diff --git a/.travis.yml b/.travis.yml
index 9b35c7d..59d3f0a 100644
--- a/.travis.yml
+++ b/.travis.yml
@@ -4,6 +4,9 @@ env:
   - TOX_ENV=py27
   - TOX_ENV=py33
   - TOX_ENV=py34
+before_install:
+  - sudo apt-get -qq update
+  - sudo apt-get install -y build-essential libcap-dev
 install:
   - pip install tox
   - pip install python-coveralls
diff --git a/requirements.txt b/requirements.txt
index ae3f855..d3df306 100644
--- a/requirements.txt
+++ b/requirements.txt
@@ -16,3 +16,4 @@ paver==1.2.2
 wheel==0.24.0
 pip==1.5.6
 sh==1.09
+python-prctl==1.6.1
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/sideboard/lib/_threads.py b/sideboard/lib/_threads.py
index c8b8d37..d493821 100644
--- a/sideboard/lib/_threads.py
+++ b/sideboard/lib/_threads.py
@@ -1,6 +1,9 @@
 from __future__ import unicode_literals
 import time
 import heapq
+import prctl
+import threading
+import sys
 from warnings import warn
 from threading import Thread, Timer, Event, Lock
 
@@ -9,6 +12,26 @@
 from sideboard.lib import log, on_startup, on_shutdown
 
 
+# inject our own code at the start of every thread's start() method which sets the thread name via prctl().
+# Python thread names will now be shown in external system tools like 'top', '/proc', etc.
+def _thread_name_insert(self):
+    if self.name:
+        # linux doesn't allow thread names > 15 chars, and we ideally want to see the end of the name.
+        # attempt to shorten the name if we need to.
+        shorter_name = self.name if len(self.name) < 15 else self.name.replace('CP Server Thread', 'CPServ')
+        prctl.set_name(shorter_name)
+    threading.Thread._bootstrap_inner_original(self)
+if sys.version_info[0] == 3:
+    threading.Thread._bootstrap_inner_original = threading.Thread._bootstrap_inner
+    threading.Thread._bootstrap_inner = _thread_name_insert
+else:
+    threading.Thread._bootstrap_inner_original = threading.Thread._Thread__bootstrap
+    threading.Thread._Thread__bootstrap = _thread_name_insert
+
+# set the name of the main thread
+prctl.set_name('sideboard_main')
+
+
 class DaemonTask(object):
     def __init__(self, func, interval=0.1, threads=1):
         self.lock = Lock()