diff --git a/js/compiler/compiler.js b/js/compiler/compiler.js
index 30542b7..50e0859 100644
--- a/js/compiler/compiler.js
+++ b/js/compiler/compiler.js
@@ -42,9 +42,15 @@ var forEachChild = (function () {
   return forEachChild;
 })();
 
-function buildActor(constructorES5, block) {
+function buildActor(constructorES5, nameExpOpt, block) {
+  var nameExpStr;
+  if (nameExpOpt.numChildren === 1) {
+    nameExpStr = ', ' + nameExpOpt.asES5;
+  } else {
+    nameExpStr = '';
+  }
   return 'Syndicate.Actor.spawnActor(new '+constructorES5+', '+
-    'function() ' + block.asES5 + ');';
+    'function() ' + block.asES5 + nameExpStr + ');';
 }
 
 function buildFacet(facetBlock, transitionBlock) {
@@ -79,11 +85,11 @@ function buildCaseEvent(eventPattern, body) {
 }
 
 var modifiedSourceActions = {
-  ActorStatement_noConstructor: function(_actor, block) {
-    return buildActor('Object()', block);
+  ActorStatement_noConstructor: function(_actor, _namedOpt, nameExpOpt, block) {
+    return buildActor('Object()', nameExpOpt, block);
   },
-  ActorStatement_withConstructor: function(_actor, ctorExp, block) {
-    return buildActor(ctorExp.asES5, block);
+  ActorStatement_withConstructor: function(_actor, ctorExp, _namedOpt, nameExpOpt, block) {
+    return buildActor(ctorExp.asES5, nameExpOpt, block);
   },
 
   DataspaceStatement_ground: function(_ground, _dataspace, maybeId, block) {
diff --git a/js/compiler/demo-proper-interest-tracking.js b/js/compiler/demo-proper-interest-tracking.js
index 6beb22b..0290f06 100644
--- a/js/compiler/demo-proper-interest-tracking.js
+++ b/js/compiler/demo-proper-interest-tracking.js
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ assertion type ready(what);
 assertion type entry(key, val);
 
 ground dataspace {
-  actor {
+  actor named 'listener' {
     react {
       assert ready("listener");
       on asserted entry($key, _) {
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ ground dataspace {
     }
   }
 
-  actor {
+  actor named 'other-listener' {
     react {
       assert ready('other-listener');
       during entry($key, _) {
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ ground dataspace {
     }
   }
 
-  actor {
+  actor named 'driver' {
     react until {
       case asserted ready("listener") {
         react until {
diff --git a/js/compiler/syndicate.ohm b/js/compiler/syndicate.ohm
index c5c00a6..31a8ac5 100644
--- a/js/compiler/syndicate.ohm
+++ b/js/compiler/syndicate.ohm
@@ -16,8 +16,8 @@ Syndicate <: ES5 {
   FunctionBodyBlock = "{" FunctionBody "}"   // odd that this isn't in es5.ohm somewhere
 
   ActorStatement
-    = actor CallExpression FunctionBodyBlock -- withConstructor
-    | actor FunctionBodyBlock                -- noConstructor
+    = actor CallExpression (named Expression<withIn>)? FunctionBodyBlock -- withConstructor
+    | actor (named Expression<withIn>)? FunctionBodyBlock                -- noConstructor
 
   DataspaceStatement
     = ground dataspace identifier? FunctionBodyBlock -- ground
@@ -82,6 +82,7 @@ Syndicate <: ES5 {
   ground = "ground" ~identifierPart
   message = "message" ~identifierPart
   metalevel = "metalevel" ~identifierPart
+  named = "named" ~identifierPart
   on = "on" ~identifierPart
   react = "react" ~identifierPart
   retracted = "retracted" ~identifierPart
diff --git a/js/src/actor.js b/js/src/actor.js
index f337e31..ae101e2 100644
--- a/js/src/actor.js
+++ b/js/src/actor.js
@@ -10,11 +10,11 @@ var Util = require('./util.js');
 
