diff --git a/OpenRA.Editor/Form1.Designer.cs b/OpenRA.Editor/Form1.Designer.cs
index 2f72c51025..97b3a29913 100755
--- a/OpenRA.Editor/Form1.Designer.cs
+++ b/OpenRA.Editor/Form1.Designer.cs
@@ -67,6 +67,7 @@
 			this.statusStrip1 = new System.Windows.Forms.StatusStrip();
 			this.toolStripStatusLabelFiller = new System.Windows.Forms.ToolStripStatusLabel();
 			this.toolStripStatusLabelMousePosition = new System.Windows.Forms.ToolStripStatusLabel();
+			this.showActorNamesToolStripMenuItem = new System.Windows.Forms.ToolStripMenuItem();
 			this.splitContainer1.Panel1.SuspendLayout();
 			this.splitContainer1.Panel2.SuspendLayout();
 			this.splitContainer1.SuspendLayout();
@@ -381,7 +382,8 @@
 			// 
 			this.mapToolStripMenuItem.DropDownItems.AddRange(new System.Windows.Forms.ToolStripItem[] {
             this.propertiesToolStripMenuItem,
-            this.resizeToolStripMenuItem});
+            this.resizeToolStripMenuItem,
+            this.showActorNamesToolStripMenuItem});
 			this.mapToolStripMenuItem.Name = "mapToolStripMenuItem";
 			this.mapToolStripMenuItem.Size = new System.Drawing.Size(43, 23);
 			this.mapToolStripMenuItem.Text = "&Map";
@@ -391,7 +393,7 @@
 			this.propertiesToolStripMenuItem.Enabled = false;
 			this.propertiesToolStripMenuItem.Image = ((System.Drawing.Image)(resources.GetObject("propertiesToolStripMenuItem.Image")));
 			this.propertiesToolStripMenuItem.Name = "propertiesToolStripMenuItem";
-			this.propertiesToolStripMenuItem.Size = new System.Drawing.Size(152, 22);
+			this.propertiesToolStripMenuItem.Size = new System.Drawing.Size(175, 22);
 			this.propertiesToolStripMenuItem.Text = "&Properties...";
 			this.propertiesToolStripMenuItem.Click += new System.EventHandler(this.PropertiesClicked);
 			// 
@@ -400,7 +402,7 @@
 			this.resizeToolStripMenuItem.Enabled = false;
 			this.resizeToolStripMenuItem.Image = ((System.Drawing.Image)(resources.GetObject("resizeToolStripMenuItem.Image")));
 			this.resizeToolStripMenuItem.Name = "resizeToolStripMenuItem";
-			this.resizeToolStripMenuItem.Size = new System.Drawing.Size(152, 22);
+			this.resizeToolStripMenuItem.Size = new System.Drawing.Size(175, 22);
 			this.resizeToolStripMenuItem.Text = "&Resize...";
 			this.resizeToolStripMenuItem.Click += new System.EventHandler(this.ResizeClicked);
 			// 
@@ -442,6 +444,13 @@
 			this.toolStripStatusLabelMousePosition.Size = new System.Drawing.Size(22, 17);
 			this.toolStripStatusLabelMousePosition.Text = "0,0";
 			// 
+			// showActorNamesToolStripMenuItem
+			// 
+			this.showActorNamesToolStripMenuItem.Name = "showActorNamesToolStripMenuItem";
+			this.showActorNamesToolStripMenuItem.Size = new System.Drawing.Size(175, 22);
+			this.showActorNamesToolStripMenuItem.Text = "Show Actor &Names";
+			this.showActorNamesToolStripMenuItem.Click += new System.EventHandler(this.showActorNamesToolStripMenuItem_Click);
+			// 
 			// Form1
 			// 
 			this.AutoScaleDimensions = new System.Drawing.SizeF(6F, 13F);
@@ -521,6 +530,7 @@
 		private System.Windows.Forms.ToolStripMenuItem resizeToolStripMenuItem;
 		private System.Windows.Forms.ToolStripLabel toolStripLabel1;
 		private System.Windows.Forms.ToolStripComboBox toolStripComboBox1;
+		private System.Windows.Forms.ToolStripMenuItem showActorNamesToolStripMenuItem;
 
