diff --git a/base-linux/include/linux_pd_session/client.h b/base-linux/include/linux_pd_session/client.h
index 9b8bb44015..f8a7e8e16b 100644
--- a/base-linux/include/linux_pd_session/client.h
+++ b/base-linux/include/linux_pd_session/client.h
@@ -35,8 +35,8 @@ namespace Genode {
 		 * Linux-specific extension **
 		 *****************************/
 
-		void start(Capability<Dataspace> binary, Name const &name) {
-			call<Rpc_start>(binary, name); }
+		void start(Capability<Dataspace> binary) {
+			call<Rpc_start>(binary); }
 	};
 }
 
diff --git a/base-linux/include/linux_pd_session/linux_pd_session.h b/base-linux/include/linux_pd_session/linux_pd_session.h
index 42b8a05178..ed5272781e 100644
--- a/base-linux/include/linux_pd_session/linux_pd_session.h
+++ b/base-linux/include/linux_pd_session/linux_pd_session.h
@@ -21,16 +21,14 @@ namespace Genode {
 
 	struct Linux_pd_session : Pd_session
 	{
-		typedef Rpc_in_buffer<64> Name;
-
-		void start(Capability<Dataspace> binary, Name const &name);
+		void start(Capability<Dataspace> binary);
 
 
 		/*********************
 		 ** RPC declaration **
 		 *********************/
 
-		GENODE_RPC(Rpc_start, void, start, Capability<Dataspace>, Name const &);
+		GENODE_RPC(Rpc_start, void, start, Capability<Dataspace>);
 		GENODE_RPC_INTERFACE_INHERIT(Pd_session, Rpc_start);
 	};
 }
diff --git a/base-linux/src/base/process/process.cc b/base-linux/src/base/process/process.cc
index d63f9cb86e..f3064c1662 100644
--- a/base-linux/src/base/process/process.cc
+++ b/base-linux/src/base/process/process.cc
@@ -57,9 +57,10 @@ Process::Process(Dataspace_capability   elf_data_ds_cap,
                  Cpu_session_capability cpu_session_cap,
                  Rm_session_capability  rm_session_cap,
                  Parent_capability      parent_cap,
-                 const char            *name,
+                 char const            *name,
                  char *const            argv[])
 :
+	_pd(name),
 	_cpu_session_client(Cpu_session_capability()),
 	_rm_session_client(Rm_session_capability())
 {
@@ -75,7 +76,7 @@ Process::Process(Dataspace_capability   elf_data_ds_cap,
 	Linux_pd_session_client lx_pd(static_cap_cast<Linux_pd_session>(_pd.cap()));
 
 	lx_pd.assign_parent(parent_cap);
-	lx_pd.start(elf_data_ds_cap, name);
+	lx_pd.start(elf_data_ds_cap);
 }
 
 
diff --git a/base-linux/src/core/include/pd_session_component.h b/base-linux/src/core/include/pd_session_component.h
index 616b2b9f3d..ac81753c17 100644
--- a/base-linux/src/core/include/pd_session_component.h
+++ b/base-linux/src/core/include/pd_session_component.h
@@ -27,7 +27,10 @@ namespace Genode {
 	{
 		private:
 
+			enum { LABEL_MAX_LEN = 1024 };
+
 			unsigned long      _pid;
+			char               _label[LABEL_MAX_LEN];
 			Parent_capability  _parent;
 			Rpc_entrypoint    *_ds_ep;
 
@@ -55,7 +58,7 @@ namespace Genode {
 			 ** Linux-specific extension **
 			 ******************************/
 
-			void start(Capability<Dataspace> binary, Name const &name);
+			void start(Capability<Dataspace> binary);
 	};
 }
 
diff --git a/base-linux/src/core/pd_session_component.cc b/base-linux/src/core/pd_session_component.cc
index bf4c2edc2b..7eb619f3ad 100644
--- a/base-linux/src/core/pd_session_component.cc
+++ b/base-linux/src/core/pd_session_component.cc
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
  */
 
 /* Genode includes */
+#include <util/arg_string.h>
 #include <base/printf.h>
 #include <base/snprintf.h>
 
@@ -78,8 +79,13 @@ static const char *get_env(const char *key)
  ** PD session interface **
  **************************/
 
