diff --git a/cmd/helm/init.go b/cmd/helm/init.go
index a796c144e..030a0dae0 100644
--- a/cmd/helm/init.go
+++ b/cmd/helm/init.go
@@ -100,18 +100,18 @@ func ensureHome() error {
 		return fmt.Errorf("%s must be a file, not a directory", repoFile)
 	}
 
-	localRepoCacheFile := localRepoDirectory(localRepoCacheFilePath)
-	if fi, err := os.Stat(localRepoCacheFile); err != nil {
-		fmt.Printf("Creating %s \n", localRepoCacheFile)
-		_, err := os.Create(localRepoCacheFile)
+	localRepoIndexFile := localRepoDirectory(localRepoIndexFilePath)
+	if fi, err := os.Stat(localRepoIndexFile); err != nil {
+		fmt.Printf("Creating %s \n", localRepoIndexFile)
+		_, err := os.Create(localRepoIndexFile)
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
 
 		//TODO: take this out and replace with helm update functionality
-		os.Symlink(localRepoCacheFile, cacheDirectory("local-cache.yaml"))
+		os.Symlink(localRepoIndexFile, cacheDirectory("local-index.yaml"))
 	} else if fi.IsDir() {
-		return fmt.Errorf("%s must be a file, not a directory", localRepoCacheFile)
+		return fmt.Errorf("%s must be a file, not a directory", localRepoIndexFile)
 	}
 
 	fmt.Printf("$HELM_HOME has been configured at %s.\n", helmHome)
diff --git a/cmd/helm/init_test.go b/cmd/helm/init_test.go
index 6c5bebbe9..72e68a7e5 100644
--- a/cmd/helm/init_test.go
+++ b/cmd/helm/init_test.go
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ func TestEnsureHome(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Errorf("%s should not be a directory", fi)
 	}
 
-	if fi, err := os.Stat(localRepoDirectory(localRepoCacheFilePath)); err != nil {
+	if fi, err := os.Stat(localRepoDirectory(localRepoIndexFilePath)); err != nil {
 		t.Errorf("%s", err)
 	} else if fi.IsDir() {
 		t.Errorf("%s should not be a directory", fi)
diff --git a/cmd/helm/repo.go b/cmd/helm/repo.go
index 86909c11e..0f820334b 100644
--- a/cmd/helm/repo.go
+++ b/cmd/helm/repo.go
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ func runRepoAdd(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 	}
 	name, url := args[0], args[1]
 
-	if err := downloadCacheFile(name, url); err != nil {
+	if err := downloadIndexFile(name, url); err != nil {
 		return errors.New("Oops! Looks like " + url + " is not a valid chart repository or cannot be reached\n")
 	}
 
diff --git a/cmd/helm/search.go b/cmd/helm/search.go
index 378ced5a2..64cff12da 100644
--- a/cmd/helm/search.go
+++ b/cmd/helm/search.go
@@ -64,9 +64,9 @@ func searchCacheForPattern(dir string, search string) ([]string, error) {
 	})
 	matches := []string{}
 	for _, f := range fileList {
-		cache, _ := repo.LoadCacheFile(f)
-		m := searchChartRefsForPattern(search, cache.Entries)
-		repoName := strings.TrimSuffix(filepath.Base(f), "-cache.yaml")
+		index, _ := repo.LoadIndexFile(f)
+		m := searchChartRefsForPattern(search, index.Entries)
+		repoName := strings.TrimSuffix(filepath.Base(f), "-index.yaml")
 		for _, c := range m {
 			matches = append(matches, repoName+"/"+c)
 		}
diff --git a/cmd/helm/search_test.go b/cmd/helm/search_test.go
index 292e34c24..7001cdec3 100644
--- a/cmd/helm/search_test.go
+++ b/cmd/helm/search_test.go
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ import (
 )
 
 const testDir = "testdata/"
-const testFile = "testdata/local-cache.yaml"
+const testFile = "testdata/local-index.yaml"
 
 type searchTestCase struct {
 	in          string
@@ -49,9 +49,9 @@ func validateEntries(t *testing.T, in string, found []string, expected []string)
 }
 
