diff --git a/src/util/u_process.c b/src/util/u_process.c
index a05fa57e95f..2d3f77242ea 100644
--- a/src/util/u_process.c
+++ b/src/util/u_process.c
@@ -32,8 +32,6 @@
 #include <errno.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
 
-#undef GET_PROGRAM_NAME
-
 #if DETECT_OS_WINDOWS
 #include <windows.h>
 #else
@@ -49,21 +47,17 @@
 #include <sys/sysctl.h>
 #endif
 
+#include "util/u_call_once.h"
+
+#undef GET_PROGRAM_NAME_NOT_AVAILABLE
+
 #if defined(__linux__) && defined(HAVE_PROGRAM_INVOCATION_NAME)
-
-static char *path = NULL;
-
-static void __freeProgramPath()
-{
-   free(path);
-   path = NULL;
-}
-
-static const char *
+static char *
 __getProgramName()
 {
    char * arg = strrchr(program_invocation_name, '/');
    if (arg) {
+      char *program_name = NULL;
       /* If the / character was found this is likely a linux path or
        * an invocation path for a 64-bit wine program.
        *
@@ -71,20 +65,22 @@ __getProgramName()
        * Strip these arguments out by using the realpath only if it was
        * a prefix of the invocation name.
        */
-      if (!path) {
-         path = realpath("/proc/self/exe", NULL);
-         atexit(__freeProgramPath);
-      }
+      char *path = realpath("/proc/self/exe", NULL);
 
       if (path && strncmp(path, program_invocation_name, strlen(path)) == 0) {
          /* This shouldn't be null because path is a a prefix,
           * but check it anyway since path is static. */
          char * name = strrchr(path, '/');
          if (name)
-            return name + 1;
+            program_name = strdup(name + 1);
       }
-
-      return arg+1;
+      if (path) {
+         free(path);
+      }
+      if (!program_name) {
+         program_name = strdup(arg+1);
+      }
+      return program_name;
    }
 
    /* If there was no '/' at all we likely have a windows like path from
@@ -92,109 +88,137 @@ __getProgramName()
     */
    arg = strrchr(program_invocation_name, '\\');
    if (arg)
-      return arg+1;
+      return strdup(arg+1);
 
-   return program_invocation_name;
+   return strdup(program_invocation_name);
 }
-#    define GET_PROGRAM_NAME() __getProgramName()
 #elif defined(HAVE_PROGRAM_INVOCATION_NAME)
-#    define GET_PROGRAM_NAME() program_invocation_short_name
-#elif defined(__FreeBSD__) || defined(__DragonFly__) || defined(__APPLE__) || defined(ANDROID)
-#    define GET_PROGRAM_NAME() getprogname()
-#elif defined(__NetBSD__)
+static char *
+__getProgramName()
+{
+   return strdup(program_invocation_short_name);
+}
+#elif defined(__FreeBSD__) || defined(__DragonFly__) || defined(__APPLE__) || defined(ANDROID) || defined(__NetBSD__)
+#if defined(__NetBSD__)
 #    include <sys/param.h>
-#    if defined(__NetBSD_Version__) && (__NetBSD_Version__ >= 106000100)
-#        define GET_PROGRAM_NAME() getprogname()
-#    endif
+#endif
+#if defined(__NetBSD_Version__) && (__NetBSD_Version__ < 106000100)
+#define GET_PROGRAM_NAME_NOT_AVAILABLE
+#else /* !(defined(__NetBSD_Version__) && (__NetBSD_Version__ < 106000100)) */
+static char *
+__getProgramName()
+{
+   const char *program_name = getprogname();
+   if (program_name) {
+      return strdup(program_name);
+   }
+   return NULL;
+}
+#endif /* defined(__NetBSD_Version__) && (__NetBSD_Version__ < 106000100) */
 #elif defined(__sun)
 /* Solaris has getexecname() which returns the full path - return just
    the basename to match BSD getprogname() */
 #    include <libgen.h>
 
