diff --git a/include/block/block.h b/include/block/block.h
index 18cd336911..d27e616d29 100644
--- a/include/block/block.h
+++ b/include/block/block.h
@@ -493,8 +493,8 @@ int bdrv_co_ioctl(BlockDriverState *bs, int req, void *buf);
 /* Invalidate any cached metadata used by image formats */
 int generated_co_wrapper bdrv_invalidate_cache(BlockDriverState *bs,
                                                Error **errp);
-void bdrv_invalidate_cache_all(Error **errp);
 int bdrv_activate(BlockDriverState *bs, Error **errp);
+void bdrv_activate_all(Error **errp);
 int bdrv_inactivate_all(void);
 
 /* Ensure contents are flushed to disk.  */
diff --git a/include/sysemu/block-backend.h b/include/sysemu/block-backend.h
index e5e1524f06..6c5104cd4a 100644
--- a/include/sysemu/block-backend.h
+++ b/include/sysemu/block-backend.h
@@ -206,7 +206,7 @@ bool blk_is_writable(BlockBackend *blk);
 bool blk_is_sg(BlockBackend *blk);
 bool blk_enable_write_cache(BlockBackend *blk);
 void blk_set_enable_write_cache(BlockBackend *blk, bool wce);
-void blk_invalidate_cache(BlockBackend *blk, Error **errp);
+void blk_activate(BlockBackend *blk, Error **errp);
 bool blk_is_inserted(BlockBackend *blk);
 bool blk_is_available(BlockBackend *blk);
 void blk_lock_medium(BlockBackend *blk, bool locked);
diff --git a/block.c b/block.c
index 7746727a47..5e65f134f8 100644
--- a/block.c
+++ b/block.c
@@ -6473,7 +6473,7 @@ int coroutine_fn bdrv_co_invalidate_cache(BlockDriverState *bs, Error **errp)
     return 0;
 }
 
-void bdrv_invalidate_cache_all(Error **errp)
+void bdrv_activate_all(Error **errp)
 {
     BlockDriverState *bs;
     BdrvNextIterator it;
diff --git a/block/block-backend.c b/block/block-backend.c
index c516113a36..98bfcd5cf2 100644
--- a/block/block-backend.c
+++ b/block/block-backend.c
@@ -1880,7 +1880,7 @@ void blk_set_enable_write_cache(BlockBackend *blk, bool wce)
     blk->enable_write_cache = wce;
 }
 
-void blk_invalidate_cache(BlockBackend *blk, Error **errp)
+void blk_activate(BlockBackend *blk, Error **errp)
 {
     BlockDriverState *bs = blk_bs(blk);
 
diff --git a/hw/block/pflash_cfi01.c b/hw/block/pflash_cfi01.c
index 81f9f971d8..74c7190302 100644
--- a/hw/block/pflash_cfi01.c
+++ b/hw/block/pflash_cfi01.c
@@ -1023,7 +1023,7 @@ static void postload_update_cb(void *opaque, bool running, RunState state)
 {
     PFlashCFI01 *pfl = opaque;
 
-    /* This is called after bdrv_invalidate_cache_all.  */
+    /* This is called after bdrv_activate_all.  */
     qemu_del_vm_change_state_handler(pfl->vmstate);
     pfl->vmstate = NULL;
 
diff --git a/hw/nvram/spapr_nvram.c b/hw/nvram/spapr_nvram.c
index fbfdf47e26..18b43be7f6 100644
--- a/hw/nvram/spapr_nvram.c
+++ b/hw/nvram/spapr_nvram.c
@@ -219,7 +219,7 @@ static void postload_update_cb(void *opaque, bool running, RunState state)
 {
     SpaprNvram *nvram = opaque;
 
-    /* This is called after bdrv_invalidate_cache_all.  */
+    /* This is called after bdrv_activate_all.  */
 
     qemu_del_vm_change_state_handler(nvram->vmstate);
     nvram->vmstate = NULL;
diff --git a/migration/block.c b/migration/block.c
index a950977855..077a413325 100644
--- a/migration/block.c
+++ b/migration/block.c
@@ -932,7 +932,7 @@ static int block_load(QEMUFile *f, void *opaque, int version_id)
                     return -EINVAL;
                 }
 
-                blk_invalidate_cache(blk, &local_err);
+                blk_activate(blk, &local_err);
                 if (local_err) {
                     error_report_err(local_err);
                     return -EINVAL;
diff --git a/migration/migration.c b/migration/migration.c
index 9cc344514b..695f0f2900 100644
--- a/migration/migration.c
+++ b/migration/migration.c
@@ -503,9 +503,9 @@ static void process_incoming_migration_bh(void *opaque)
     if (!migrate_late_block_activate() ||
          (autostart && (!global_state_received() ||
             global_state_get_runstate() == RUN_STATE_RUNNING))) {
-        /* Make sure all file formats flush their mutable metadata.
+        /* Make sure all file formats throw away their mutable metadata.
          * If we get an error here, just don't restart the VM yet. */
-        bdrv_invalidate_cache_all(&local_err);
+        bdrv_activate_all(&local_err);
         if (local_err) {
             error_report_err(local_err);
             local_err = NULL;
@@ -591,8 +591,8 @@ static void process_incoming_migration_co(void *opaque)
 
