diff --git a/driver.rkt b/driver.rkt
index 7060f7a..5fb97ce 100644
--- a/driver.rkt
+++ b/driver.rkt
@@ -43,19 +43,16 @@
    (transition 'no-state
      ;; (spawn udp-spy #:debug-name 'udp-spy)
      (spawn udp-driver #:debug-name 'udp-driver)
-     (spawn (nested-vm
-	     'dns-vm
+     (spawn (nested-vm #:debug-name 'dns-vm
 	     (transition 'no-state
 	       (spawn dns-spy #:debug-name 'dns-spy)
 	       (spawn (dns-read-driver local-addr) #:debug-name 'dns-read-driver)
 	       (spawn (dns-write-driver local-addr) #:debug-name 'dns-write-driver)
-	       (role 'error-logger (topic-subscriber (bad-dns-packet (wild) (wild) (wild) (wild)))
-		 #:state w
+	       (role (topic-subscriber (bad-dns-packet (wild) (wild) (wild) (wild)))
 		 [p (begin (log-error (pretty-format p))
-			   w)])
-	       (role 'request-booter (topic-subscriber (dns-request (wild) (wild) (wild)))
-		 #:state w
-		 [r (transition w (map send-message (handle-request soa-rr zone r)))])))
+			   '())])
+	       (role (topic-subscriber (dns-request (wild) (wild) (wild)))
+		 [r (map send-message (handle-request soa-rr zone r))])))
 	    #:debug-name 'dns-vm))))
 
 (define (handle-request soa-rr zone request)
diff --git a/network-query.rkt b/network-query.rkt
index 3fcb1f0..216157a 100644
--- a/network-query.rkt
+++ b/network-query.rkt
@@ -264,7 +264,8 @@
      (define rpc-id (gensym 'network-query/allocate-query-id))
      (transition w
        (send-message `(request ,rpc-id allocate-query-id))
-       (role rpc-id (topic-subscriber `(reply ,rpc-id ,(wild)))
+       (role (topic-subscriber `(reply ,rpc-id ,(wild)))
+	 #:name rpc-id
 	 #:state w
 	 [`(reply ,(== rpc-id) ,id)
 	  (sequence-actions (send-request (struct-copy network-query-state w
@@ -309,9 +310,9 @@
   (transition w
     (send-message (dns-request query s server-ip))
     (send-message (set-timer subscription-id (* timeout 1000) 'relative))
-    (role subscription-id
-	(set (topic-subscriber (timer-expired subscription-id (wild)))
-	     (topic-subscriber (dns-reply (wild) (wild) s)))
+    (role (set (topic-subscriber (timer-expired subscription-id (wild)))
+	       (topic-subscriber (dns-reply (wild) (wild) s)))
+      #:name subscription-id
       #:state w
       [(timer-expired (== subscription-id) _)
        (log-debug (format "Timed out ~v ~v to ~v ~v after ~v seconds"
diff --git a/os2-dns.rkt b/os2-dns.rkt
index b3975ec..ab748b6 100644
--- a/os2-dns.rkt
+++ b/os2-dns.rkt
@@ -21,8 +21,7 @@
 (define (dns-read-driver s)
   (transition 'no-state
     (at-meta-level
-     (role 'packet-reader
-	 (topic-subscriber (udp-packet (wild) s (wild)))
+     (role (topic-subscriber (udp-packet (wild) s (wild)))
        #:state w
        [(udp-packet source (== s) #"")
 	(log-info "Debug dump packet received")
@@ -43,16 +42,15 @@
       (at-meta-level
        (send-message (udp-packet s sink (dns-message->packet message))))))
   (transition 'no-state
-    (role 'packet-writer
-	(set (topic-subscriber (dns-request (wild) s (wild)))
-	     (topic-subscriber (dns-reply   (wild) s (wild))))
+    (role (set (topic-subscriber (dns-request (wild) s (wild)))
+	       (topic-subscriber (dns-reply   (wild) s (wild))))
       #:state w
       [(dns-request message (== s) sink) (transition w (translate message sink))]
       [(dns-reply   message (== s) sink) (transition w (translate message sink))])))
 
