diff --git a/node/src/main/kotlin/net/corda/node/services/config/NodeConfiguration.kt b/node/src/main/kotlin/net/corda/node/services/config/NodeConfiguration.kt
index d5c93dafbb..2fcba96f70 100644
--- a/node/src/main/kotlin/net/corda/node/services/config/NodeConfiguration.kt
+++ b/node/src/main/kotlin/net/corda/node/services/config/NodeConfiguration.kt
@@ -36,6 +36,10 @@ interface NodeConfiguration : NodeSSLConfiguration {
     val notary: NotaryConfig?
     val activeMQServer: ActiveMqServerConfiguration
     val additionalNodeInfoPollingFrequencyMsec: Long
+
+    companion object {
+        val disableCheckpointCheckerFlag = "disableCheckpointChecker"
+    }
 }
 
 fun NodeConfiguration.isDevModeOptionsFlagSet(flag: String):Boolean{
diff --git a/node/src/main/kotlin/net/corda/node/services/statemachine/StateMachineManagerImpl.kt b/node/src/main/kotlin/net/corda/node/services/statemachine/StateMachineManagerImpl.kt
index be4f991313..ed559f3411 100644
--- a/node/src/main/kotlin/net/corda/node/services/statemachine/StateMachineManagerImpl.kt
+++ b/node/src/main/kotlin/net/corda/node/services/statemachine/StateMachineManagerImpl.kt
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ import net.corda.node.internal.InitiatedFlowFactory
 import net.corda.node.services.api.Checkpoint
 import net.corda.node.services.api.CheckpointStorage
 import net.corda.node.services.api.ServiceHubInternal
+import net.corda.node.services.config.NodeConfiguration
 import net.corda.node.services.config.isDevModeOptionsFlagSet
 import net.corda.node.services.messaging.ReceivedMessage
 import net.corda.node.services.messaging.TopicSession
@@ -89,7 +90,9 @@ class StateMachineManagerImpl(
     private val scheduler = FiberScheduler()
     private val mutex = ThreadBox(InnerState())
     // This thread (only enabled in dev mode) deserialises checkpoints in the background to shake out bugs in checkpoint restore.
-    private val checkpointCheckerThread = if (serviceHub.configuration.devMode && !serviceHub.configuration.isDevModeOptionsFlagSet("disableCheckpointChecking")) newNamedSingleThreadExecutor("CheckpointChecker") else null
+    private val checkpointCheckerThread = if (serviceHub.configuration.devMode
+            && !serviceHub.configuration.isDevModeOptionsFlagSet(NodeConfiguration.disableCheckpointCheckerFlag))
+        newNamedSingleThreadExecutor("CheckpointChecker") else null
 
     @Volatile private var unrestorableCheckpoints = false
 
diff --git a/node/src/main/kotlin/net/corda/node/utilities/NamedThreadFactory.kt b/node/src/main/kotlin/net/corda/node/utilities/NamedThreadFactory.kt
index bd93f57470..c7fd6c0186 100644
--- a/node/src/main/kotlin/net/corda/node/utilities/NamedThreadFactory.kt
+++ b/node/src/main/kotlin/net/corda/node/utilities/NamedThreadFactory.kt
@@ -5,15 +5,25 @@ import java.util.concurrent.Executors
 import java.util.concurrent.ThreadFactory
 import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicInteger
 
+
+/**
+ * Utility class that allows to give threads arbitrary name prefixes when they are created
+ * via an executor. It will use an underlying thread factory to create the actual thread
+ * and then override the thread name with the prefix and an ever increasing number
+ */
 class NamedThreadFactory(private val name:String, private val underlyingFactory: ThreadFactory) : ThreadFactory{
     val threadNumber = AtomicInteger(1)
-    override fun newThread(r: Runnable?): Thread {
-        val t = underlyingFactory.newThread(r)
-        t.name = name + "-" + threadNumber.getAndIncrement()
-        return t
+    override fun newThread(runnable: Runnable?): Thread {
+        val thread = underlyingFactory.newThread(runnable)
+        thread.name = name + "-" + threadNumber.getAndIncrement()
+        return thread
     }
 }
 
+/**
+ * Create a single thread executor with a NamedThreadFactory based on the default thread factory
+ * defined in java.util.concurrent.Executors
+ */
 fun newNamedSingleThreadExecutor(name: String): ExecutorService {
     return Executors.newSingleThreadExecutor(NamedThreadFactory(name, Executors.defaultThreadFactory()))
 }