diff --git a/src/main/java/org/cobbzilla/util/http/HttpContentEncodingType.java b/src/main/java/org/cobbzilla/util/http/HttpContentEncodingType.java
index 834d1a9..f620790 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/cobbzilla/util/http/HttpContentEncodingType.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/cobbzilla/util/http/HttpContentEncodingType.java
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ public enum HttpContentEncodingType {
 
     deflate (in -> new InflaterInputStream(in, new Inflater(true)),
              out -> new DeflaterOutputStream(out, new Deflater(7, true)),
-             in -> new FilterInputStreamViaOutputStream(in, out -> new InflaterOutputStream(out, new Inflater(true)))),
+             (in, name) -> new FilterInputStreamViaOutputStream(in, out -> new InflaterOutputStream(out, new Inflater(true)), name)),
 
     br (BrotliInputStream::new, BrotliOutputStream::new, BrotliOutputStream.class),
     bro (BrotliInputStream::new, BrotliOutputStream::new, BrotliOutputStream.class);
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ public enum HttpContentEncodingType {
                              Class<? extends OutputStream> inAsOutClass) {
         this.inputWrapper = inWrap;
         this.outputWrapper = outWrap;
-        this.inputAsOutputWrapper = in -> new FilterInputStreamViaOutputStream(in, inAsOutClass);
+        this.inputAsOutputWrapper = (in, name) -> new FilterInputStreamViaOutputStream(in, inAsOutClass, name);
     }
 
     @JsonCreator public static HttpContentEncodingType fromString (String v) { return valueOf(v.toLowerCase()); }
@@ -44,7 +44,13 @@ public enum HttpContentEncodingType {
 
     public OutputStream wrapOutput(OutputStream out) throws IOException { return outputWrapper.wrap(out); }
 
-    public FilterInputStreamViaOutputStream wrapInputAsOutput(InputStream in) throws IOException { return inputAsOutputWrapper.wrap(in); }
+    public FilterInputStreamViaOutputStream wrapInputAsOutput(InputStream in) throws IOException {
+        return inputAsOutputWrapper.wrap(in, null);
+    }
+
+    public FilterInputStreamViaOutputStream wrapInputAsOutput(InputStream in, String name) throws IOException {
+        return inputAsOutputWrapper.wrap(in, name);
+    }
 
     public interface HttpContentEncodingInputWrapper {
         InputStream wrap(InputStream in) throws IOException;
@@ -55,7 +61,7 @@ public enum HttpContentEncodingType {
     }
 
     public interface HttpContentEncodingInputAsOutputWrapper {
-        FilterInputStreamViaOutputStream wrap(InputStream in) throws IOException;
+        FilterInputStreamViaOutputStream wrap(InputStream in, String name) throws IOException;
     }
 
 }
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/cobbzilla/util/io/FilterInputStreamViaOutputStream.java b/src/main/java/org/cobbzilla/util/io/FilterInputStreamViaOutputStream.java
index bf2f6db..7518d51 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/cobbzilla/util/io/FilterInputStreamViaOutputStream.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/cobbzilla/util/io/FilterInputStreamViaOutputStream.java
@@ -18,53 +18,70 @@ public class FilterInputStreamViaOutputStream extends PipedInputStream implement
     private static final int DEFAULT_COPY_BUFFER_SIZE = (int) (8 * Bytes.KB);
     private static final long THREAD_TERMINATE_TIMEOUT = TimeUnit.SECONDS.toMillis(10);
 
