diff --git a/scripts/device-crash-test b/scripts/device-crash-test
index 04118669ba7..ef1412ca590 100755
--- a/scripts/device-crash-test
+++ b/scripts/device-crash-test
@@ -41,18 +41,18 @@ logger = logging.getLogger('device-crash-test')
 dbg = logger.debug
 
 
-# Purposes of the following whitelist:
+# Purposes of the following rule list:
 # * Avoiding verbose log messages when we find known non-fatal
 #   (exitcode=1) errors
 # * Avoiding fatal errors when we find known crashes
 # * Skipping machines/devices that are known not to work out of
 #   the box, when running in --quick mode
 #
-# Keeping the whitelist updated is desirable, but not required,
+# Keeping the rule list updated is desirable, but not required,
 # because unexpected cases where QEMU exits with exitcode=1 will
 # just trigger a INFO message.
 
-# Valid whitelist entry keys:
+# Valid error rule keys:
 # * accel: regexp, full match only
 # * machine: regexp, full match only
 # * device: regexp, full match only
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ dbg = logger.debug
 # * expected: if True, QEMU is expected to always fail every time
 #   when testing the corresponding test case
 # * loglevel: log level of log output when there's a match.
-ERROR_WHITELIST = [
+ERROR_RULE_LIST = [
     # Machines that won't work out of the box:
     #             MACHINE                         | ERROR MESSAGE
     {'machine':'niagara', 'expected':True},       # Unable to load a firmware for -M niagara
@@ -186,65 +186,65 @@ ERROR_WHITELIST = [
 ]
 
 
-def whitelistTestCaseMatch(wl, t):
-    """Check if a test case specification can match a whitelist entry
+def errorRuleTestCaseMatch(rule, t):
+    """Check if a test case specification can match a error rule
 
-    This only checks if a whitelist entry is a candidate match
+    This only checks if a error rule is a candidate match
     for a given test case, it won't check if the test case
-    results/output match the entry.  See whitelistResultMatch().
+    results/output match the rule.  See ruleListResultMatch().
     """
-    return (('machine' not in wl or
+    return (('machine' not in rule or
              'machine' not in t or
-             re.match(wl['machine'] + '$', t['machine'])) and
-            ('accel' not in wl or
+             re.match(rule['machine'] + '$', t['machine'])) and
+            ('accel' not in rule or
              'accel' not in t or
-             re.match(wl['accel'] + '$', t['accel'])) and
-            ('device' not in wl or
+             re.match(rule['accel'] + '$', t['accel'])) and
+            ('device' not in rule or
              'device' not in t or
-             re.match(wl['device'] + '$', t['device'])))
+             re.match(rule['device'] + '$', t['device'])))
 
 
-def whitelistCandidates(t):
+def ruleListCandidates(t):
     """Generate the list of candidates that can match a test case"""
-    for i, wl in enumerate(ERROR_WHITELIST):
-        if whitelistTestCaseMatch(wl, t):
-            yield (i, wl)
+    for i, rule in enumerate(ERROR_RULE_LIST):
+        if errorRuleTestCaseMatch(rule, t):
+            yield (i, rule)
 
 
 def findExpectedResult(t):
-    """Check if there's an expected=True whitelist entry for a test case
+    """Check if there's an expected=True error rule for a test case
 
-    Returns (i, wl) tuple, where i is the index in
-    ERROR_WHITELIST and wl is the whitelist entry itself.
+    Returns (i, rule) tuple, where i is the index in
+    ERROR_RULE_LIST and rule is the error rule itself.
     """
-    for i, wl in whitelistCandidates(t):
-        if wl.get('expected'):
-            return (i, wl)
+    for i, rule in ruleListCandidates(t):
+        if rule.get('expected'):
+            return (i, rule)
 
 
-def whitelistResultMatch(wl, r):
-    """Check if test case results/output match a whitelist entry
+def ruleListResultMatch(rule, r):
+    """Check if test case results/output match a error rule
 
     It is valid to call this function only if
-    whitelistTestCaseMatch() is True for the entry (e.g. on
-    entries returned by whitelistCandidates())
+    errorRuleTestCaseMatch() is True for the rule (e.g. on
+    rules returned by ruleListCandidates())
     """
-    assert whitelistTestCaseMatch(wl, r['testcase'])
-    return ((wl.get('exitcode', 1) is None or
-             r['exitcode'] == wl.get('exitcode', 1)) and
-            ('log' not in wl or
-             re.search(wl['log'], r['log'], re.MULTILINE)))
+    assert errorRuleTestCaseMatch(rule, r['testcase'])
+    return ((rule.get('exitcode', 1) is None or
+             r['exitcode'] == rule.get('exitcode', 1)) and
+            ('log' not in rule or
+             re.search(rule['log'], r['log'], re.MULTILINE)))
 
 
-def checkResultWhitelist(r):
-    """Look up whitelist entry for a given test case result
+def checkResultRuleList(r):
+    """Look up error rule for a given test case result
 
-    Returns (i, wl) tuple, where i is the index in
-    ERROR_WHITELIST and wl is the whitelist entry itself.
+    Returns (i, rule) tuple, where i is the index in
+    ERROR_RULE_LIST and rule is the error rule itself.
     """
-    for i, wl in whitelistCandidates(r['testcase']):
-        if whitelistResultMatch(wl, r):
-            return i, wl
+    for i, rule in ruleListCandidates(r['testcase']):
+        if ruleListResultMatch(rule, r):
+            return i, rule
 
     raise Exception("this should never happen")
 
@@ -543,12 +543,12 @@ def main():
             break
 
         if f:
-            i, wl = checkResultWhitelist(f)
-            dbg("testcase: %r, whitelist match: %r", t, wl)
+            i, rule = checkResultRuleList(f)
+            dbg("testcase: %r, rule list match: %r", t, rule)
             wl_stats.setdefault(i, []).append(f)
-            level = wl.get('loglevel', logging.DEBUG)
+            level = rule.get('loglevel', logging.DEBUG)
             logFailure(f, level)
-            if wl.get('fatal') or (args.strict and level >= logging.WARN):
+            if rule.get('fatal') or (args.strict and level >= logging.WARN):
                 fatal_failures.append(f)
         else:
             dbg("success: %s", formatTestCase(t))
@@ -560,10 +560,10 @@ def main():
         logger.info("Skipped %d test cases", skipped)
 
     if args.debug:
-        stats = sorted([(len(wl_stats.get(i, [])), wl) for i, wl in
-                         enumerate(ERROR_WHITELIST)], key=lambda x: x[0])
-        for count, wl in stats:
-            dbg("whitelist entry stats: %d: %r", count, wl)
+        stats = sorted([(len(wl_stats.get(i, [])), rule) for i, rule in
+                         enumerate(ERROR_RULE_LIST)], key=lambda x: x[0])
+        for count, rule in stats:
+            dbg("error rule stats: %d: %r", count, rule)
 
     if fatal_failures:
         for f in fatal_failures:
