diff --git a/activitypub.c b/activitypub.c
index 18e270a..28b2427 100644
--- a/activitypub.c
+++ b/activitypub.c
@@ -130,7 +130,7 @@ int actor_request(snac *user, const char *actor, xs_dict **data)
     if (status == 205) {
         /* stale actor: use it, but request a refresh */
         if (!xs_startswith(actor, srv_baseurl))
-            enqueue_actor_request(user, actor);
+            enqueue_actor_refresh(user, actor);
     }
     else
     if (!valid_status(status)) {
@@ -2249,7 +2249,7 @@ void process_user_queue_item(snac *snac, xs_dict *q_item)
         verify_links(snac);
     }
     else
-    if (strcmp(type, "actor_request") == 0) {
+    if (strcmp(type, "actor_refresh") == 0) {
         const char *actor = xs_dict_get(q_item, "actor");
         double mtime = object_mtime(actor);
 
@@ -2263,7 +2263,7 @@ void process_user_queue_item(snac *snac, xs_dict *q_item)
             else
                 object_touch(actor);
 
-            snac_log(snac, xs_fmt("refresh actor %s %d", actor, status));
+            snac_log(snac, xs_fmt("actor_refresh %s %d", actor, status));
         }
     }
     else
diff --git a/data.c b/data.c
index dc5d323..581fd39 100644
--- a/data.c
+++ b/data.c
@@ -1597,7 +1597,7 @@ int actor_get_refresh(snac *user, const char *actor, xs_dict **data)
     int status = actor_get(actor, data);
 
     if (status == 205 && user && !xs_startswith(actor, srv_baseurl))
-        enqueue_actor_request(user, actor);
+        enqueue_actor_refresh(user, actor);
 
     return status;
 }
@@ -2459,10 +2459,10 @@ void enqueue_verify_links(snac *user)
 }
 
 
-void enqueue_actor_request(snac *user, const char *actor)
-/* enqueues an actor request */
+void enqueue_actor_refresh(snac *user, const char *actor)
+/* enqueues an actor refresh */
 {
-    xs *qmsg   = _new_qmsg("actor_request", "", 0);
+    xs *qmsg   = _new_qmsg("actor_refresh", "", 0);
     char *ntid = xs_dict_get(qmsg, "ntid");
     xs *fn     = xs_fmt("%s/queue/%s.json", user->basedir, ntid);
 
@@ -2470,7 +2470,7 @@ void enqueue_actor_request(snac *user, const char *actor)
 
     qmsg = _enqueue_put(fn, qmsg);
 
-    snac_debug(user, 1, xs_fmt("enqueue_actor_request %s", user->actor));
+    snac_debug(user, 1, xs_fmt("enqueue_actor_refresh %s", user->actor));
 }
 
 
diff --git a/snac.h b/snac.h
index 9451544..10088a3 100644
--- a/snac.h
+++ b/snac.h
@@ -223,7 +223,7 @@ void enqueue_ntfy(const xs_str *msg, const char *ntfy_server, const char *ntfy_t
 void enqueue_message(snac *snac, const xs_dict *msg);
 void enqueue_close_question(snac *user, const char *id, int end_secs);
 void enqueue_verify_links(snac *user);
-void enqueue_actor_request(snac *user, const char *actor);
+void enqueue_actor_refresh(snac *user, const char *actor);
 void enqueue_request_replies(snac *user, const char *id);
 int was_question_voted(snac *user, const char *id);