diff --git a/apps/httpd/httpd.cc b/apps/httpd/httpd.cc
index 9682e25b63..3af1e6f686 100644
--- a/apps/httpd/httpd.cc
+++ b/apps/httpd/httpd.cc
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ public:
     void listen(ipv4_addr addr) {
         listen_options lo;
         lo.reuse_address = true;
-        _listeners.push_back(the_reactor.listen(make_ipv4_address(addr), lo));
+        _listeners.push_back(engine.listen(make_ipv4_address(addr), lo));
         do_accepts(_listeners.size() - 1);
     }
     void do_accepts(int which) {
@@ -305,11 +305,11 @@ int main(int ac, char** av) {
         std::cout << opts << "\n";
         return 1;
     }
-    the_reactor.configure(configuration);
-    the_reactor.start().then([&server] {
+    engine.configure(configuration);
+    engine.start().then([&server] {
         server.listen({{}, 10000});
     });
-    the_reactor.run();
+    engine.run();
     return 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/core/reactor.cc b/core/reactor.cc
index 7a6a5bf57d..a3d19a70f9 100644
--- a/core/reactor.cc
+++ b/core/reactor.cc
@@ -391,7 +391,7 @@ file_desc readable_eventfd::try_create_eventfd(size_t initial) {
 }
 
 future<size_t> readable_eventfd::wait() {
-    return the_reactor.readable(*_fd._s).then([this] {
+    return engine.readable(*_fd._s).then([this] {
         uint64_t count;
         int r = ::read(_fd.get_fd(), &count, sizeof(count));
         assert(r == sizeof(count));
@@ -408,7 +408,7 @@ socket_address make_ipv4_address(ipv4_addr addr) {
 }
 
 void schedule(std::unique_ptr<task> t) {
-    the_reactor.add_task(std::move(t));
+    engine.add_task(std::move(t));
 }
 
 data_source posix_data_source(pollable_fd& fd) {
@@ -450,7 +450,7 @@ posix_data_sink_impl::do_write(size_t idx) {
 
 server_socket
 posix_network_stack::listen(socket_address sa, listen_options opt) {
-    return server_socket(std::make_unique<posix_server_socket_impl>(the_reactor.posix_listen(sa, opt)));
+    return server_socket(std::make_unique<posix_server_socket_impl>(engine.posix_listen(sa, opt)));
 }
 
 void network_stack_registry::register_stack(sstring name,
@@ -498,4 +498,4 @@ reactor::get_options_description() {
 
 network_stack_registrator<posix_network_stack> nsr_posix{"posix", true};
 
-reactor the_reactor;
+reactor engine;
diff --git a/core/reactor.hh b/core/reactor.hh
index 8c638ac18f..34c7c1fe52 100644
--- a/core/reactor.hh
+++ b/core/reactor.hh
@@ -407,11 +407,11 @@ private:
     friend class timer;
 };
 
-extern reactor the_reactor;
+extern reactor engine;
 
 inline
 pollable_fd_state::~pollable_fd_state() {
-    the_reactor.forget(*this);
+    engine.forget(*this);
 }
 
 // A temporary_buffer either points inside a larger buffer, or, if the requested size
@@ -594,24 +594,24 @@ public:
     file(file&& x) : _fd(x._fd) { x._fd = -1; }
     template <typename CharType>
     future<size_t> dma_read(uint64_t pos, CharType* buffer, size_t len) {
-        return the_reactor.read_dma(*this, pos, buffer, len);
+        return engine.read_dma(*this, pos, buffer, len);
     }
 
     future<size_t> dma_read(uint64_t pos, std::vector<iovec> iov) {
-        return the_reactor.read_dma(*this, pos, std::move(iov));
+        return engine.read_dma(*this, pos, std::move(iov));
     }
 
     template <typename CharType>
     future<size_t> dma_write(uint64_t pos, const CharType* buffer, size_t len) {
-        return the_reactor.write_dma(*this, pos, buffer, len);
+        return engine.write_dma(*this, pos, buffer, len);
     }
 
     future<size_t> dma_write(uint64_t pos, std::vector<iovec> iov) {
-        return the_reactor.write_dma(*this, pos, std::move(iov));
+        return engine.write_dma(*this, pos, std::move(iov));
     }
 
     future<> flush() {
-        return the_reactor.flush(*this);
+        return engine.flush(*this);
     }
 
     friend class reactor;
@@ -855,32 +855,32 @@ output_stream<CharType>::flush() {
 
 inline
 future<size_t> pollable_fd::read_some(char* buffer, size_t size) {
-    return the_reactor.read_some(*_s, buffer, size);
+    return engine.read_some(*_s, buffer, size);
 }
 
 inline
 future<size_t> pollable_fd::read_some(uint8_t* buffer, size_t size) {
-    return the_reactor.read_some(*_s, buffer, size);
+    return engine.read_some(*_s, buffer, size);
 }
 
 inline
 future<size_t> pollable_fd::read_some(const std::vector<iovec>& iov) {
-    return the_reactor.read_some(*_s, iov);
+    return engine.read_some(*_s, iov);
 }
 
