diff --git a/config.c b/config.c
index e7597831..8114a586 100644
--- a/config.c
+++ b/config.c
@@ -312,7 +312,7 @@ static void config_protocols_handler(union control *ctrl, dlgparam *dlg,
             for (size_t i = n_ui_backends;
                  i < PROTOCOL_LIMIT && backends[i]; i++) {
                 dlg_listbox_addwithid(ctrl, dlg,
-                                      backends[i]->displayname,
+                                      backends[i]->displayname_tc,
                                       backends[i]->protocol);
                 if (backends[i]->protocol == curproto)
                     curentry = i - n_ui_backends;
@@ -1793,7 +1793,7 @@ void setup_config_box(struct controlbox *b, bool midsession,
         for (size_t i = 0; i < n_ui_backends; i++) {
             assert(backends[i]);
             c->radio.buttons[c->radio.nbuttons] =
-                dupstr(backends[i]->displayname);
+                dupstr(backends[i]->displayname_tc);
             c->radio.shortcuts[c->radio.nbuttons] =
                 (backends[i]->protocol == PROT_SSH ? 's' :
                  backends[i]->protocol == PROT_SERIAL ? 'r' :
diff --git a/otherbackends/raw.c b/otherbackends/raw.c
index 491a3df9..d6693244 100644
--- a/otherbackends/raw.c
+++ b/otherbackends/raw.c
@@ -338,7 +338,8 @@ const BackendVtable raw_backend = {
     .unthrottle = raw_unthrottle,
     .cfg_info = raw_cfg_info,
     .id = "raw",
-    .displayname = "Raw",
+    .displayname_tc = "Raw",
+    .displayname_lc = "raw",
     .protocol = PROT_RAW,
     .default_port = 0,
 };
diff --git a/otherbackends/rlogin.c b/otherbackends/rlogin.c
index 9951ce18..44a3f625 100644
--- a/otherbackends/rlogin.c
+++ b/otherbackends/rlogin.c
@@ -445,7 +445,8 @@ const BackendVtable rlogin_backend = {
     .unthrottle = rlogin_unthrottle,
     .cfg_info = rlogin_cfg_info,
     .id = "rlogin",
-    .displayname = "Rlogin",
+    .displayname_tc = "Rlogin",
+    .displayname_lc = "Rlogin", /* proper name, so capitalise it anyway */
     .protocol = PROT_RLOGIN,
     .default_port = 513,
 };
diff --git a/otherbackends/supdup.c b/otherbackends/supdup.c
index f015e054..2ec8e0f9 100644
--- a/otherbackends/supdup.c
+++ b/otherbackends/supdup.c
@@ -936,7 +936,8 @@ const BackendVtable supdup_backend = {
     .unthrottle = supdup_unthrottle,
     .cfg_info = supdup_cfg_info,
     .id = "supdup",
-    .displayname = "SUPDUP",
+    .displayname_tc = "SUPDUP",
+    .displayname_lc = "SUPDUP", /* proper name, so capitalise it anyway */
     .protocol = PROT_SUPDUP,
     .default_port = 0137,
     .flags = BACKEND_RESIZE_FORBIDDEN | BACKEND_NEEDS_TERMINAL,
diff --git a/otherbackends/telnet.c b/otherbackends/telnet.c
index 281c39ac..048bb2d6 100644
--- a/otherbackends/telnet.c
+++ b/otherbackends/telnet.c
@@ -1082,7 +1082,8 @@ const BackendVtable telnet_backend = {
     .unthrottle = telnet_unthrottle,
     .cfg_info = telnet_cfg_info,
     .id = "telnet",
-    .displayname = "Telnet",
+    .displayname_tc = "Telnet",
+    .displayname_lc = "Telnet", /* proper name, so capitalise it anyway */
     .protocol = PROT_TELNET,
     .default_port = 23,
 };
diff --git a/otherbackends/testback.c b/otherbackends/testback.c
index 5f319722..dbe282ec 100644
--- a/otherbackends/testback.c
+++ b/otherbackends/testback.c
@@ -71,7 +71,8 @@ const BackendVtable null_backend = {
     .unthrottle = null_unthrottle,
     .cfg_info = null_cfg_info,
     .id = "null",
-    .displayname = "null",
+    .displayname_tc = "Null",
+    .displayname_lc = "null",
     .protocol = -1,
     .default_port = 0,
 };
@@ -93,7 +94,8 @@ const BackendVtable loop_backend = {
     .unthrottle = null_unthrottle,
     .cfg_info = null_cfg_info,
     .id = "loop",
-    .displayname = "loop",
+    .displayname_tc = "Loop",
+    .displayname_lc = "loop",
     .protocol = -1,
     .default_port = 0,
 };
diff --git a/putty.h b/putty.h
index ff679752..a2136a05 100644
--- a/putty.h
+++ b/putty.h
@@ -681,9 +681,10 @@ struct BackendVtable {
     char *(*close_warn_text)(Backend *be);
 