 func searchTestRunner(t *testing.T, tc searchTestCase) {
-	cf, err := repo.LoadCacheFile(testFile)
+	cf, err := repo.LoadIndexFile(testFile)
 	if err != nil {
-		t.Errorf("Failed to load cache file : %s : %s", testFile, err)
+		t.Errorf("Failed to load index file : %s : %s", testFile, err)
 	}
 
 	u := searchChartRefsForPattern(tc.in, cf.Entries)
diff --git a/cmd/helm/structure.go b/cmd/helm/structure.go
index 056be291d..e6fe9a482 100644
--- a/cmd/helm/structure.go
+++ b/cmd/helm/structure.go
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ const (
 	repositoriesFilePath   string = "repositories.yaml"
 	cachePath              string = "cache"
 	localRepoPath          string = "local"
-	localRepoCacheFilePath string = "cache.yaml"
+	localRepoIndexFilePath string = "index.yaml"
 )
 
 func homePath() string {
diff --git a/cmd/helm/testdata/foobar-cache.yaml b/cmd/helm/testdata/foobar-index.yaml
similarity index 100%
rename from cmd/helm/testdata/foobar-cache.yaml
rename to cmd/helm/testdata/foobar-index.yaml
diff --git a/cmd/helm/testdata/local-cache.yaml b/cmd/helm/testdata/local-index.yaml
similarity index 100%
rename from cmd/helm/testdata/local-cache.yaml
rename to cmd/helm/testdata/local-index.yaml
diff --git a/cmd/helm/update.go b/cmd/helm/update.go
index 4528d8f09..cab194665 100644
--- a/cmd/helm/update.go
+++ b/cmd/helm/update.go
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ func updateCharts(repos map[string]string, verbose bool) {
 		wg.Add(1)
 		go func(n, u string) {
 			defer wg.Done()
-			err := downloadCacheFile(n, u)
+			err := downloadIndexFile(n, u)
 			if err != nil {
 				updateErr := "...Unable to get an update from the " + n + " chart repository"
 				if verbose {
@@ -62,17 +62,17 @@ func updateCharts(repos map[string]string, verbose bool) {
 	fmt.Println("Update Complete. Happy Helming!")
 }
 
-func downloadCacheFile(name, url string) error {
-	var cacheURL string
+func downloadIndexFile(name, url string) error {
+	var indexURL string
 
-	cacheURL = strings.TrimSuffix(url, "/") + "/cache.yaml"
-	resp, err := http.Get(cacheURL)
+	indexURL = strings.TrimSuffix(url, "/") + "/index.yaml"
+	resp, err := http.Get(indexURL)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
 	defer resp.Body.Close()
 
-	var cacheFile *os.File
+	var indexFile *os.File
 	var r repo.RepoFile
 
 	b, err := ioutil.ReadAll(resp.Body)
@@ -84,12 +84,12 @@ func downloadCacheFile(name, url string) error {
 		return err
 	}
 
-	cacheFile, err = os.Create(cacheDirectory(name + "-cache.yaml"))
+	indexFile, err = os.Create(cacheDirectory(name + "-index.yaml"))
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
 
-	if _, err := io.Copy(cacheFile, resp.Body); err != nil {
+	if _, err := io.Copy(indexFile, resp.Body); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
 
diff --git a/pkg/repo/local.go b/pkg/repo/local.go
index 928da026e..1844e2f44 100644
--- a/pkg/repo/local.go
+++ b/pkg/repo/local.go
@@ -13,12 +13,12 @@ import (
 
 var localRepoPath string
 
-// CacheFile represents the cache file in a chart repository
-type CacheFile struct {
+// IndexFile represents the index file in a chart repository
+type IndexFile struct {
 	Entries map[string]*ChartRef
 }
 
-// ChartRef represents a chart entry in the CacheFile
+// ChartRef represents a chart entry in the IndexFile
 type ChartRef struct {
 	Name     string   `yaml:"name"`
 	URL      string   `yaml:"url"`
@@ -43,8 +43,8 @@ func indexHandler(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 		serveFile(w, r, file)
 	} else if file == "" {
 		fmt.Fprintf(w, "list of charts should be here at some point")
-	} else if file == "cache" {
-		fmt.Fprintf(w, "cache file data should be here at some point")
+	} else if file == "index" {
+		fmt.Fprintf(w, "index file data should be here at some point")
 	} else {
 		fmt.Fprintf(w, "Ummm... Nothing to see here folks")
 	}
@@ -54,13 +54,13 @@ func serveFile(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request, file string) {
 	http.ServeFile(w, r, filepath.Join(localRepoPath, file))
 }
 