-static const char *
+static char *
 __getProgramName()
 {
-    static const char *progname;
-
-    if (progname == NULL) {
-        const char *e = getexecname();
-        if (e != NULL) {
-            /* Have to make a copy since getexecname can return a readonly
-               string, but basename expects to be able to modify its arg. */
-            char *n = strdup(e);
-            if (n != NULL) {
-                progname = basename(n);
-            }
-        }
-    }
-    return progname;
-}
-
-#    define GET_PROGRAM_NAME() __getProgramName()
-#elif DETECT_OS_WINDOWS
-static const char *
-__getProgramName()
-{
-   static const char *progname;
-   if (progname == NULL) {
-      static char buf[MAX_PATH];
-      GetModuleFileNameA(NULL, buf, sizeof(buf));
-      progname = strrchr(buf, '\\');
-      if (progname)
-         progname++;
-      else
-         progname = buf;
+   char *progname = NULL;
+   const char *e = getexecname();
+   if (e != NULL) {
+      /* Have to make a copy since getexecname can return a readonly
+         string, but basename expects to be able to modify its arg. */
+      char *n = strdup(e);
+      if (n != NULL) {
+         progname = strdup(basename(n));
+         free(n);
+      }
    }
    return progname;
 }
-#        define GET_PROGRAM_NAME() __getProgramName()
+#elif DETECT_OS_WINDOWS
+static char *
+__getProgramName()
+{
+   char *progname;
+   static char buf[MAX_PATH];
+   GetModuleFileNameA(NULL, buf, sizeof(buf));
+   progname = strrchr(buf, '\\');
+   if (progname)
+      progname++;
+   else
+      progname = buf;
+   return strdup(progname);
+}
 #elif defined(__HAIKU__)
 #    include <libgen.h>
 extern char **__libc_argv;
 extern int __libc_argc;
 
-static const char *
+static char *
 __getProgramName()
 {
-    static const char *progname;
-
-    if (progname == NULL) {
-        char *n = strdup(__libc_argv[0]);
-        if (n != NULL) {
-            progname = basename(n);
-        }
-    }
-    return progname;
+   char *progname = NULL;
+   char *n = strdup(__libc_argv[0]);
+   if (n != NULL) {
+      progname = strdup(basename(n));
+      free(n);
+   }
+   return progname;
 }
-#    define GET_PROGRAM_NAME() __getProgramName()
+#else
+#define GET_PROGRAM_NAME_NOT_AVAILABLE
 #endif
 
-#if !defined(GET_PROGRAM_NAME)
-#    if defined(__OpenBSD__) || defined(__NetBSD__) || defined(__UCLIBC__) || defined(ANDROID)
+#if defined(GET_PROGRAM_NAME_NOT_AVAILABLE)
+#if defined(__OpenBSD__) || defined(__NetBSD__) || defined(__UCLIBC__) || defined(ANDROID)
 /* This is a hack. It's said to work on OpenBSD, NetBSD and GNU.
  * Rogelio M.Serrano Jr. reported it's also working with UCLIBC. It's
  * used as a last resort, if there is no documented facility available. */
-static const char *
+static char *
 __getProgramName()
 {
     extern const char *__progname;
     char * arg = strrchr(__progname, '/');
     if (arg)
-        return arg+1;
+        return strdup(arg+1);
     else
-        return __progname;
+        return strdup(__progname);
+}
+#else
+#pragma message ( "Warning: Per application configuration won't work with your OS version." )
+static char *
+__getProgramName()
+{
+   return strdup("");
 }
-#        define GET_PROGRAM_NAME() __getProgramName()
-#    else
-#        define GET_PROGRAM_NAME() ""
-#        pragma message ( "Warning: Per application configuration won't work with your OS version." )
-#    endif
 #endif
+#endif /* GET_PROGRAM_NAME_NOT_AVAILABLE */
+
+static char *program_name;
+
+static void
+free_program_name(void)
+{
+   free(program_name);
+   program_name = NULL;
+}
+
+static void
+util_get_process_name_callback(void)
+{
+   program_name = __getProgramName();
+   if (program_name) {
+      atexit(free_program_name);
+   }
+}
 
 const char *
 util_get_process_name(void)
 {
-   return GET_PROGRAM_NAME();
+   static util_once_flag once_state = UTIL_ONCE_FLAG_INIT;
+   util_call_once(&once_state, util_get_process_name_callback);
+   return program_name;
 }
 
 size_t