Index: generic/tclIORChan.c
===================================================================
RCS file: /cvsroot/tcl/tcl/generic/tclIORChan.c,v
retrieving revision 1.40
diff -u -r1.40 tclIORChan.c
--- generic/tclIORChan.c	6 Aug 2009 22:28:11 -0000	1.40
+++ generic/tclIORChan.c	23 Sep 2009 05:41:09 -0000
@@ -735,7 +735,7 @@
      * Return handle as result of command.
      */
 
-    Tcl_SetObjResult(interp, rcId);
+    Tcl_SetResult(interp, chanPtr->state->channelName, TCL_VOLATILE);
     return TCL_OK;
 
   error:
Index: generic/tclIO.c
===================================================================
RCS file: /cvsroot/tcl/tcl/generic/tclIO.c,v
retrieving revision 1.161
diff -u -r1.161 tclIO.c
--- generic/tclIO.c	7 Sep 2009 07:28:38 -0000	1.161
+++ generic/tclIO.c	23 Sep 2009 05:41:05 -0000
@@ -1336,6 +1336,7 @@
     ChannelState *statePtr;	/* The stack-level independent state info for
 				 * the channel. */
     const char *name;
+    char *tmp;
     ThreadSpecificData *tsdPtr = TCL_TSD_INIT(&dataKey);
 
     /*
@@ -1368,14 +1369,16 @@
      */
 
     if (chanName != NULL) {
-	char *tmp = ckalloc((unsigned) (strlen(chanName) + 1));
+	unsigned len = strlen(chanName) + 1;
+	/* make sure we allocate at least 7 bytes, so it fits for "stdout" later */
+	tmp = ckalloc((len < 7) ? 7 : len);
 
-	statePtr->channelName = tmp;
 	strcpy(tmp, chanName);
     } else {
-	Tcl_Panic("Tcl_CreateChannel: NULL channel name");
+	tmp = ckalloc(7);
+	tmp[0] = '\0';
     }
-
+    statePtr->channelName = tmp;
     statePtr->flags = mask;
 
     /*
@@ -1477,14 +1480,17 @@
      */
 
     if ((tsdPtr->stdinChannel == NULL) && (tsdPtr->stdinInitialized == 1)) {
+	strcpy(tmp, "stdin");
 	Tcl_SetStdChannel((Tcl_Channel) chanPtr, TCL_STDIN);
 	Tcl_RegisterChannel(NULL, (Tcl_Channel) chanPtr);
     } else if ((tsdPtr->stdoutChannel == NULL) &&
 	    (tsdPtr->stdoutInitialized == 1)) {
+	strcpy(tmp, "stdout");
 	Tcl_SetStdChannel((Tcl_Channel) chanPtr, TCL_STDOUT);
 	Tcl_RegisterChannel(NULL, (Tcl_Channel) chanPtr);
     } else if ((tsdPtr->stderrChannel == NULL) &&
 	    (tsdPtr->stderrInitialized == 1)) {
+	strcpy(tmp, "stderr");
 	Tcl_SetStdChannel((Tcl_Channel) chanPtr, TCL_STDERR);
 	Tcl_RegisterChannel(NULL, (Tcl_Channel) chanPtr);
     }
Index: doc/CrtChannel.3
===================================================================
RCS file: /cvsroot/tcl/tcl/doc/CrtChannel.3,v
retrieving revision 1.43
diff -u -r1.43 CrtChannel.3
--- doc/CrtChannel.3	17 Oct 2008 10:22:25 -0000	1.43
+++ doc/CrtChannel.3	23 Sep 2009 05:40:30 -0000
@@ -127,7 +127,9 @@
 .AP "const char" *channelName in
 The name of this channel, such as \fBfile3\fR; must not be in use
 by any other channel. Can be NULL, in which case the channel is
-created without a name.
+created without a name. If the created channel is assigned to one
+of the standard channels (stdin, stdout or stderr), the assigned
+channel name will be the name of the standard channel.
 .AP ClientData instanceData in
 Arbitrary one-word value to be associated with this channel.  This
 value is passed to procedures in \fItypePtr\fR when they are invoked.