 inline
 future<size_t> pollable_fd::write_all(const char* buffer, size_t size) {
-    return the_reactor.write_all(*_s, buffer, size);
+    return engine.write_all(*_s, buffer, size);
 }
 
 inline
 future<size_t> pollable_fd::write_all(const uint8_t* buffer, size_t size) {
-    return the_reactor.write_all(*_s, buffer, size);
+    return engine.write_all(*_s, buffer, size);
 }
 
 inline
 future<pollable_fd, socket_address> pollable_fd::accept() {
-    return the_reactor.accept(*_s);
+    return engine.accept(*_s);
 }
 
 inline
@@ -894,7 +894,7 @@ future<> timer::expired() {
 inline
 timer::~timer() {
     if (_armed) {
-        the_reactor.del_timer(this);
+        engine.del_timer(this);
     }
 }
 
@@ -903,7 +903,7 @@ void timer::arm(clock_type::time_point until) {
     assert(!_armed);
     _armed = true;
     _expiry = until;
-    the_reactor.add_timer(this);
+    engine.add_timer(this);
 }
 
 inline
@@ -915,7 +915,7 @@ inline
 void timer::suspend() {
     assert(_armed);
     _armed = false;
-    the_reactor.del_timer(this);
+    engine.del_timer(this);
 }
 
 inline
diff --git a/tests/fileiotest.cc b/tests/fileiotest.cc
index 35a8138c25..690126c65f 100644
--- a/tests/fileiotest.cc
+++ b/tests/fileiotest.cc
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ struct file_test {
 
 int main(int ac, char** av) {
     static constexpr auto max = 10000;
-    the_reactor.open_file_dma("testfile.tmp").then([] (file f) {
+    engine.open_file_dma("testfile.tmp").then([] (file f) {
         auto ft = new file_test{std::move(f)};
         for (size_t i = 0; i < max; ++i) {
             ft->par.wait().then([ft, i] {
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ int main(int ac, char** av) {
             ::exit(0);
         });
     });
-    the_reactor.run();
+    engine.run();
     return 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/tests/ip_test.cc b/tests/ip_test.cc
index 9bfa715059..9f67eec8a9 100644
--- a/tests/ip_test.cc
+++ b/tests/ip_test.cc
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ int main(int ac, char** av) {
     netif.run();
     ipv4 inet(&netif);
     inet.set_host_address(ipv4_address(0xc0a87a02));
-    the_reactor.run();
+    engine.run();
     return 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/tests/l3_test.cc b/tests/l3_test.cc
index c88d282942..44b4304aea 100644
--- a/tests/l3_test.cc
+++ b/tests/l3_test.cc
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ int main(int ac, char** av) {
     netif.run();
     l3_protocol arp(&netif, 0x0806);
     dump_arp_packets(arp);
-    the_reactor.run();
+    engine.run();
     return 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/tests/tcp_test.cc b/tests/tcp_test.cc
index 3272baa0f8..fb8065fa47 100644
--- a/tests/tcp_test.cc
+++ b/tests/tcp_test.cc
@@ -38,8 +38,8 @@ int main(int ac, char** av) {
     ipv4 inet(&netif);
     inet.set_host_address(ipv4_address(0xc0a87a02));
     tcp_test tt(inet);
-    the_reactor.start().then([&tt] { tt.run(); });
-    the_reactor.run();
+    engine.start().then([&tt] { tt.run(); });
+    engine.run();
 }
 
 
diff --git a/tests/test-reactor.cc b/tests/test-reactor.cc
index b17d8da850..8b7d7532d0 100644
--- a/tests/test-reactor.cc
+++ b/tests/test-reactor.cc
@@ -43,9 +43,9 @@ int main(int ac, char** av)
     ipv4_addr addr{{}, 10000};
     listen_options lo;
     lo.reuse_address = true;
-    test t(the_reactor.posix_listen(make_ipv4_address(addr), lo));
+    test t(engine.posix_listen(make_ipv4_address(addr), lo));
     t.start_accept();
-    the_reactor.run();
+    engine.run();
     return 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/tests/timertest.cc b/tests/timertest.cc
index 4fa0b32522..0993d3b35d 100644
--- a/tests/timertest.cc
+++ b/tests/timertest.cc
@@ -36,8 +36,8 @@ struct timer_test {
 
 int main(int ac, char** av) {
     timer_test t;
-    the_reactor.start().then([&t] { t.run(); });
-    the_reactor.run();
+    engine.start().then([&t] { t.run(); });
+    engine.run();
 }
 
 
diff --git a/tests/virtiotest.cc b/tests/virtiotest.cc
index e92a505cd3..af8e3810cb 100644
--- a/tests/virtiotest.cc
+++ b/tests/virtiotest.cc
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ void echo_packets(net::device& netif) {
 int main(int ac, char** av) {
     auto vnet = create_virtio_net_device("tap0");
     echo_packets(*vnet);
-    the_reactor.run();
+    engine.run();
     return 0;
 }