicThread.cc
index e590b13434..96d0d5efd2 100644
--- a/src/threading/BasicThread.cc
+++ b/src/threading/BasicThread.cc
@@ -80,18 +80,23 @@ const char* BasicThread::Fmt(const char* format, ...)
 
 void BasicThread::Start()
 	{
+	int err;
+
 	if ( started )
 		return;
 
-	if ( pthread_mutex_init(&terminate, 0) != 0  )
-		reporter->FatalError("Cannot create terminate mutex for thread %s", name.c_str());
+	err = pthread_mutex_init(&terminate, 0);
+	if ( err != 0  )
+		reporter->FatalError("Cannot create terminate mutex for thread %s:%s", name.c_str(), strerror(err));
 
 	// We use this like a binary semaphore and acquire it immediately.
-	if ( pthread_mutex_lock(&terminate) != 0 )
-		reporter->FatalError("Cannot aquire terminate mutex for thread %s", name.c_str());
-
-	if ( pthread_create(&pthread, 0, BasicThread::launcher, this) != 0 )
-		reporter->FatalError("Cannot create thread %s", name.c_str());
+	err = pthread_mutex_lock(&terminate);
+	if ( err != 0 )
+		reporter->FatalError("Cannot aquire terminate mutex for thread %s:%s", name.c_str(), strerror(err));
+	
+	err = pthread_create(&pthread, 0, BasicThread::launcher, this);
+	if ( err != 0 )
+		reporter->FatalError("Cannot create thread %s:%s", name.c_str(), strerror(err));
 
 	DBG_LOG(DBG_THREADING, "Started thread %s", name.c_str());