diff --git a/app/xdg-app-builtins-repo-update.c b/app/xdg-app-builtins-repo-update.c
index 77a0b942..407c5fb9 100644
--- a/app/xdg-app-builtins-repo-update.c
+++ b/app/xdg-app-builtins-repo-update.c
@@ -68,8 +68,8 @@ xdg_app_builtin_build_update_repo (int argc, char **argv, GCancellable *cancella
       !xdg_app_repo_set_title (repo, opt_title, error))
     return FALSE;
 
-  g_print ("Updating appdata branch\n");
-  if (!xdg_app_repo_generate_appdata (repo, cancellable, &my_error))
+  g_print ("Updating appstream branch\n");
+  if (!xdg_app_repo_generate_appstream (repo, cancellable, &my_error))
     {
       if (g_error_matches (my_error, G_SPAWN_ERROR, G_SPAWN_ERROR_NOENT))
         g_print ("WARNING: Can't find appstream-builder, unable to update appstream branch\n");
diff --git a/app/xdg-app-builtins-update.c b/app/xdg-app-builtins-update.c
index a4e49c4e..01f14cd5 100644
--- a/app/xdg-app-builtins-update.c
+++ b/app/xdg-app-builtins-update.c
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ static gboolean opt_no_pull;
 static gboolean opt_no_deploy;
 static gboolean opt_runtime;
 static gboolean opt_app;
-static gboolean opt_appdata;
+static gboolean opt_appstream;
 
 static GOptionEntry options[] = {
   { "arch", 0, 0, G_OPTION_ARG_STRING, &opt_arch, "Arch to update for", "ARCH" },
@@ -48,15 +48,15 @@ static GOptionEntry options[] = {
   { "no-deploy", 0, 0, G_OPTION_ARG_NONE, &opt_no_deploy, "Don't deploy, only download to local cache", },
   { "runtime", 0, 0, G_OPTION_ARG_NONE, &opt_runtime, "Look for runtime with the specified name", },
   { "app", 0, 0, G_OPTION_ARG_NONE, &opt_app, "Look for app with the specified name", },
-  { "appdata", 0, 0, G_OPTION_ARG_NONE, &opt_appdata, "Update appdata for remote", },
+  { "appstream", 0, 0, G_OPTION_ARG_NONE, &opt_appstream, "Update appstream for remote", },
   { NULL }
 };
 
 static gboolean
-update_appdata (XdgAppDir *dir, const char *remote, GCancellable *cancellable, GError **error)
+update_appstream (XdgAppDir *dir, const char *remote, GCancellable *cancellable, GError **error)
 {
   gboolean changed;
-  if (!xdg_app_dir_update_appdata (dir, remote, opt_arch, &changed,
+  if (!xdg_app_dir_update_appstream (dir, remote, opt_arch, &changed,
                                    NULL, cancellable, error))
     return FALSE;
 
@@ -91,8 +91,8 @@ xdg_app_builtin_update (int argc, char **argv, GCancellable *cancellable, GError
   if (!opt_app && !opt_runtime)
     opt_app = opt_runtime = TRUE;
 
-  if (opt_appdata)
-    return update_appdata (dir, name, cancellable, error);
+  if (opt_appstream)
+    return update_appstream (dir, name, cancellable, error);
 
   ref = xdg_app_dir_find_installed_ref (dir,
                                         name,
diff --git a/common/xdg-app-dir.c b/common/xdg-app-dir.c
index 23b3725e..83f227c3 100644
--- a/common/xdg-app-dir.c
+++ b/common/xdg-app-dir.c
@@ -593,20 +593,20 @@ xdg_app_dir_mark_changed (XdgAppDir *self,
 }
 
 gboolean
-xdg_app_dir_update_appdata (XdgAppDir *self,
-                            const char *remote,
-                            const char *arch,
-                            gboolean *out_changed,
-                            OstreeAsyncProgress *progress,
-                            GCancellable *cancellable,
-                            GError **error)
+xdg_app_dir_update_appstream (XdgAppDir *self,
+                              const char *remote,
+                              const char *arch,
+                              gboolean *out_changed,
+                              OstreeAsyncProgress *progress,
+                              GCancellable *cancellable,
+                              GError **error)
 {
   g_autofree char *branch = NULL;
   g_autofree char *remote_and_branch = NULL;
   g_autofree char *old_checksum = NULL;
   g_autofree char *new_checksum = NULL;
   g_autoptr(GFile) root = NULL;
-  g_autoptr(GFile) appdata_dir = NULL;
+  g_autoptr(GFile) appstream_dir = NULL;
   g_autoptr(GFile) remote_dir = NULL;
   g_autoptr(GFile) arch_dir = NULL;
   g_autoptr(GFile) checkout_dir = NULL;
@@ -624,7 +624,7 @@ xdg_app_dir_update_appdata (XdgAppDir *self,
   if (arch == NULL)
     arch = xdg_app_get_arch ();
 