 	}
 }
diff --git a/OpenRA.Editor/Form1.cs b/OpenRA.Editor/Form1.cs
index 20fb7a349f..67843b2cd9 100755
--- a/OpenRA.Editor/Form1.cs
+++ b/OpenRA.Editor/Form1.cs
@@ -406,6 +406,12 @@ namespace OpenRA.Editor
 
 			if (DialogResult.OK == saveFileDialog.ShowDialog())
 				pmMiniMap.Image.Save(saveFileDialog.FileName);
+		}
+
+		void showActorNamesToolStripMenuItem_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
+		{
+			showActorNamesToolStripMenuItem.Checked ^= true;
+			surface1.ShowActorNames = showActorNamesToolStripMenuItem.Checked;
 		}
 	}
 }
diff --git a/OpenRA.Editor/Surface.cs b/OpenRA.Editor/Surface.cs
index 8176246857..02825aa149 100755
--- a/OpenRA.Editor/Surface.cs
+++ b/OpenRA.Editor/Surface.cs
@@ -34,7 +34,9 @@ namespace OpenRA.Editor
 
 		ITool Tool;
 		
-		public bool IsPanning;
+		public bool IsPanning;
+		public bool ShowActorNames;
+
 		public event Action AfterChange = () => { };
 		public event Action<string> MousePositionChanged = _ => { };
 
@@ -336,12 +338,23 @@ namespace OpenRA.Editor
 				Map.Bounds.Left * TileSet.TileSize * Zoom + Offset.X,
 				Map.Bounds.Top * TileSet.TileSize * Zoom + Offset.Y,
 				Map.Bounds.Width * TileSet.TileSize * Zoom,
-				Map.Bounds.Height * TileSet.TileSize * Zoom);
-
-			foreach (var ar in Map.Actors.Value)
-				if (ActorTemplates.ContainsKey(ar.Value.Type))
-					DrawActor(e.Graphics, ar.Value.Location(), ActorTemplates[ar.Value.Type],
-						GetPaletteForActor(ar.Value));
+				Map.Bounds.Height * TileSet.TileSize * Zoom);
+
+			foreach (var ar in Map.Actors.Value)
+			{
+				if (ActorTemplates.ContainsKey(ar.Value.Type))
+					DrawActor(e.Graphics, ar.Value.Location(), ActorTemplates[ar.Value.Type],
+						GetPaletteForActor(ar.Value));
+			}
+
+			if (ShowActorNames)
+				foreach (var ar in Map.Actors.Value)
+					if (!ar.Key.StartsWith("Actor"))	// if it has a custom name
+						e.Graphics.DrawStringContrast(Font, ar.Key,
+							(int)(ar.Value.Location().X * TileSet.TileSize * Zoom + Offset.X),
+							(int)(ar.Value.Location().Y * TileSet.TileSize * Zoom + Offset.Y),
+							Brushes.White,
+							Brushes.Black);
 
 			if (Tool != null)
 				Tool.Preview(this, e.Graphics);
@@ -360,6 +373,16 @@ namespace OpenRA.Editor
 		public static int2 Location(this ActorReference ar)
 		{
 			return ar.InitDict.Get<LocationInit>().value;
+		}
+
+		public static void DrawStringContrast(this SGraphics g, Font f, string s, int x, int y, Brush fg, Brush bg)
+		{
+			g.DrawString(s, f, bg, x - 1, y - 1);
+			g.DrawString(s, f, bg, x + 1, y - 1);
+			g.DrawString(s, f, bg, x - 1, y + 1);
+			g.DrawString(s, f, bg, x + 1, y + 1);
+
+			g.DrawString(s, f, fg, x, y);
 		}
 	}
 }
\ No newline at end of file