-Pd_session_component::Pd_session_component(Rpc_entrypoint *ds_ep, const char *)
-: _pid(0), _ds_ep(ds_ep) { }
+Pd_session_component::Pd_session_component(Rpc_entrypoint *ep, const char *args)
+:
+	_pid(0), _ds_ep(ep)
+{
+	Arg_string::find_arg(args, "label").string(_label, sizeof(_label),
+	                                           "<unlabeled>");
+}
 
 
 Pd_session_component::~Pd_session_component()
@@ -100,10 +106,11 @@ int Pd_session_component::assign_parent(Parent_capability parent)
 }
 
 
-void Pd_session_component::start(Capability<Dataspace> binary, Name const &name)
+void Pd_session_component::start(Capability<Dataspace> binary)
 {
 	/* lookup binary dataspace */
-	Dataspace_component *ds = reinterpret_cast<Dataspace_component *>(_ds_ep->obj_by_cap(binary));
+	Dataspace_component *ds =
+		reinterpret_cast<Dataspace_component *>(_ds_ep->obj_by_cap(binary));
 
 	if (!ds) {
 		PERR("could not lookup binary, aborted PD startup");
@@ -128,8 +135,9 @@ void Pd_session_component::start(Capability<Dataspace> binary, Name const &name)
 	                &envbuf[3][0], &envbuf[4][0], 0 };
 
 	/* prefix name of Linux program (helps killing some zombies) */
-	char pname_buf[9 + Linux_dataspace::FNAME_LEN];
-	snprintf(pname_buf, sizeof(pname_buf), "[Genode] %s", name.string());
+	char const *prefix = "[Genode] ";
+	char pname_buf[sizeof(_label) + sizeof(prefix)];
+	snprintf(pname_buf, sizeof(pname_buf), "%s%s", prefix, _label);
 	char *argv_buf[2];
 	argv_buf[0] = pname_buf;
 	argv_buf[1] = 0;
diff --git a/base-okl4/include/okl4_pd_session/connection.h b/base-okl4/include/okl4_pd_session/connection.h
index d4b720135b..eb479e6004 100644
--- a/base-okl4/include/okl4_pd_session/connection.h
+++ b/base-okl4/include/okl4_pd_session/connection.h
@@ -21,18 +21,9 @@ namespace Genode {
 
 	struct Pd_connection : Connection<Pd_session>, Okl4_pd_session_client
 	{
-		/**
-		 * Constructor
-		 *
-		 * \param args  additional session arguments
-		 */
-		Pd_connection(const char *args = 0)
+		Pd_connection()
 		:
-			Connection<Pd_session>(
-				session("ram_quota=4K%s%s",
-				        args ? ", " : "",
-				        args ? args : "")),
-
+			Connection<Pd_session>(session("ram_quota=4K")),
 			Okl4_pd_session_client(cap())
 		{ }
 	};
diff --git a/base/include/pd_session/connection.h b/base/include/pd_session/connection.h
index 5bc903eb5f..6edb1567ce 100644
--- a/base/include/pd_session/connection.h
+++ b/base/include/pd_session/connection.h
@@ -24,15 +24,11 @@ namespace Genode {
 		/**
 		 * Constructor
 		 *
-		 * \param args  additional session arguments
+		 * \param label  session label
 		 */
-		Pd_connection(const char *args = 0)
+		Pd_connection(const char *label = "")
 		:
-			Connection<Pd_session>(
-				session("ram_quota=4K%s%s",
-				        args ? ", " : "",
-				        args ? args : "")),
-
+			Connection<Pd_session>(session("ram_quota=4K, label=\"%s\"", label)),
 			Pd_session_client(cap())
 		{ }
 	};
diff --git a/base/src/base/process/process.cc b/base/src/base/process/process.cc
index 6f102a1a04..342e3b56d1 100644
--- a/base/src/base/process/process.cc
+++ b/base/src/base/process/process.cc
@@ -174,9 +174,10 @@ Process::Process(Dataspace_capability    elf_ds_cap,
                  Cpu_session_capability  cpu_session_cap,
                  Rm_session_capability   rm_session_cap,
                  Parent_capability       parent_cap,
-                 const char             *name,
+                 char const             *name,
                  char *const             argv[])
 :
+	_pd(name),
 	_cpu_session_client(cpu_session_cap),
 	_rm_session_client(rm_session_cap)
 {