-  branch = g_strdup_printf ("appdata/%s", arch);
+  branch = g_strdup_printf ("appstream/%s", arch);
   remote_and_branch = g_strdup_printf ("%s:%s", remote, branch);
 
   if (!ostree_repo_resolve_rev (self->repo, remote_and_branch, TRUE, &old_checksum, error))
@@ -637,8 +637,8 @@ xdg_app_dir_update_appdata (XdgAppDir *self,
   if (!ostree_repo_resolve_rev (self->repo, remote_and_branch, TRUE, &new_checksum, error))
     return FALSE;
 
-  appdata_dir = g_file_get_child (xdg_app_dir_get_path (self), "appdata");
-  remote_dir = g_file_get_child (appdata_dir, remote);
+  appstream_dir = g_file_get_child (xdg_app_dir_get_path (self), "appstream");
+  remote_dir = g_file_get_child (appstream_dir, remote);
   arch_dir = g_file_get_child (remote_dir, arch);
   checkout_dir = g_file_get_child (arch_dir, new_checksum);
   old_checkout_dir = g_file_get_child (arch_dir, old_checksum);
@@ -691,7 +691,7 @@ xdg_app_dir_update_appdata (XdgAppDir *self,
 
   if (g_strcmp0 (old_checksum, new_checksum) != 0 &&
       !gs_shutil_rm_rf (old_checkout_dir, cancellable, &tmp_error))
-    g_warning ("Unable to remove old appdata checkout: %s\n", tmp_error->message);
+    g_warning ("Unable to remove old appstream checkout: %s\n", tmp_error->message);
 
   if (out_changed)
     *out_changed = TRUE;
diff --git a/common/xdg-app-dir.h b/common/xdg-app-dir.h
index 9e94cc4d..6c7dec90 100644
--- a/common/xdg-app-dir.h
+++ b/common/xdg-app-dir.h
@@ -130,7 +130,7 @@ gboolean    xdg_app_dir_ensure_repo     (XdgAppDir      *self,
                                          GError        **error);
 gboolean    xdg_app_dir_mark_changed    (XdgAppDir      *self,
                                          GError        **error);
-gboolean    xdg_app_dir_update_appdata  (XdgAppDir      *self,
+gboolean    xdg_app_dir_update_appstream(XdgAppDir      *self,
                                          const char     *remote,
                                          const char     *arch,
                                          gboolean       *out_changed,
diff --git a/common/xdg-app-utils.c b/common/xdg-app-utils.c
index 960e36b4..302e4aea 100644
--- a/common/xdg-app-utils.c
+++ b/common/xdg-app-utils.c
@@ -1379,9 +1379,9 @@ commit_filter (OstreeRepo *repo,
 }
 
 gboolean
-xdg_app_repo_generate_appdata (OstreeRepo    *repo,
-                               GCancellable  *cancellable,
-                               GError       **error)
+xdg_app_repo_generate_appstream (OstreeRepo    *repo,
+                                 GCancellable  *cancellable,
+                                 GError       **error)
 {
   g_autoptr(GHashTable) all_refs = NULL;
   g_autoptr(GHashTable) arches = NULL;
@@ -1422,7 +1422,7 @@ xdg_app_repo_generate_appdata (OstreeRepo    *repo,
   while (g_hash_table_iter_next (&iter, &key, &value))
     {
       const char *arch = key;
-      g_autofree char *tmpdir = g_strdup ("/tmp/xdg-app-appdata-XXXXXX");
+      g_autofree char *tmpdir = g_strdup ("/tmp/xdg-app-appstream-XXXXXX");
       g_autoptr(XdgAppTempDir) tmpdir_file = NULL;
       g_autofree char *repo_path = NULL;
       g_autofree char *repo_arg = NULL;
@@ -1449,7 +1449,7 @@ xdg_app_repo_generate_appdata (OstreeRepo    *repo,
       icon_arg = g_strdup_printf ("--icons-dir=%s/icons", tmpdir);
 
       if (!appstream_builder (error,
-                              "--basename=appdata",
+                              "--basename=appstream",
                               "--origin=xdg-app",
                               "--uncompressed-icons",
                               "--enable-hidpi",
@@ -1463,7 +1463,7 @@ xdg_app_repo_generate_appdata (OstreeRepo    *repo,
       if (!ostree_repo_prepare_transaction (repo, NULL, cancellable, error))
         return FALSE;
 
