diff --git a/http/query_params.go b/http/query_params.go
index 7222fec0..5079b220 100644
--- a/http/query_params.go
+++ b/http/query_params.go
@@ -181,9 +181,9 @@ func (qp QueryParams) FreshnessStrict() bool {
 	return qp.HasKey("freshness_strict")
 }
 
-// Commit returns whether the commit flag is set.
-func (qp QueryParams) Commit() bool {
-	return qp.HasKey("commit")
+// Sync returns whether the sync flag is set.
+func (qp QueryParams) Sync() bool {
+	return qp.HasKey("sync")
 }
 
 // Timeout returns the requested timeout duration.
diff --git a/http/query_params_test.go b/http/query_params_test.go
index bfb0bfb7..79e48c16 100644
--- a/http/query_params_test.go
+++ b/http/query_params_test.go
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ func Test_NewQueryParams(t *testing.T) {
 		{"Invalid URL Encoding", "invalid=%ZZ", nil, true},
 		{"freshness_strict", "&freshness=5s&freshness_strict", QueryParams{"freshness_strict": "", "freshness": "5s"}, false},
 		{"freshness_strict requires freshness", "freshness_strict", nil, true},
-		{"commit with timeout", "commit&timeout=2s", QueryParams{"commit": "", "timeout": "2s"}, false},
+		{"sync with timeout", "sync&timeout=2s", QueryParams{"sync": "", "timeout": "2s"}, false},
 	}
 
 	for _, tc := range testCases {
diff --git a/http/service.go b/http/service.go
index fcf81f30..183dc5fc 100644
--- a/http/service.go
+++ b/http/service.go
@@ -1008,10 +1008,10 @@ func (s *Service) handleReadyz(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request, qp QueryP
 	}
 
 	okMsg := "[+]node ok\n[+]leader ok\n[+]store ok"
-	if qp.Commit() {
+	if qp.Sync() {
 		if _, err := s.store.Committed(qp.Timeout(defaultTimeout)); err != nil {
 			w.WriteHeader(http.StatusServiceUnavailable)
-			w.Write([]byte(fmt.Sprintf("[+]node ok\n[+]leader ok\n[+]store ok\n[+]commit %s", err.Error())))
+			w.Write([]byte(fmt.Sprintf("[+]node ok\n[+]leader ok\n[+]store ok\n[+]sync %s", err.Error())))
 			return
 		}
 		okMsg += "\n[+]commit ok"
diff --git a/http/service_test.go b/http/service_test.go
index 2ac7fb5d..302e4a61 100644
--- a/http/service_test.go
+++ b/http/service_test.go
@@ -1065,9 +1065,9 @@ func Test_Readyz(t *testing.T) {
 		cnt.Store(1)
 		return 0, fmt.Errorf("timeout")
 	}
-	resp, err = client.Get(host + "/readyz?commit")
+	resp, err = client.Get(host + "/readyz?sync")
 	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatalf("failed to make readyz request with commit set")
+		t.Fatalf("failed to make readyz request with sync set")
 	}
 	if resp.StatusCode != http.StatusServiceUnavailable {
 		t.Fatalf("failed to get expected StatusServiceUnavailable, got %d", resp.StatusCode)
@@ -1080,9 +1080,9 @@ func Test_Readyz(t *testing.T) {
 		cnt.Store(2)
 		return 0, nil
 	}
-	resp, err = client.Get(host + "/readyz?commit")
+	resp, err = client.Get(host + "/readyz?sync")
 	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatalf("failed to make readyz request with commit set")
+		t.Fatalf("failed to make readyz request with sync set")
 	}
 	if resp.StatusCode != http.StatusOK {
 		t.Fatalf("failed to get expected StatusOK, got %d", resp.StatusCode)
diff --git a/system_test/e2e/helpers.py b/system_test/e2e/helpers.py
index c77fb7dd..d75339c1 100644
--- a/system_test/e2e/helpers.py
+++ b/system_test/e2e/helpers.py
@@ -281,8 +281,8 @@ class Node(object):
     raise_for_status(r)
     return r.json()
 
-  def ready(self, noleader=False, commit=False):
-    r = requests.get(self._ready_url(noleader, commit))
+  def ready(self, noleader=False, sync=False):
+    r = requests.get(self._ready_url(noleader, sync))
     return r.status_code == 200
 
   def expvar(self):
@@ -342,10 +342,10 @@ class Node(object):
       raise Exception('leader is available but node %s at %s reports empty leader addr' % (self.node_id, self.APIAddr()))
     return lr
 
-  def wait_for_ready(self, commit=False, timeout=TIMEOUT):
+  def wait_for_ready(self, sync=False, timeout=TIMEOUT):
     deadline = time.time() + timeout
     while time.time() < deadline:
-      if self.ready(commit):
+      if self.ready(sync):
         return
       time.sleep(0.1)
     raise Exception('rqlite node failed to become ready within %d seconds' % timeout)
@@ -602,13 +602,13 @@ class Node(object):
     return 'http://' + self.APIAddr() + '/status'
   def _nodes_url(self):
     return 'http://' + self.APIAddr() + '/nodes?nonvoters' # Getting all nodes back makes testing easier
-  def _ready_url(self, noleader=False, commit=False):
+  def _ready_url(self, noleader=False, sync=False):
     vals = []
     nl = ""
     if noleader:
       vals = vals + ["noleader"]
-    if commit:
-      vals = vals + ["commit"]
+    if sync:
+      vals = vals + ["sync"]
     nl = '?' + '&'.join(vals)
     return 'http://' + self.APIAddr() + '/readyz' + nl
   def _expvar_url(self):
diff --git a/system_test/e2e/multi_node.py b/system_test/e2e/multi_node.py
index 907ec147..5daa3e0b 100644
--- a/system_test/e2e/multi_node.py
+++ b/system_test/e2e/multi_node.py
@@ -649,7 +649,7 @@ class TestShutdown(unittest.TestCase):
     # Check that we have a working single-node cluster with a leader by doing
     # a write.
     n1.wait_for_ready()
-    n1.wait_for_ready(commit=True)
+    n1.wait_for_ready(sync=True)
     j = n1.execute('CREATE TABLE foo (id INTEGER NOT NULL PRIMARY KEY, name TEXT)')
     self.assertEqual(j, d_("{'results': [{}]}"))
 
diff --git a/system_test/e2e/single_node.py b/system_test/e2e/single_node.py
index 8cf18e15..b77a1df1 100644
--- a/system_test/e2e/single_node.py
+++ b/system_test/e2e/single_node.py
@@ -237,7 +237,7 @@ class TestSingleNodeReadyz(unittest.TestCase):
     self.assertEqual(False, n0.ready())
     self.assertEqual(True, n0.ready(noleader=True))
     self.assertEqual(False, n0.ready(noleader=False))
-    self.assertEqual(False, n0.ready(commit=True))
+    self.assertEqual(False, n0.ready(sync=True))
     deprovision_node(n0)
 
 class TestEndToEndSnapshotRestoreSingle(unittest.TestCase):