diff --git a/lib/thread/thread.c b/lib/thread/thread.c
index bcda49518..0839615cd 100644
--- a/lib/thread/thread.c
+++ b/lib/thread/thread.c
@@ -137,7 +137,7 @@ struct spdk_thread {
 	/**
 	 * Contains pollers running on this thread with a periodic timer.
 	 */
-	TAILQ_HEAD(timer_pollers_head, spdk_poller)	timer_pollers;
+	TAILQ_HEAD(timed_pollers_head, spdk_poller)	timed_pollers;
 
 	/*
 	 * Contains paused pollers.  Pollers on this queue are waiting until
@@ -227,19 +227,16 @@ _free_thread(struct spdk_thread *thread)
 			SPDK_WARNLOG("poller %p still registered at thread exit\n",
 				     poller);
 		}
-
 		TAILQ_REMOVE(&thread->active_pollers, poller, tailq);
 		free(poller);
 	}
 
-
-	TAILQ_FOREACH_SAFE(poller, &thread->timer_pollers, tailq, ptmp) {
+	TAILQ_FOREACH_SAFE(poller, &thread->timed_pollers, tailq, ptmp) {
 		if (poller->state != SPDK_POLLER_STATE_UNREGISTERED) {
 			SPDK_WARNLOG("poller %p still registered at thread exit\n",
 				     poller);
 		}
-
-		TAILQ_REMOVE(&thread->timer_pollers, poller, tailq);
+		TAILQ_REMOVE(&thread->timed_pollers, poller, tailq);
 		free(poller);
 	}
 
@@ -293,7 +290,7 @@ spdk_thread_create(const char *name, struct spdk_cpuset *cpumask)
 
 	TAILQ_INIT(&thread->io_channels);
 	TAILQ_INIT(&thread->active_pollers);
-	TAILQ_INIT(&thread->timer_pollers);
+	TAILQ_INIT(&thread->timed_pollers);
 	TAILQ_INIT(&thread->paused_pollers);
 	SLIST_INIT(&thread->msg_cache);
 	thread->msg_cache_count = 0;
@@ -458,18 +455,18 @@ _spdk_poller_insert_timer(struct spdk_thread *thread, struct spdk_poller *poller
 	poller->next_run_tick = now + poller->period_ticks;
 
 	/*
-	 * Insert poller in the thread's timer_pollers list in sorted order by next scheduled
+	 * Insert poller in the thread's timed_pollers list in sorted order by next scheduled
 	 * run time.
 	 */
-	TAILQ_FOREACH_REVERSE(iter, &thread->timer_pollers, timer_pollers_head, tailq) {
+	TAILQ_FOREACH_REVERSE(iter, &thread->timed_pollers, timed_pollers_head, tailq) {
 		if (iter->next_run_tick <= poller->next_run_tick) {
-			TAILQ_INSERT_AFTER(&thread->timer_pollers, iter, poller, tailq);
+			TAILQ_INSERT_AFTER(&thread->timed_pollers, iter, poller, tailq);
 			return;
 		}
 	}
 
 	/* No earlier pollers were found, so this poller must be the new head */
-	TAILQ_INSERT_HEAD(&thread->timer_pollers, poller, tailq);
+	TAILQ_INSERT_HEAD(&thread->timed_pollers, poller, tailq);
 }
 
 static void
@@ -549,7 +546,7 @@ spdk_thread_poll(struct spdk_thread *thread, uint32_t max_msgs, uint64_t now)
 		}
 	}
 
-	TAILQ_FOREACH_SAFE(poller, &thread->timer_pollers, tailq, tmp) {
+	TAILQ_FOREACH_SAFE(poller, &thread->timed_pollers, tailq, tmp) {
 		int timer_rc = 0;
 
 		if (thread->exit) {
@@ -557,11 +554,11 @@ spdk_thread_poll(struct spdk_thread *thread, uint32_t max_msgs, uint64_t now)
 		}
 
 		if (poller->state == SPDK_POLLER_STATE_UNREGISTERED) {
-			TAILQ_REMOVE(&thread->timer_pollers, poller, tailq);
+			TAILQ_REMOVE(&thread->timed_pollers, poller, tailq);
 			free(poller);
 			continue;
 		} else if (poller->state == SPDK_POLLER_STATE_PAUSING) {
-			TAILQ_REMOVE(&thread->timer_pollers, poller, tailq);
+			TAILQ_REMOVE(&thread->timed_pollers, poller, tailq);
 			TAILQ_INSERT_TAIL(&thread->paused_pollers, poller, tailq);
 			poller->state = SPDK_POLLER_STATE_PAUSED;
 			continue;
@@ -581,11 +578,11 @@ spdk_thread_poll(struct spdk_thread *thread, uint32_t max_msgs, uint64_t now)
 #endif
 
 		if (poller->state == SPDK_POLLER_STATE_UNREGISTERED) {
-			TAILQ_REMOVE(&thread->timer_pollers, poller, tailq);
+			TAILQ_REMOVE(&thread->timed_pollers, poller, tailq);
 			free(poller);
 		} else if (poller->state != SPDK_POLLER_STATE_PAUSED) {
 			poller->state = SPDK_POLLER_STATE_WAITING;
-			TAILQ_REMOVE(&thread->timer_pollers, poller, tailq);
+			TAILQ_REMOVE(&thread->timed_pollers, poller, tailq);
 			_spdk_poller_insert_timer(thread, poller, now);
 		}
 
@@ -613,7 +610,7 @@ spdk_thread_next_poller_expiration(struct spdk_thread *thread)
 {
 	struct spdk_poller *poller;
 
-	poller = TAILQ_FIRST(&thread->timer_pollers);
+	poller = TAILQ_FIRST(&thread->timed_pollers);
 	if (poller) {
 		return poller->next_run_tick;
 	}
@@ -631,7 +628,7 @@ static bool
 _spdk_thread_has_unpaused_pollers(struct spdk_thread *thread)
 {
 	if (TAILQ_EMPTY(&thread->active_pollers) &&
-	    TAILQ_EMPTY(&thread->timer_pollers)) {
+	    TAILQ_EMPTY(&thread->timed_pollers)) {
 		return false;
 	}
 
@@ -866,7 +863,7 @@ spdk_poller_pause(struct spdk_poller *poller)
 		poller->state = SPDK_POLLER_STATE_PAUSING;
 	} else {
 		if (poller->period_ticks > 0) {
-			TAILQ_REMOVE(&thread->timer_pollers, poller, tailq);
+			TAILQ_REMOVE(&thread->timed_pollers, poller, tailq);
 		} else {
 			TAILQ_REMOVE(&thread->active_pollers, poller, tailq);
 		}