-// AddChartToLocalRepo saves a chart in the given path and then reindexes the cache file
+// AddChartToLocalRepo saves a chart in the given path and then reindexes the index file
 func AddChartToLocalRepo(ch *chart.Chart, path string) error {
 	name, err := chart.Save(ch, path)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-	err = ReindexCacheFile(ch, path+"/cache.yaml")
+	err = Reindex(ch, path+"/index.yaml")
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
@@ -68,15 +68,15 @@ func AddChartToLocalRepo(ch *chart.Chart, path string) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
-// LoadCacheFile takes a file at the given path and returns a CacheFile object
-func LoadCacheFile(path string) (*CacheFile, error) {
+// LoadIndexFile takes a file at the given path and returns an IndexFile object
+func LoadIndexFile(path string) (*IndexFile, error) {
 	b, err := ioutil.ReadFile(path)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
 	//TODO: change variable name - y is not helpful :P
-	var y CacheFile
+	var y IndexFile
 	err = yaml.Unmarshal(b, &y)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
@@ -84,10 +84,10 @@ func LoadCacheFile(path string) (*CacheFile, error) {
 	return &y, nil
 }
 
-// ReindexCacheFile adds an entry to the cache file at the given path
-func ReindexCacheFile(ch *chart.Chart, path string) error {
+// Reindex adds an entry to the index file at the given path
+func Reindex(ch *chart.Chart, path string) error {
 	name := ch.Chartfile().Name + "-" + ch.Chartfile().Version
-	y, err := LoadCacheFile(path)
+	y, err := LoadIndexFile(path)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
@@ -111,25 +111,25 @@ func ReindexCacheFile(ch *chart.Chart, path string) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
-// UnmarshalYAML unmarshals the cache file
-func (c *CacheFile) UnmarshalYAML(unmarshal func(interface{}) error) error {
+// UnmarshalYAML unmarshals the index file
+func (i *IndexFile) UnmarshalYAML(unmarshal func(interface{}) error) error {
 	var refs map[string]*ChartRef
 	if err := unmarshal(&refs); err != nil {
 		if _, ok := err.(*yaml.TypeError); !ok {
 			return err
 		}
 	}
-	c.Entries = refs
+	i.Entries = refs
 	return nil
 }
 
-func (c *CacheFile) insertChartEntry(name string, url string) ([]byte, error) {
-	if c.Entries == nil {
-		c.Entries = make(map[string]*ChartRef)
+func (i *IndexFile) insertChartEntry(name string, url string) ([]byte, error) {
+	if i.Entries == nil {
+		i.Entries = make(map[string]*ChartRef)
 	}
 	entry := ChartRef{Name: name, URL: url}
-	c.Entries[name] = &entry
-	out, err := yaml.Marshal(&c.Entries)
+	i.Entries[name] = &entry
+	out, err := yaml.Marshal(&i.Entries)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/repo/local_test.go b/pkg/repo/local_test.go
index 7649d4488..ac83f5cd4 100644
--- a/pkg/repo/local_test.go
+++ b/pkg/repo/local_test.go
@@ -4,15 +4,15 @@ import (
 	"testing"
 )
 
-const testfile = "testdata/local-cache.yaml"
+const testfile = "testdata/local-index.yaml"
 
-func TestLoadCacheFile(t *testing.T) {
-	cf, err := LoadCacheFile(testfile)
+func TestLoadIndexFile(t *testing.T) {
+	cf, err := LoadIndexFile(testfile)
 	if err != nil {
-		t.Errorf("Failed to load cachefile: %s", err)
+		t.Errorf("Failed to load index file: %s", err)
 	}
 	if len(cf.Entries) != 2 {
-		t.Errorf("Expected 2 entries in the cache file, but got %d", len(cf.Entries))
+		t.Errorf("Expected 2 entries in the index file, but got %d", len(cf.Entries))
 	}
 	nginx := false
 	alpine := false
diff --git a/pkg/repo/testdata/local-cache.yaml b/pkg/repo/testdata/local-index.yaml
similarity index 100%
rename from pkg/repo/testdata/local-cache.yaml
rename to pkg/repo/testdata/local-index.yaml