     /* 'id' is a machine-readable name for the backend, used in
-     * saved-session storage. 'displayname' is a human-readable name
-     * for error messages. */
-    const char *id, *displayname;
+     * saved-session storage. 'displayname_tc' and 'displayname_lc'
+     * are human-readable names, one in title-case for config boxes,
+     * and one in lower-case for use in mid-sentence. */
+    const char *id, *displayname_tc, *displayname_lc;
 
     int protocol;
     int default_port;
diff --git a/ssh/ssh.c b/ssh/ssh.c
index b2d75b09..103f5795 100644
--- a/ssh/ssh.c
+++ b/ssh/ssh.c
@@ -1248,7 +1248,8 @@ const BackendVtable ssh_backend = {
     .test_for_upstream = ssh_test_for_upstream,
     .close_warn_text = ssh_close_warn_text,
     .id = "ssh",
-    .displayname = "SSH",
+    .displayname_tc = "SSH",
+    .displayname_lc = "SSH", /* proper name, so capitalise it anyway */
     .protocol = PROT_SSH,
     .flags = BACKEND_SUPPORTS_NC_HOST | BACKEND_NOTIFIES_SESSION_START,
     .default_port = 22,
@@ -1273,7 +1274,8 @@ const BackendVtable sshconn_backend = {
     .test_for_upstream = ssh_test_for_upstream,
     .close_warn_text = ssh_close_warn_text,
     .id = "ssh-connection",
-    .displayname = "Bare ssh-connection",
+    .displayname_tc = "Bare ssh-connection",
+    .displayname_lc = "bare ssh-connection",
     .protocol = PROT_SSHCONN,
     .flags = BACKEND_SUPPORTS_NC_HOST | BACKEND_NOTIFIES_SESSION_START,
 };
diff --git a/unix/plink.c b/unix/plink.c
index 69667a3d..643fc563 100644
--- a/unix/plink.c
+++ b/unix/plink.c
@@ -835,7 +835,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
     if (backvt->flags & BACKEND_NEEDS_TERMINAL) {
         fprintf(stderr,
                 "Plink doesn't support %s, which needs terminal emulation\n",
-                backvt->displayname);
+                backvt->displayname_lc);
         return 1;
     }
 
@@ -912,7 +912,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
     if (just_test_share_exists) {
         if (!backvt->test_for_upstream) {
             fprintf(stderr, "Connection sharing not supported for this "
-                    "connection type (%s)'\n", backvt->displayname);
+                    "connection type (%s)'\n", backvt->displayname_lc);
             return 1;
         }
         if (backvt->test_for_upstream(conf_get_str(conf, CONF_host),
diff --git a/unix/pty.c b/unix/pty.c
index e74ebd4b..46382c06 100644
--- a/unix/pty.c
+++ b/unix/pty.c
@@ -1597,6 +1597,7 @@ const BackendVtable pty_backend = {
     .unthrottle = pty_unthrottle,
     .cfg_info = pty_cfg_info,
     .id = "pty",
-    .displayname = "pty",
+    .displayname_tc = "pty",
+    .displayname_lc = "pty",
     .protocol = -1,
 };
diff --git a/unix/serial.c b/unix/serial.c
index 905c1b2d..6c8f9b9e 100644
--- a/unix/serial.c
+++ b/unix/serial.c
@@ -583,7 +583,8 @@ const BackendVtable serial_backend = {
     .unthrottle = serial_unthrottle,
     .cfg_info = serial_cfg_info,
     .id = "serial",
-    .displayname = "Serial",
+    .displayname_tc = "Serial",
+    .displayname_lc = "serial",
     .protocol = PROT_SERIAL,
     .serial_parity_mask = ((1 << SER_PAR_NONE) |
                            (1 << SER_PAR_ODD) |
diff --git a/windows/conpty.c b/windows/conpty.c
index 322af7bf..83cb9635 100644
--- a/windows/conpty.c
+++ b/windows/conpty.c
@@ -385,6 +385,7 @@ const BackendVtable conpty_backend = {
     .unthrottle = conpty_unthrottle,
     .cfg_info = conpty_cfg_info,
     .id = "conpty",
-    .displayname = "ConPTY",
+    .displayname_tc = "ConPTY",
+    .displayname_lc = "ConPTY", /* proper name, so capitalise it anyway */
     .protocol = -1,
 };
diff --git a/windows/plink.c b/windows/plink.c
index 503ae30b..b49266d3 100644
--- a/windows/plink.c
+++ b/windows/plink.c
@@ -415,7 +415,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
     if (vt->flags & BACKEND_NEEDS_TERMINAL) {
         fprintf(stderr,
                 "Plink doesn't support %s, which needs terminal emulation\n",
-                vt->displayname);
+                vt->displayname_lc);
         return 1;
     }
 
@@ -441,7 +441,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
     if (just_test_share_exists) {
         if (!vt->test_for_upstream) {
             fprintf(stderr, "Connection sharing not supported for this "
-                    "connection type (%s)'\n", vt->displayname);
+                    "connection type (%s)'\n", vt->displayname_lc);
             return 1;
         }
         if (vt->test_for_upstream(conf_get_str(conf, CONF_host),
diff --git a/windows/serial.c b/windows/serial.c
index d966145c..82146a40 100644
--- a/windows/serial.c
+++ b/windows/serial.c
@@ -452,7 +452,8 @@ const BackendVtable serial_backend = {
     .unthrottle = serial_unthrottle,
     .cfg_info = serial_cfg_info,
     .id = "serial",
-    .displayname = "Serial",
+    .displayname_tc = "Serial",
+    .displayname_lc = "serial",
     .protocol = PROT_SERIAL,
     .serial_parity_mask = ((1 << SER_PAR_NONE) |
                            (1 << SER_PAR_ODD) |