diff --git a/docs/about/deprecated.rst b/docs/about/deprecated.rst
index d0ce914d85..576f82a256 100644
--- a/docs/about/deprecated.rst
+++ b/docs/about/deprecated.rst
@@ -54,6 +54,13 @@ as short-form boolean values, and passed to plugins as ``arg_name=on``.
 However, short-form booleans are deprecated and full explicit ``arg_name=on``
 form is preferred.
 
+``debug-threads`` option for ``-name`` (since 11.0)
+'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
+
+The ``debug-threads`` option of the ``-name`` argument is now
+ignored. Thread naming is unconditionally enabled for all platforms
+where it is supported.
+
 QEMU Machine Protocol (QMP) commands
 ------------------------------------
 
diff --git a/include/qemu/thread.h b/include/qemu/thread.h
index f0302ed01f..3a286bb3ef 100644
--- a/include/qemu/thread.h
+++ b/include/qemu/thread.h
@@ -215,7 +215,6 @@ void *qemu_thread_join(QemuThread *thread);
 void qemu_thread_get_self(QemuThread *thread);
 bool qemu_thread_is_self(QemuThread *thread);
 G_NORETURN void qemu_thread_exit(void *retval);
-void qemu_thread_naming(bool enable);
 
 struct Notifier;
 /**
diff --git a/system/vl.c b/system/vl.c
index 3e341142a0..38d7b849e0 100644
--- a/system/vl.c
+++ b/system/vl.c
@@ -403,9 +403,8 @@ static QemuOptsList qemu_name_opts = {
         }, {
             .name = "debug-threads",
             .type = QEMU_OPT_BOOL,
-            .help = "When enabled, name the individual threads; defaults off.\n"
-                    "NOTE: The thread names are for debugging and not a\n"
-                    "stable API.",
+            .help = "Enable thread names"
+                    "(deprecated, always enabled where supported)",
         },
         { /* End of list */ }
     },
@@ -554,9 +553,12 @@ static int parse_name(void *opaque, QemuOpts *opts, Error **errp)
 {
     const char *proc_name;
 
-    if (qemu_opt_get(opts, "debug-threads")) {
-        qemu_thread_naming(qemu_opt_get_bool(opts, "debug-threads", false));
+    if (qemu_opt_get(opts, "debug-threads") &&
+        !qemu_opt_get_bool(opts, "debug-threads", false)) {
+        fprintf(stderr, "Ignoring deprecated 'debug-threads=no' option, " \
+                "thread naming is unconditionally enabled\n");
     }
+
     qemu_name = qemu_opt_get(opts, "guest");
 
     proc_name = qemu_opt_get(opts, "process");
diff --git a/util/qemu-thread-posix.c b/util/qemu-thread-posix.c
index ba725444ba..7c985b5d38 100644
--- a/util/qemu-thread-posix.c
+++ b/util/qemu-thread-posix.c
@@ -22,22 +22,6 @@
 #include <pthread_np.h>
 #endif
 
-static bool name_threads;
-
-void qemu_thread_naming(bool enable)
-{
-    name_threads = enable;
-
-#if !defined CONFIG_PTHREAD_SETNAME_NP_W_TID && \
-    !defined CONFIG_PTHREAD_SETNAME_NP_WO_TID && \
-    !defined CONFIG_PTHREAD_SET_NAME_NP
-    /* This is a debugging option, not fatal */
-    if (enable) {
-        fprintf(stderr, "qemu: thread naming not supported on this host\n");
-    }
-#endif
-}
-
 static void error_exit(int err, const char *msg)
 {
     fprintf(stderr, "qemu: %s: %s\n", msg, strerror(err));
@@ -361,7 +345,7 @@ static void *qemu_thread_start(void *args)
     /* Attempt to set the threads name; note that this is for debug, so
      * we're not going to fail if we can't set it.
      */
-    if (name_threads && qemu_thread_args->name) {
+    if (qemu_thread_args->name) {
 # if defined(CONFIG_PTHREAD_SETNAME_NP_W_TID)
         pthread_setname_np(pthread_self(), qemu_thread_args->name);
 # elif defined(CONFIG_PTHREAD_SETNAME_NP_WO_TID)
diff --git a/util/qemu-thread-win32.c b/util/qemu-thread-win32.c
index ca2e0b512e..9595a5b090 100644
--- a/util/qemu-thread-win32.c
+++ b/util/qemu-thread-win32.c
@@ -17,8 +17,6 @@
 #include "qemu-thread-common.h"
 #include <process.h>
 
-static bool name_threads;
-
 typedef HRESULT (WINAPI *pSetThreadDescription) (HANDLE hThread,
                                                  PCWSTR lpThreadDescription);
 static pSetThreadDescription SetThreadDescriptionFunc;
@@ -44,16 +42,6 @@ static bool load_set_thread_description(void)
     return !!SetThreadDescriptionFunc;
 }
 
-void qemu_thread_naming(bool enable)
-{
-    name_threads = enable;
-
-    if (enable && !load_set_thread_description()) {
-        fprintf(stderr, "qemu: thread naming not supported on this host\n");
-        name_threads = false;
-    }
-}
-
 static void error_exit(int err, const char *msg)
 {
     char *pstr;
@@ -328,23 +316,20 @@ void *qemu_thread_join(QemuThread *thread)
     return ret;
 }
 
-static bool set_thread_description(HANDLE h, const char *name)
+static void set_thread_description(HANDLE h, const char *name)
 {
-    HRESULT hr;
     g_autofree wchar_t *namew = NULL;
 
     if (!load_set_thread_description()) {
-        return false;
+        return;
     }
 
     namew = g_utf8_to_utf16(name, -1, NULL, NULL, NULL);
     if (!namew) {
-        return false;
+        return;
     }
 
-    hr = SetThreadDescriptionFunc(h, namew);
-
-    return SUCCEEDED(hr);
+    SetThreadDescriptionFunc(h, namew);
 }
 
 void qemu_thread_create(QemuThread *thread, const char *name,
@@ -370,8 +355,8 @@ void qemu_thread_create(QemuThread *thread, const char *name,
     if (!hThread) {
         error_exit(GetLastError(), __func__);
     }
-    if (name_threads && name && !set_thread_description(hThread, name)) {
-        fprintf(stderr, "qemu: failed to set thread description: %s\n", name);
+    if (name) {
+        set_thread_description(hThread, name);
     }
     CloseHandle(hThread);