diff --git a/compiler/rustc_interface/src/util.rs b/compiler/rustc_interface/src/util.rs
index 0d50200133c..23bd2dac57e 100644
--- a/compiler/rustc_interface/src/util.rs
+++ b/compiler/rustc_interface/src/util.rs
@@ -101,10 +101,11 @@ pub(crate) fn run_in_thread_pool_with_globals<F: FnOnce() -> R + Send, R: Send>(
     threads: usize,
     f: F,
 ) -> R {
-    use rustc_data_structures::{jobserver, sync::FromDyn};
+    use rustc_data_structures::{defer, jobserver, sync::FromDyn};
     use rustc_middle::ty::tls;
     use rustc_query_impl::QueryCtxt;
-    use rustc_query_system::query::{deadlock, QueryContext};
+    use rustc_query_system::query::{break_query_cycles, QueryContext};
+    use std::process;
 
     let registry = sync::Registry::new(std::num::NonZero::new(threads).unwrap());
 
@@ -128,7 +129,19 @@ pub(crate) fn run_in_thread_pool_with_globals<F: FnOnce() -> R + Send, R: Send>(
             let query_map =
                 FromDyn::from(tls::with(|tcx| QueryCtxt::new(tcx).collect_active_jobs()));
             let registry = rayon_core::Registry::current();
-            thread::spawn(move || deadlock(query_map.into_inner(), &registry));
+            thread::Builder::new()
+                .name("rustc query cycle handler".to_string())
+                .spawn(move || {
+                    let on_panic = defer(|| {
+                        eprintln!("query cycle handler thread panicked, aborting process");
+                        // We need to abort here as we failed to resolve the deadlock,
+                        // otherwise the compiler could just hang,
+                        process::abort();
+                    });
+                    break_query_cycles(query_map.into_inner(), &registry);
+                    on_panic.disable();
+                })
+                .unwrap();
         });
     if let Some(size) = get_stack_size() {
         builder = builder.stack_size(size);
diff --git a/compiler/rustc_query_system/src/query/job.rs b/compiler/rustc_query_system/src/query/job.rs
index 1a54a229357..248a741af90 100644
--- a/compiler/rustc_query_system/src/query/job.rs
+++ b/compiler/rustc_query_system/src/query/job.rs
@@ -17,10 +17,9 @@
 use {
     parking_lot::{Condvar, Mutex},
     rustc_data_structures::fx::FxHashSet,
-    rustc_data_structures::{defer, jobserver},
+    rustc_data_structures::jobserver,
     rustc_span::DUMMY_SP,
     std::iter,
-    std::process,
     std::sync::Arc,
 };
 
@@ -514,12 +513,7 @@ fn remove_cycle(
 /// There may be multiple cycles involved in a deadlock, so this searches
 /// all active queries for cycles before finally resuming all the waiters at once.
 #[cfg(parallel_compiler)]
-pub fn deadlock(query_map: QueryMap, registry: &rayon_core::Registry) {
-    let on_panic = defer(|| {
-        eprintln!("deadlock handler panicked, aborting process");
-        process::abort();
-    });
-
+pub fn break_query_cycles(query_map: QueryMap, registry: &rayon_core::Registry) {
     let mut wakelist = Vec::new();
     let mut jobs: Vec<QueryJobId> = query_map.keys().cloned().collect();
 
@@ -539,19 +533,17 @@ pub fn deadlock(query_map: QueryMap, registry: &rayon_core::Registry) {
     // X to Y due to Rayon waiting and a true dependency from Y to X. The algorithm here
     // only considers the true dependency and won't detect a cycle.
     if !found_cycle {
-        if query_map.len() == 0 {
-            panic!("deadlock detected without any query!")
-        } else {
-            panic!("deadlock detected! current query map:\n{:#?}", query_map);
-        }
+        panic!(
+            "deadlock detected as we're unable to find a query cycle to break\n\
+            current query map:\n{:#?}",
+            query_map
+        );
     }
 
     // FIXME: Ensure this won't cause a deadlock before we return
     for waiter in wakelist.into_iter() {
         waiter.notify(registry);
     }
-
-    on_panic.disable();
 }
 
 #[inline(never)]
diff --git a/compiler/rustc_query_system/src/query/mod.rs b/compiler/rustc_query_system/src/query/mod.rs
index 0aefe553a34..01b9d458f1e 100644
--- a/compiler/rustc_query_system/src/query/mod.rs
+++ b/compiler/rustc_query_system/src/query/mod.rs
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 
 mod job;
 #[cfg(parallel_compiler)]
-pub use self::job::deadlock;
+pub use self::job::break_query_cycles;
 pub use self::job::{
     print_query_stack, report_cycle, QueryInfo, QueryJob, QueryJobId, QueryJobInfo, QueryMap,
 };