 (define dns-spy
   (transition 'none
-    (role 'spy (topic-subscriber (wild) #:monitor? #t)
+    (role (topic-subscriber (wild) #:monitor? #t)
       #:state w
       [(dns-request message source sink)
        (log-info (format "DNS: ~v asks ~v ~v~n   : ~v"
diff --git a/proxy.rkt b/proxy.rkt
index bb001e8..73658c6 100644
--- a/proxy.rkt
+++ b/proxy.rkt
@@ -36,8 +36,7 @@
      ;;(spawn udp-spy)
      (spawn udp-driver #:debug-name 'udp-driver)
      (spawn (timer-driver 'timer-driver) #:debug-name 'timer-driver)
-     (spawn (nested-vm
-	     'dns-vm
+     (spawn (nested-vm #:debug-name 'dns-vm
 	     (transition 'no-state
 	       (spawn dns-spy #:debug-name 'dns-spy)
 	       (spawn (timer-relay 'timer-relay:dns) #:debug-name 'timer-relay)
@@ -55,7 +54,7 @@
   ;; TODO: track how many are allocated and throttle requests if too
   ;; many are in flight
   (transition (set) ;; SetOf<UInt16>, all active query IDs
-    (role 'query-id-request-handler (topic-subscriber `(request ,(wild) allocate-query-id))
+    (role (topic-subscriber `(request ,(wild) allocate-query-id))
       #:state allocated
       [`(request ,reply-addr allocate-query-id)
        (let recheck ()
@@ -64,20 +63,20 @@
 	     (recheck)
 	     (transition (set-add allocated n)
 	       (send-message `(reply ,reply-addr ,n)))))])
-    (role 'query-id-release-handler (topic-subscriber `(release-query-id ,(wild)))
+    (role (topic-subscriber `(release-query-id ,(wild)))
       #:state allocated
       [`(release-query-id ,n)
        (transition (set-remove allocated n))])))
 
 (define (packet-dispatcher s)
   (transition (set) ;; SetOf<ActiveRequest>
-    (role 'error-logger (topic-subscriber (bad-dns-packet (wild) (wild) (wild) (wild)))
+    (role (topic-subscriber (bad-dns-packet (wild) (wild) (wild) (wild)))
       #:state old-active-requests
       [p
        (log-error (pretty-format p))
        ;; TODO: ^ perhaps use metalevel events? perhaps don't bother though
        old-active-requests])
-    (role 'request-booter (topic-subscriber (dns-request (wild) (wild) s))
+    (role (topic-subscriber (dns-request (wild) (wild) s))
       #:state old-active-requests
       [(and r (dns-request m source (== s))) ;; We only listen for requests on our server socket
        (define req-id (active-request source (dns-message-id m)))
@@ -87,7 +86,7 @@
 	   old-active-requests ;; ignore retransmitted duplicates
 	   (transition (set-add old-active-requests req-id)
 	     (spawn (packet-relay req-id r) #:debug-name (list 'packet-relay req-id))))])
-    (role 'reply-cleanup (topic-subscriber (dns-reply (wild) s (wild)))
+    (role (topic-subscriber (dns-reply (wild) s (wild)))
       #:state old-active-requests
       [(and r (dns-reply m (== s) sink))
        (define req-id (active-request sink (dns-message-id m)))
@@ -164,7 +163,7 @@
   (define-values (cleaned-seed-zone initial-timers) (zone-expire seed-zone))
   (sequence-actions (transition-and-set-timers cleaned-seed-zone initial-timers)
     ;; TODO: consider deduping questions here too?
-    (role 'debug-dumper (topic-subscriber `(debug-dump))
+    (role (topic-subscriber `(debug-dump))
       #:state zone
       [`(debug-dump)
        (with-output-to-file "zone-proxy.zone"
@@ -192,7 +191,7 @@
 	 #:mode 'text
 	 #:exists 'append)
        zone])
-    (role 'question-handler-factory (topic-subscriber (question (wild) (wild) (wild) (wild)))
+    (role (topic-subscriber (question (wild) (wild) (wild) (wild)))
       #:state zone
       [(? question? q)
        (transition zone
@@ -207,13 +206,12 @@
 	  [else
 	   (spawn (question-handler zone q client-sock)
 		  #:debug-name (list 'question-handler q))]))])
-    (role 'network-reply-snoop (topic-subscriber (network-reply (wild) (wild)))
+    (role (topic-subscriber (network-reply (wild) (wild)))
       #:state zone
       [(network-reply _ answer)
        (define-values (new-zone timers) (incorporate-complete-answer answer zone))
        (transition-and-set-timers new-zone timers)])
-    (role 'timer-expiry-handler
-	(topic-subscriber (timer-expired (list 'check-dns-expiry (wild)) (wild)))
+    (role (topic-subscriber (timer-expired (list 'check-dns-expiry (wild)) (wild)))
       #:state zone
       [(timer-expired (list 'check-dns-expiry name) now-msec)
        (zone-expire-name zone name (/ now-msec 1000.0))])))
@@ -252,7 +250,8 @@
 				(map rr-rdata (set->list nameserver-rrs))
 				referral-id)
 		 #:debug-name (list 'network-query q))
-	  (role referral-id (topic-subscriber (network-reply referral-id (wild)))
+	  (role (topic-subscriber (network-reply referral-id (wild)))
+	    #:name referral-id
 	    #:state w
 	    [(network-reply (== referral-id) #f) ;; name-error/NXDOMAIN
 	     (transition w