diff --git a/src/system/boot/loader/elf.cpp b/src/system/boot/loader/elf.cpp
index fbb5e3611a..a00b6a45d3 100644
--- a/src/system/boot/loader/elf.cpp
+++ b/src/system/boot/loader/elf.cpp
@@ -126,9 +126,9 @@ load_elf_symbol_table(int fd, preloaded_image *image)
 		status = B_ERROR;
 		goto error1;
 	}
-	
+
 	// find symbol table in section headers
-	
+
 	for (int32 i = 0; i < elfHeader.e_shnum; i++) {
 		if (sectionHeaders[i].sh_type == SHT_SYMTAB) {
 			stringHeader = &sectionHeaders[sectionHeaders[i].sh_link];
@@ -423,7 +423,11 @@ elf_load_image(Directory *directory, const char *path)
 
 	status_t status = elf_load_image(fd, image);
 	if (status == B_OK) {
-		image->name = kernel_args_strdup(path);
+		char tmpPath[B_PATH_NAME_LENGTH];
+		if (directory->GetPath(path, tmpPath, sizeof(tmpPath)) == B_OK)
+			image->name = kernel_args_strdup(tmpPath);
+		else
+			image->name = kernel_args_strdup(path);
 		image->inode = stat.st_ino;
 
 		// insert to kernel args
diff --git a/src/system/boot/loader/loader.cpp b/src/system/boot/loader/loader.cpp
index 0bf41f65df..1fb0ab9b7f 100644
--- a/src/system/boot/loader/loader.cpp
+++ b/src/system/boot/loader/loader.cpp
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ is_bootable(Directory *volume)
 }
 
 
-status_t 
+status_t
 load_kernel(stage2_args *args, Directory *volume)
 {
 	int fd = open_from(volume, KERNEL_PATH, O_RDONLY);
@@ -75,6 +75,12 @@ load_kernel(stage2_args *args, Directory *volume)
 		return status;
 	}
 
+	char tmpPath[B_PATH_NAME_LENGTH];
+	if (volume->GetPath(KERNEL_PATH, tmpPath, sizeof(tmpPath)) == B_OK)
+		gKernelArgs.kernel_image.name = kernel_args_strdup(tmpPath);
+	else
+		gKernelArgs.kernel_image.name = kernel_args_strdup("kernel");
+
 	return B_OK;
 }
 
@@ -162,7 +168,7 @@ load_module(Directory *volume, const char *name)
 }
 
 
-status_t 
+status_t
 load_modules(stage2_args *args, Directory *volume)
 {
 	int32 failed = 0;
diff --git a/src/system/kernel/vm/vm.cpp b/src/system/kernel/vm/vm.cpp
index a446a02960..d6ab9302b8 100644
--- a/src/system/kernel/vm/vm.cpp
+++ b/src/system/kernel/vm/vm.cpp
@@ -4052,8 +4052,6 @@ vm_init(kernel_args *args)
 
 	allocate_kernel_args(args);
 
-	args->kernel_image.name = "kernel";
-		// the lazy boot loader currently doesn't set the kernel's name...
 	create_preloaded_image_areas(&args->kernel_image);
 
 	// allocate areas for preloaded images