-      branch = g_strdup_printf ("appdata/%s", arch);
+      branch = g_strdup_printf ("appstream/%s", arch);
 
       if (!ostree_repo_resolve_rev (repo, branch, TRUE, &parent, error))
         return FALSE;
diff --git a/common/xdg-app-utils.h b/common/xdg-app-utils.h
index f7c3ca10..d8bf250e 100644
--- a/common/xdg-app-utils.h
+++ b/common/xdg-app-utils.h
@@ -176,9 +176,9 @@ gboolean xdg_app_repo_set_title (OstreeRepo    *repo,
 gboolean xdg_app_repo_update    (OstreeRepo    *repo,
                                  GCancellable  *cancellable,
                                  GError       **error);
-gboolean xdg_app_repo_generate_appdata (OstreeRepo    *repo,
-                                        GCancellable  *cancellable,
-                                        GError       **error);
+gboolean xdg_app_repo_generate_appstream (OstreeRepo    *repo,
+                                          GCancellable  *cancellable,
+                                          GError       **error);
 
 gboolean            xdg_app_spawn (GFile        *dir,
                                    char        **output,
diff --git a/lib/xdg-app-installation.c b/lib/xdg-app-installation.c
index 38b0c9c1..56eda689 100644
--- a/lib/xdg-app-installation.c
+++ b/lib/xdg-app-installation.c
@@ -1123,20 +1123,20 @@ no_progress_cb (OstreeAsyncProgress *progress, gpointer user_data)
 }
 
 /**
- * xdg_app_installation_update_appdata_sync:
+ * xdg_app_installation_update_appstream_sync:
  * @self: a #XdgAppInstallation
  * @remote_name: the name of the remote
  * @arch: Architecture to update, or %NULL for the local machine arch
- * @out_changed: (nullable): Set to %TRUE if the contents of the appdata changed, %FALSE if nothing changed
+ * @out_changed: (nullable): Set to %TRUE if the contents of the appstream changed, %FALSE if nothing changed
  * @cancellable: (nullable): a #GCancellable
  * @error: return location for a #GError
  *
- * Updates the local copy of appdata for @remote_name for the specified @arch.
+ * Updates the local copy of appstream for @remote_name for the specified @arch.
  *
  * Returns: %TRUE on success, or %FALSE on error
  */
 gboolean
-xdg_app_installation_update_appdata_sync (XdgAppInstallation  *self,
+xdg_app_installation_update_appstream_sync (XdgAppInstallation  *self,
                                           const char          *remote_name,
                                           const char          *arch,
                                           gboolean            *out_changed,
@@ -1151,13 +1151,13 @@ xdg_app_installation_update_appdata_sync (XdgAppInstallation  *self,
   dir_clone = xdg_app_dir_clone (priv->dir);
 
   ostree_progress = ostree_async_progress_new_and_connect (no_progress_cb, NULL);
-  return xdg_app_dir_update_appdata (dir_clone,
-                                     remote_name,
-                                     arch,
-                                     out_changed,
-                                     ostree_progress,
-                                     cancellable,
-                                     error);
+  return xdg_app_dir_update_appstream (dir_clone,
+                                       remote_name,
+                                       arch,
+                                       out_changed,
+                                       ostree_progress,
+                                       cancellable,
+                                       error);
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/lib/xdg-app-installation.h b/lib/xdg-app-installation.h
index c6994fbc..52213c89 100644
--- a/lib/xdg-app-installation.h
+++ b/lib/xdg-app-installation.h
@@ -163,7 +163,7 @@ XDG_APP_EXTERN XdgAppRemoteRef  *xdg_app_installation_fetch_remote_ref_sync
                                                                                   const char          *branch,
                                                                                   GCancellable        *cancellable,
                                                                                   GError             **error);
-XDG_APP_EXTERN gboolean          xdg_app_installation_update_appdata_sync        (XdgAppInstallation  *self,
+XDG_APP_EXTERN gboolean          xdg_app_installation_update_appstream_sync      (XdgAppInstallation  *self,
                                                                                   const char          *remote_name,
                                                                                   const char          *arch,
                                                                                   gboolean            *out_changed,