diff --git a/src/include/rados/librados.h b/src/include/rados/librados.h
index fdafb381f8b..b64ad40355c 100644
--- a/src/include/rados/librados.h
+++ b/src/include/rados/librados.h
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ extern "C" {
 #endif
 
 #define LIBRADOS_VER_MAJOR 0
-#define LIBRADOS_VER_MINOR 26
+#define LIBRADOS_VER_MINOR 27
 #define LIBRADOS_VER_EXTRA 0
 
 #define LIBRADOS_VERSION(maj, min, extra) ((maj << 16) + (min << 8) + extra)
@@ -54,8 +54,8 @@ void rados_version(int *major, int *minor, int *extra);
 /* initialization */
 int rados_create(rados_t *cluster, const char * const id);
 
-/* internal API for creating rados clusters */
-int rados_create_internal(rados_t *cluster, struct md_config_t *conf);
+/* initialize rados with an existing configuration. */
+int rados_create_with_config(rados_t *cluster, struct md_config_t *conf);
 
 /* Connect to the cluster */
 int rados_connect(rados_t cluster);
diff --git a/src/include/rados/librados.hpp b/src/include/rados/librados.hpp
index 9c2d854eda8..029648f35ec 100644
--- a/src/include/rados/librados.hpp
+++ b/src/include/rados/librados.hpp
@@ -211,7 +211,7 @@ namespace librados
     ~Rados();
 
     int init(const char * const id);
-    int init_internal(md_config_t * conf);
+    int init_with_config(md_config_t * conf);
     int connect();
     void shutdown();
     int conf_read_file(const char * const path) const;
diff --git a/src/librados.cc b/src/librados.cc
index fa13325fdd1..1e315e2cbbf 100644
--- a/src/librados.cc
+++ b/src/librados.cc
@@ -2445,9 +2445,9 @@ init(const char * const id)
 }
 
 int librados::Rados::
-init_internal(md_config_t *conf)
+init_with_config(md_config_t *conf)
 {
-  return rados_create_internal((rados_t *)&client, conf);
+  return rados_create_with_config((rados_t *)&client, conf);
 }
 
 int librados::Rados::
@@ -2628,7 +2628,7 @@ extern "C" int rados_create(rados_t *pcluster, const char * const id)
  * already called common_init and want to use that particular configuration for
  * their cluster.
  */
-extern "C" int rados_create_internal(rados_t *pcluster, md_config_t *conf)
+extern "C" int rados_create_with_config(rados_t *pcluster, md_config_t *conf)
 {
   rados_init_mutex.Lock();
   if (!rados_initialized) {