diff --git a/tools/libxl/xl.c b/tools/libxl/xl.c
index 1d157fe48f..527b4c5965 100644
--- a/tools/libxl/xl.c
+++ b/tools/libxl/xl.c
@@ -189,12 +189,13 @@ void postfork(void)
     xl_ctx_alloc();
 }
 
-pid_t xl_fork(xlchildnum child) {
+pid_t xl_fork(xlchildnum child, const char *description) {
     xlchild *ch = &children[child];
     int i;
 
     assert(!ch->pid);
     ch->reaped = 0;
+    ch->description = description;
 
     ch->pid = fork();
     if (ch->pid == -1) {
@@ -238,6 +239,13 @@ int xl_child_pid(xlchildnum child)
     return ch->pid;
 }
 
+void xl_report_child_exitstatus(xentoollog_level level,
+                                xlchildnum child, pid_t pid, int status)
+{
+    libxl_report_child_exitstatus(ctx, level, children[child].description,
+                                  pid, status);
+}
+
 static int xl_reaped_callback(pid_t got, int status, void *user)
 {
     int i;
diff --git a/tools/libxl/xl.h b/tools/libxl/xl.h
index 280d39cca0..40a42b31be 100644
--- a/tools/libxl/xl.h
+++ b/tools/libxl/xl.h
@@ -130,6 +130,7 @@ typedef struct {
     pid_t pid; /* 0: not in use */
     int reaped; /* valid iff pid!=0 */
     int status; /* valid iff reaped */
+    const char *description; /* valid iff pid!=0 */
 } xlchild;
 
 typedef enum {
@@ -139,7 +140,8 @@ typedef enum {
 
 extern xlchild children[child_max];
 
-pid_t xl_fork(xlchildnum); /* like fork, but prints and dies if it fails */
+pid_t xl_fork(xlchildnum, const char *description);
+    /* like fork, but prints and dies if it fails */
 void postfork(void); /* needed only if we aren't going to exec right away */
 
 /* Handles EINTR.  Clears out the xlchild so it can be reused. */
@@ -147,6 +149,10 @@ pid_t xl_waitpid(xlchildnum, int *status, int flags);
 
 int xl_child_pid(xlchildnum); /* returns 0 if child struct is not in use */
 
+void xl_report_child_exitstatus(xentoollog_level level,
+                                xlchildnum child, pid_t pid, int status);
+    /* like libxl_report_child_exitstatus, but uses children[].description */
+
 /* global options */
 extern int autoballoon;
 extern int run_hotplug_scripts;
diff --git a/tools/libxl/xl_cmdimpl.c b/tools/libxl/xl_cmdimpl.c
index e19b1cfc90..0c2eca3da2 100644
--- a/tools/libxl/xl_cmdimpl.c
+++ b/tools/libxl/xl_cmdimpl.c
@@ -220,8 +220,8 @@ static void vncviewer_child_report(void)
         if (got < 0)
             perror("xl: warning, failed to waitpid for vncviewer child");
         else if (status)
-            libxl_report_child_exitstatus(ctx, XTL_ERROR, "vncviewer child",
-                                          xl_child_pid(child_vncviewer), status);
+            xl_report_child_exitstatus(XTL_ERROR, child_vncviewer,
+                                       got, status);
     }
 }
 
@@ -229,7 +229,7 @@ static void autoconnect_vncviewer(uint32_t domid, int autopass)
 {
     vncviewer_child_report();
 
-    pid_t pid = xl_fork(child_vncviewer);
+    pid_t pid = xl_fork(child_vncviewer, "vncviewer child");
     if (pid)
         return;
 
@@ -435,7 +435,7 @@ static int do_daemonize(char *name)
     int nullfd, ret = 0;
     int status = 0;
 
-    child1 = xl_fork(child_waitdaemon);
+    child1 = xl_fork(child_waitdaemon, "domain monitoring daemon");
     if (child1) {
         got_child = xl_waitpid(child_waitdaemon, &status, 0);
         if (got_child != child1) {
@@ -1991,8 +1991,8 @@ static void console_child_report(void)
         if (got < 0)
             perror("xl: warning, failed to waitpid for console child");
         else if (status)
-            libxl_report_child_exitstatus(ctx, XTL_ERROR, "console child",
-                                          xl_child_pid(child_console), status);
+            xl_report_child_exitstatus(XTL_ERROR, child_console,
+                                       got, status);
     }
 }
 
@@ -2005,7 +2005,7 @@ static void autoconnect_console(libxl_ctx *ctx_ignored,
 
     console_child_report();
 
-    pid_t pid = xl_fork(child_console);
+    pid_t pid = xl_fork(child_console, "console child");
     if (pid)
         return;
 
@@ -3525,7 +3525,7 @@ static pid_t create_migration_child(const char *rune, int *send_fd,
     MUST( libxl_pipe(ctx, sendpipe) );
     MUST( libxl_pipe(ctx, recvpipe) );
 
-    child = xl_fork(child_migration);
+    child = xl_fork(child_migration, "migration transport process");
 
     if (!child) {
         dup2(sendpipe[0], 0);
@@ -3586,9 +3586,8 @@ static void migration_child_report(int recv_fd) {
 
         if (child == migration_child) {
             if (status)
-                libxl_report_child_exitstatus(ctx, XTL_INFO,
-                                              "migration target process",
-                                              migration_child, status);
+                xl_report_child_exitstatus(XTL_INFO, child_migration,
+                                           migration_child, status);
             break;
         }
         if (child == -1) {