diff --git a/gio/gapplication.c b/gio/gapplication.c
index 210ebaf6e..7465c9a54 100644
--- a/gio/gapplication.c
+++ b/gio/gapplication.c
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@
 #include "gioenumtypes.h"
 #include "gioenums.h"
 #include "gfile.h"
+#include "glib-private.h"
 
 #include "glibintl.h"
 #include "gmarshal-internal.h"
@@ -2526,7 +2527,7 @@ g_application_run (GApplication  *application,
       gchar *prgname;
 
       prgname = g_path_get_basename (argv[0]);
-      g_set_prgname (prgname);
+      GLIB_PRIVATE_CALL (g_set_prgname_once) (prgname);
       g_free (prgname);
     }
 
diff --git a/glib/glib-private.c b/glib/glib-private.c
index 9f4887aa2..c2b68a060 100644
--- a/glib/glib-private.c
+++ b/glib/glib-private.c
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
 
 #include "glib-private.h"
 #include "glib-init.h"
+#include "gutilsprivate.h"
 
 #ifdef USE_INVALID_PARAMETER_HANDLER
 #include <crtdbg.h>
@@ -71,6 +72,8 @@ glib__private__ (void)
     g_find_program_for_path,
 
     g_uri_get_default_scheme_port,
+
+    g_set_prgname_once,
   };
 
   return &table;
diff --git a/glib/glib-private.h b/glib/glib-private.h
index e96a73fb6..50aa8a050 100644
--- a/glib/glib-private.h
+++ b/glib/glib-private.h
@@ -288,6 +288,9 @@ typedef struct {
   /* See guri.c */
   int (* g_uri_get_default_scheme_port) (const char *scheme);
 
+  /* See gutils.c */
+  gboolean (* g_set_prgname_once) (const gchar *prgname);
+
   /* Add other private functions here, initialize them in glib-private.c */
 } GLibPrivateVTable;
 
diff --git a/glib/goption.c b/glib/goption.c
index e6d8bf1b8..781c5bae6 100644
--- a/glib/goption.c
+++ b/glib/goption.c
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@
 
 #include "gprintf.h"
 #include "glibintl.h"
+#include "gutilsprivate.h"
 
 #if defined G_OS_WIN32
 #include <windows.h>
@@ -1813,10 +1814,7 @@ g_option_context_parse (GOptionContext   *context,
       else
 	prgname = platform_get_argv0 ();
 
-      if (prgname)
-	g_set_prgname (prgname);
-      else
-	g_set_prgname ("<unknown>");
+      g_set_prgname_once (prgname ? prgname : "<unknown");
 
       g_free (prgname);
     }
diff --git a/glib/gtestutils.c b/glib/gtestutils.c
index c070ee11b..9d5b1cfbb 100644
--- a/glib/gtestutils.c
+++ b/glib/gtestutils.c
@@ -1657,8 +1657,8 @@ void
       test_run_seedstr = seedstr;
     }
 
-  if (!g_get_prgname() && !no_g_set_prgname)
-    g_set_prgname ((*argv)[0]);
+  if (!g_get_prgname () && !no_g_set_prgname)
+    g_set_prgname_once ((*argv)[0]);
 
   if (g_getenv ("G_TEST_ROOT_PROCESS"))
     {
diff --git a/glib/gutils.c b/glib/gutils.c
index 5a15e99b1..dfe115843 100644
--- a/glib/gutils.c
+++ b/glib/gutils.c
@@ -1128,7 +1128,6 @@ g_get_host_name (void)
   return hostname;
 }
 
-G_LOCK_DEFINE_STATIC (g_prgname);
 static const gchar *g_prgname = NULL; /* always a quark */
 
 /**
@@ -1150,13 +1149,7 @@ static const gchar *g_prgname = NULL; /* always a quark */
 const gchar*
 g_get_prgname (void)
 {
-  const gchar* retval;
-
-  G_LOCK (g_prgname);
-  retval = g_prgname;
-  G_UNLOCK (g_prgname);
-
-  return retval;
+  return g_atomic_pointer_get (&g_prgname);
 }
 
 /**
@@ -1179,13 +1172,29 @@ g_get_prgname (void)
 void
 g_set_prgname (const gchar *prgname)
 {
-  GQuark qprgname = g_quark_from_string (prgname);
-  G_LOCK (g_prgname);
-  g_prgname = g_quark_to_string (qprgname);
-  G_UNLOCK (g_prgname);
+  prgname = g_intern_string (prgname);
+  g_atomic_pointer_set (&g_prgname, prgname);
+}
+
+/**
+ * g_set_prgname_once:
+ * @prgname: the name of the program.
+ *
+ * If g_get_prgname() is not set, this is the same as setting
+ * the name via g_set_prgname() and %TRUE is returned. Otherwise,
+ * does nothing and returns %FALSE. This is thread-safe.
+ *
+ * Returns: whether g_prgname was initialized by the call.
+ */
+gboolean
+g_set_prgname_once (const gchar *prgname)
+{
+  /* if @prgname is NULL, then this has the same effect as calling
+   * (g_get_prgname()==NULL). */
+  prgname = g_intern_string (prgname);
+  return g_atomic_pointer_compare_and_exchange (&g_prgname, NULL, prgname);
 }
 
-G_LOCK_DEFINE_STATIC (g_application_name);
 static gchar *g_application_name = NULL;
 
 /**
@@ -1207,16 +1216,14 @@ static gchar *g_application_name = NULL;
 const gchar *
 g_get_application_name (void)
 {
-  gchar* retval;
+  const char *retval;
 
-  G_LOCK (g_application_name);
-  retval = g_application_name;
-  G_UNLOCK (g_application_name);
+  retval = g_atomic_pointer_get (&g_application_name);
 
-  if (retval == NULL)
-    return g_get_prgname ();
-  
-  return retval;
+  if (retval)
+    return retval;
+
+  return g_get_prgname ();
 }
 
 /**
@@ -1240,17 +1247,17 @@ g_get_application_name (void)
 void
 g_set_application_name (const gchar *application_name)
 {
-  gboolean already_set = FALSE;
-	
-  G_LOCK (g_application_name);
-  if (g_application_name)
-    already_set = TRUE;
-  else
-    g_application_name = g_strdup (application_name);
-  G_UNLOCK (g_application_name);
+  char *name;
 
-  if (already_set)
-    g_warning ("g_set_application_name() called multiple times");
+  g_return_if_fail (application_name);
+
+  name = g_strdup (application_name);
+
+  if (!g_atomic_pointer_compare_and_exchange (&g_application_name, NULL, name))
+    {
+      g_warning ("g_set_application_name() called multiple times");
+      g_free (name);
+    }
 }
 
 #ifdef G_OS_WIN32
diff --git a/glib/gutilsprivate.h b/glib/gutilsprivate.h
index b4f1b984a..7bbde7143 100644
--- a/glib/gutilsprivate.h
+++ b/glib/gutilsprivate.h
@@ -59,6 +59,8 @@ void _g_unset_cached_tmp_dir (void);
 
 gboolean _g_localtime (time_t timet, struct tm *tm);
 
+gboolean g_set_prgname_once (const gchar *prgname);
+
 G_END_DECLS
 
 #endif /* __G_UTILS_PRIVATE_H__ */