     /* we get COLO info, and know if we are in COLO mode */
     if (!ret && migration_incoming_colo_enabled()) {
-        /* Make sure all file formats flush their mutable metadata */
-        bdrv_invalidate_cache_all(&local_err);
+        /* Make sure all file formats throw away their mutable metadata */
+        bdrv_activate_all(&local_err);
         if (local_err) {
             error_report_err(local_err);
             goto fail;
@@ -1932,7 +1932,7 @@ static void migrate_fd_cancel(MigrationState *s)
     if (s->state == MIGRATION_STATUS_CANCELLING && s->block_inactive) {
         Error *local_err = NULL;
 
-        bdrv_invalidate_cache_all(&local_err);
+        bdrv_activate_all(&local_err);
         if (local_err) {
             error_report_err(local_err);
         } else {
@@ -3111,7 +3111,7 @@ fail:
          */
         Error *local_err = NULL;
 
-        bdrv_invalidate_cache_all(&local_err);
+        bdrv_activate_all(&local_err);
         if (local_err) {
             error_report_err(local_err);
         }
@@ -3256,7 +3256,7 @@ fail_invalidate:
         Error *local_err = NULL;
 
         qemu_mutex_lock_iothread();
-        bdrv_invalidate_cache_all(&local_err);
+        bdrv_activate_all(&local_err);
         if (local_err) {
             error_report_err(local_err);
         } else {
diff --git a/migration/savevm.c b/migration/savevm.c
index 967ff80547..6b79f9673a 100644
--- a/migration/savevm.c
+++ b/migration/savevm.c
@@ -1438,7 +1438,7 @@ int qemu_savevm_state_complete_precopy_non_iterable(QEMUFile *f,
 
     if (inactivate_disks) {
         /* Inactivate before sending QEMU_VM_EOF so that the
-         * bdrv_invalidate_cache_all() on the other end won't fail. */
+         * bdrv_activate_all() on the other end won't fail. */
         ret = bdrv_inactivate_all();
         if (ret) {
             error_report("%s: bdrv_inactivate_all() failed (%d)",
@@ -2013,9 +2013,9 @@ static void loadvm_postcopy_handle_run_bh(void *opaque)
 
     trace_loadvm_postcopy_handle_run_bh("after announce");
 
-    /* Make sure all file formats flush their mutable metadata.
+    /* Make sure all file formats throw away their mutable metadata.
      * If we get an error here, just don't restart the VM yet. */
-    bdrv_invalidate_cache_all(&local_err);
+    bdrv_activate_all(&local_err);
     if (local_err) {
         error_report_err(local_err);
         local_err = NULL;
diff --git a/monitor/qmp-cmds.c b/monitor/qmp-cmds.c
index df97582dd4..ad82c275c4 100644
--- a/monitor/qmp-cmds.c
+++ b/monitor/qmp-cmds.c
@@ -144,7 +144,7 @@ void qmp_cont(Error **errp)
      * If there are no inactive block nodes (e.g. because the VM was just
      * paused rather than completing a migration), bdrv_inactivate_all() simply
      * doesn't do anything. */
-    bdrv_invalidate_cache_all(&local_err);
+    bdrv_activate_all(&local_err);
     if (local_err) {
         error_propagate(errp, local_err);
         return;
diff --git a/tests/unit/test-block-iothread.c b/tests/unit/test-block-iothread.c
index 378a7b7869..94718c9319 100644
--- a/tests/unit/test-block-iothread.c
+++ b/tests/unit/test-block-iothread.c
@@ -279,7 +279,7 @@ static void test_sync_op_check(BdrvChild *c)
     g_assert_cmpint(ret, ==, -ENOTSUP);
 }
 
-static void test_sync_op_invalidate_cache(BdrvChild *c)
+static void test_sync_op_activate(BdrvChild *c)
 {
     /* Early success: Image is not inactive */
     bdrv_activate(c->bs, NULL);
@@ -325,8 +325,8 @@ const SyncOpTest sync_op_tests[] = {
         .name   = "/sync-op/check",
         .fn     = test_sync_op_check,
     }, {
-        .name   = "/sync-op/invalidate_cache",
-        .fn     = test_sync_op_invalidate_cache,
+        .name   = "/sync-op/activate",
+        .fn     = test_sync_op_activate,
     },
 };
 