 //---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
-function spawnActor(state, bootFn) {
-  Dataspace.spawn(new Actor(state, bootFn));
+function spawnActor(state, bootFn, optName) {
+  Dataspace.spawn(new Actor(state, bootFn, optName));
 }
 
-function Actor(state, bootFn) {
+function Actor(state, bootFn, optName) {
   this.state = state;
   this.facets = Immutable.Set();
   this.mux = new Mux.Mux();
@@ -22,6 +22,10 @@ function Actor(state, bootFn) {
   this.knowledge = Trie.emptyTrie;
   this.pendingActions = [];
 
+  if (typeof optName !== 'undefined') {
+    this.name = optName;
+  }
+
   this.boot = function() {
     var self = this;
     withCurrentFacet(null, function () {
diff --git a/js/src/dataspace.js b/js/src/dataspace.js
index 449a6ef..6d9af72 100644
--- a/js/src/dataspace.js
+++ b/js/src/dataspace.js
@@ -113,17 +113,32 @@ Dataspace.exitDataspace = function () {
   Dataspace.enqueueAction(terminateDataspace());
 };
 
-Dataspace.inertBehavior = {
-  handleEvent: function (e) {}
+Dataspace.inertBehavior = function (oldBehavior) {
+  var b = { handleEvent: function (e) {} };
+  if ('name' in oldBehavior) {
+    b.name = oldBehavior.name;
+  }
+  return b;
 };
 
 // Instance methods
 
+Dataspace.prototype.debugName = function (pid) {
+  var p = this.processTable.get(pid, null);
+  if (p === null) {
+    return '(dead)[' + pid + ']';
+  }
+  if ('name' in p.behavior) {
+    return JSON.stringify(p.behavior.name) + '[' + pid + ']';
+  }
+  return '(anon)[' + pid + ']';
+};
+
 Dataspace.prototype.asChild = function (pid, f, omitLivenessCheck) {
   var self = this;
   var p = this.processTable.get(pid, null);
   if (!omitLivenessCheck && (p === null)) {
-    console.warn("Dataspace.asChild eliding invocation of dead process", pid);
+    console.warn("Dataspace.asChild eliding invocation of dead process", this.debugName(pid));
     return;
   }
 
@@ -141,15 +156,17 @@ Dataspace.prototype.asChild = function (pid, f, omitLivenessCheck) {
 Dataspace.prototype.kill = function (pid, exn) {
   if (exn) {
     if (exn.stack) {
-      console.error("Process crashed", pid, exn, exn.stack);
+      console.error("Process crashed", this.debugName(pid), exn, exn.stack);
     } else {
-      console.error("Process crashed", pid, exn);
+      console.error("Process crashed", this.debugName(pid), exn);
     }
   } else if (Dataspace.noisy) {
-    console.log("Process exiting", pid);
+    console.log("Process exiting", this.debugName(pid));
   }
   var p = this.processTable.get(pid);
-  this.processTable = this.processTable.set(pid, { behavior: Dataspace.inertBehavior });
+  this.processTable = this.processTable.set(pid, {
+    behavior: Dataspace.inertBehavior(p.behavior)
+  });
   if (p) {
     if (p.behavior.trapexit) {
       this.asChild(pid, function () { return p.behavior.trapexit(exn); }, true);
@@ -234,7 +251,8 @@ Dataspace.prototype.interpretAction = function (pid, action) {
 
     case 'message':
       if (Patch.observe.isClassOf(action.message)) {
-        console.warn('Process ' + pid + ' send message containing query', action.message);
+        console.warn('Process ' + this.debugName(pid) + ' sent message containing query',
+                     action.message);
       }
       if (pid !== 'meta' && Patch.atMeta.isClassOf(action.message)) {
         Dataspace.send(action.message[0]);
@@ -262,7 +280,7 @@ Dataspace.prototype.interpretAction = function (pid, action) {
     case 'terminate':
       var oldMux = this.mux.shallowCopy();
       this.deliverPatches(oldMux, this.mux.removeStream(pid));
-      if (Dataspace.noisy) console.log("Process exit complete", pid);
+      if (Dataspace.noisy) console.log("Process exit complete", this.debugName(pid));
       this.processTable = this.processTable.remove(pid);
       return true;