diff --git a/src/modules/systemlib/bson/tinybson.c b/src/modules/systemlib/bson/tinybson.c
index 099dffe4bc..2eeaa17277 100644
--- a/src/modules/systemlib/bson/tinybson.c
+++ b/src/modules/systemlib/bson/tinybson.c
@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@ read_double(bson_decoder_t decoder, double *d)
 }
 
 int
-bson_decoder_init_file(bson_decoder_t decoder, int fd, bson_decoder_callback callback, void *private)
+bson_decoder_init_file(bson_decoder_t decoder, int fd, bson_decoder_callback callback, void *priv)
 {
 	int32_t	junk;
 
@@ -119,7 +119,7 @@ bson_decoder_init_file(bson_decoder_t decoder, int fd, bson_decoder_callback cal
 	decoder->buf = NULL;
 	decoder->dead = false;
 	decoder->callback = callback;
-	decoder->private = private;
+	decoder->priv = priv;
 	decoder->nesting = 1;
 	decoder->pending = 0;
 	decoder->node.type = BSON_UNDEFINED;
@@ -135,7 +135,7 @@ bson_decoder_init_file(bson_decoder_t decoder, int fd, bson_decoder_callback cal
 
 int
 bson_decoder_init_buf(bson_decoder_t decoder, void *buf, unsigned bufsize, bson_decoder_callback callback,
-		      void *private)
+		      void *priv)
 {
 	int32_t	len;
 
@@ -158,7 +158,7 @@ bson_decoder_init_buf(bson_decoder_t decoder, void *buf, unsigned bufsize, bson_
 
 	decoder->bufpos = 0;
 	decoder->callback = callback;
-	decoder->private = private;
+	decoder->priv = priv;
 	decoder->nesting = 1;
 	decoder->pending = 0;
 	decoder->node.type = BSON_UNDEFINED;
@@ -305,7 +305,7 @@ bson_decoder_next(bson_decoder_t decoder)
 	}
 
 	/* call the callback and pass its results back */
-	return decoder->callback(decoder, decoder->private, &decoder->node);
+	return decoder->callback(decoder, decoder->priv, &decoder->node);
 }
 
 int
diff --git a/src/modules/systemlib/bson/tinybson.h b/src/modules/systemlib/bson/tinybson.h
index 25bd90a9eb..10c244e503 100644
--- a/src/modules/systemlib/bson/tinybson.h
+++ b/src/modules/systemlib/bson/tinybson.h
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ typedef struct bson_decoder_s *bson_decoder_t;
  *
  * The node callback function's return value is returned by bson_decoder_next.
  */
-typedef int	(* bson_decoder_callback)(bson_decoder_t decoder, void *private, bson_node_t node);
+typedef int	(* bson_decoder_callback)(bson_decoder_t decoder, void *priv, bson_node_t node);
 
 struct bson_decoder_s {
 	/* file reader state */
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ struct bson_decoder_s {
 
 	bool			dead;
 	bson_decoder_callback	callback;
-	void			*private;
+	void			*priv;
 	unsigned		nesting;
 	struct bson_node_s	node;
 	int32_t			pending;
@@ -124,10 +124,10 @@ struct bson_decoder_s {
  * @param decoder		Decoder state structure to be initialised.
  * @param fd			File to read BSON data from.
  * @param callback		Callback to be invoked by bson_decoder_next
- * @param private		Callback private data, stored in node.
+ * @param priv          Callback private data, stored in node.
  * @return			Zero on success.
  */
-__EXPORT int bson_decoder_init_file(bson_decoder_t decoder, int fd, bson_decoder_callback callback, void *private);
+__EXPORT int bson_decoder_init_file(bson_decoder_t decoder, int fd, bson_decoder_callback callback, void *priv);
 
 /**
  * Initialise the decoder to read from a buffer in memory.
@@ -138,11 +138,11 @@ __EXPORT int bson_decoder_init_file(bson_decoder_t decoder, int fd, bson_decoder
  *				passed as zero if the buffer size should be extracted from the
  *				BSON header only.
  * @param callback		Callback to be invoked by bson_decoder_next
- * @param private		Callback private data, stored in node.
+ * @param priv		Callback private data, stored in node.
  * @return			Zero on success.
  */
 __EXPORT int bson_decoder_init_buf(bson_decoder_t decoder, void *buf, unsigned bufsize, bson_decoder_callback callback,
-				   void *private);
+				   void *priv);
 
 /**
  * Process the next node from the stream and invoke the callback.