diff --git a/src/input/ReaderBackend.cc b/src/input/ReaderBackend.cc
index abf369dd54..4c7540609c 100644
--- a/src/input/ReaderBackend.cc
+++ b/src/input/ReaderBackend.cc
@@ -215,6 +215,8 @@ bool ReaderBackend::Init(const int arg_num_fields,
 	if ( Failed() )
 		return true;
 
+	SetOSName(Fmt("bro: %s", Name()));
+
 	num_fields = arg_num_fields;
 	fields = arg_fields;
 
diff --git a/src/logging/WriterBackend.cc b/src/logging/WriterBackend.cc
index 5e4230c8e3..35d3137c76 100644
--- a/src/logging/WriterBackend.cc
+++ b/src/logging/WriterBackend.cc
@@ -180,6 +180,7 @@ void WriterBackend::DisableFrontend()
 
 bool WriterBackend::Init(int arg_num_fields, const Field* const* arg_fields)
 	{
+	SetOSName(Fmt("bro: %s", Name()));
 	num_fields = arg_num_fields;
 	fields = arg_fields;
 
diff --git a/src/threading/MsgThread.cc b/src/threading/MsgThread.cc
index c713f65986..cf1facbba5 100644
--- a/src/threading/MsgThread.cc
+++ b/src/threading/MsgThread.cc
@@ -254,15 +254,6 @@ void MsgThread::Heartbeat()
 	SendIn(new HeartbeatMessage(this, network_time, current_time()));
 	}
 
-void MsgThread::HeartbeatInChild()
-	{
-	string n = Fmt("bro: %s (%" PRIu64 "/%" PRIu64 ")", Name(),
-		cnt_sent_in - queue_in.Size(),
-		cnt_sent_out - queue_out.Size());
-
-	SetOSName(n.c_str());
-	}
-
 void MsgThread::Finished()
 	{
 	child_finished = true;
diff --git a/src/threading/MsgThread.h b/src/threading/MsgThread.h
index c5ba5b676f..e0a6f6dc01 100644
--- a/src/threading/MsgThread.h
+++ b/src/threading/MsgThread.h
@@ -199,7 +199,7 @@ protected:
 
 	/** Internal heartbeat processing. Called from child.
 	 */
-	void HeartbeatInChild();
+	void HeartbeatInChild() {}
 
 	/** Returns true if a child command has reported a failure. In that case, we'll
 	  * be in the process of killing this thread and no further activity