diff --git a/strbuf.c b/strbuf.c
index c7cd529b3b..05d0693eba 100644
--- a/strbuf.c
+++ b/strbuf.c
@@ -106,7 +106,8 @@ void strbuf_ltrim(struct strbuf *sb)
 	sb->buf[sb->len] = '\0';
 }
 
-struct strbuf **strbuf_split_buf(const char *str, size_t slen, int delim, int max)
+struct strbuf **strbuf_split_buf(const char *str, size_t slen,
+				 int terminator, int max)
 {
 	struct strbuf **ret = NULL;
 	size_t nr = 0, alloc = 0;
@@ -115,7 +116,7 @@ struct strbuf **strbuf_split_buf(const char *str, size_t slen, int delim, int ma
 	while (slen) {
 		int len = slen;
 		if (max <= 0 || nr + 1 < max) {
-			const char *end = memchr(str, delim, slen);
+			const char *end = memchr(str, terminator, slen);
 			if (end)
 				len = end - str + 1;
 		}
diff --git a/strbuf.h b/strbuf.h
index be941ee481..c896a47bfd 100644
--- a/strbuf.h
+++ b/strbuf.h
@@ -45,20 +45,21 @@ extern void strbuf_ltrim(struct strbuf *);
 extern int strbuf_cmp(const struct strbuf *, const struct strbuf *);
 
 extern struct strbuf **strbuf_split_buf(const char *, size_t,
-					int delim, int max);
+					int terminator, int max);
 static inline struct strbuf **strbuf_split_str(const char *str,
-					       int delim, int max)
+					       int terminator, int max)
 {
-	return strbuf_split_buf(str, strlen(str), delim, max);
+	return strbuf_split_buf(str, strlen(str), terminator, max);
 }
 static inline struct strbuf **strbuf_split_max(const struct strbuf *sb,
-						int delim, int max)
+						int terminator, int max)
 {
-	return strbuf_split_buf(sb->buf, sb->len, delim, max);
+	return strbuf_split_buf(sb->buf, sb->len, terminator, max);
 }
-static inline struct strbuf **strbuf_split(const struct strbuf *sb, int delim)
+static inline struct strbuf **strbuf_split(const struct strbuf *sb,
+					   int terminator)
 {
-	return strbuf_split_max(sb, delim, 0);
+	return strbuf_split_max(sb, terminator, 0);
 }
 extern void strbuf_list_free(struct strbuf **);