-    private InputStream in;
-    private PipedOutputStream pipeOut;
-    private OutputStream out;
-    private Thread thread;
+    private final InputStream in;
+    private final String name;
+    private final PipedOutputStream pipeOut;
+    private final OutputStream out;
+    private final Thread thread;
 
     public Class<? extends OutputStream> getOutputStreamClass () { return out == null ? null : out.getClass(); }
 
     public FilterInputStreamViaOutputStream(InputStream in, Class<? extends OutputStream> outStreamClass) {
+        this(in, outStreamClass, null);
+    }
+
+    public FilterInputStreamViaOutputStream(InputStream in, Class<? extends OutputStream> outStreamClass, String name) {
         super(DEFAULT_PIPE_BUFFER_SIZE);
         this.in = in;
+        this.name = name;
         try {
-            this.pipeOut = new PipedOutputStream(this);
+            pipeOut = new PipedOutputStream(this);
         } catch (Exception e) {
-            die("FilterInputStreamViaOutputStream: error creating pipeOut: "+shortError(e));
+            throw new IllegalStateException("FilterInputStreamViaOutputStream: error creating pipeOut: "+shortError(e));
         }
-        this.out = instantiate(outStreamClass, this.pipeOut);
-        start();
+        out = instantiate(outStreamClass, pipeOut);
+        thread = start();
+        if (log.isDebugEnabled()) log.debug(logPrefix()+"started based on in="+in.getClass().getSimpleName());
     }
 
     public FilterInputStreamViaOutputStream(InputStream in, Function<OutputStream, OutputStream> outFactory) {
+        this(in, outFactory, null);
+    }
+
+    public FilterInputStreamViaOutputStream(InputStream in, Function<OutputStream, OutputStream> outFactory, String name) {
         super(DEFAULT_PIPE_BUFFER_SIZE);
         this.in = in;
+        this.name = name;
         try {
-            this.pipeOut = new PipedOutputStream(this);
+            pipeOut = new PipedOutputStream(this);
         } catch (Exception e) {
-            die("FilterInputStreamViaOutputStream: error creating pipeOut: "+shortError(e));
+            throw new IllegalStateException("FilterInputStreamViaOutputStream: error creating pipeOut: "+shortError(e));
         }
         try {
-            this.out = outFactory.apply(this.pipeOut);
+            out = outFactory.apply(pipeOut);
         } catch (Exception e) {
-            die("FilterInputStreamViaOutputStream: error creating out: "+shortError(e));
+            throw new IllegalStateException("FilterInputStreamViaOutputStream: error creating out: "+shortError(e));
         }
-        start();
+        thread = start();
+        if (log.isDebugEnabled()) log.debug(logPrefix()+"started based on in="+in.getClass().getSimpleName());
     }
 
-    private void start() {
-        this.thread = new Thread(this);
-        this.thread.setName(getClass().getSimpleName()+"/"+System.identityHashCode(this));
-        this.thread.setDaemon(true);
-        this.thread.start();
+    private Thread start() {
+        final Thread t = new Thread(this);
+        t.setName(!empty(name) ? name : getClass().getSimpleName()+"/"+System.identityHashCode(this));
+        t.setDaemon(true);
+        t.start();
+        return t;
     }
 
+    private String logPrefix() { return (thread != null ? thread.getName() : !empty(name) ? name : "no-name")+": "; }
+
     @Override public void run() {
         try {
             final byte[] buf = new byte[DEFAULT_COPY_BUFFER_SIZE];
             int bytesRead;
             while ((bytesRead = in.read(buf)) >= 0) {
+                if (log.isDebugEnabled()) log.debug(logPrefix()+"run: pumping "+bytesRead+" bytes read from in -> out");
                 out.write(buf, 0, bytesRead);
             }
             out.flush();
@@ -80,6 +97,7 @@ public class FilterInputStreamViaOutputStream extends PipedInputStream implement
     }
 
     @Override public void close() {
+        if (log.isDebugEnabled()) log.debug(logPrefix()+"close");
         try {
             super.close();
         } catch (Exception e) {
@@ -88,8 +106,8 @@ public class FilterInputStreamViaOutputStream extends PipedInputStream implement
         closeQuietly(in);
         closeQuietly(out);
         closeQuietly(pipeOut);
-        if (this.thread.isAlive()) {
-            background(() -> terminate(this.thread, THREAD_TERMINATE_TIMEOUT));
+        if (thread.isAlive()) {
+            background(() -> terminate(thread, THREAD_TERMINATE_TIMEOUT));
         }
     }
 }