diff --git a/migrations/20200512172301-rename-backup-key-to-password.js b/migrations/20200512172301-rename-backup-key-to-password.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..676df7a88
--- /dev/null
+++ b/migrations/20200512172301-rename-backup-key-to-password.js
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+'use strict';
+
+exports.up = function(db, callback) {
+    db.all('SELECT value FROM settings WHERE name="backup_config"', function (error, results) {
+        if (error || results.length === 0) return callback(error);
+
+        var backupConfig = JSON.parse(results[0].value);
+        if (backupConfig.key) {
+            backupConfig.password = backupConfig.key;
+        } else {
+            delete backupConfig.key;
+        }
+
+        db.runSql('UPDATE settings SET value=? WHERE name="backup_config"', [ JSON.stringify(backupConfig) ], callback);
+    });
+};
+
+exports.down = function(db, callback) {
+  callback();
+};
diff --git a/src/backups.js b/src/backups.js
index ce63bd66e..e4caad10c 100644
--- a/src/backups.js
+++ b/src/backups.js
@@ -102,13 +102,13 @@ function api(provider) {
 }
 
 function injectPrivateFields(newConfig, currentConfig) {
-    if (newConfig.key === exports.SECRET_PLACEHOLDER) newConfig.key = currentConfig.key;
+    if (newConfig.password === exports.SECRET_PLACEHOLDER) newConfig.password = currentConfig.password;
     if (newConfig.provider === currentConfig.provider) api(newConfig.provider).injectPrivateFields(newConfig, currentConfig);
 }
 
 function removePrivateFields(backupConfig) {
     assert.strictEqual(typeof backupConfig, 'object');
-    if (backupConfig.key) backupConfig.key = exports.SECRET_PLACEHOLDER;
+    if (backupConfig.password) backupConfig.password = exports.SECRET_PLACEHOLDER;
     return api(backupConfig.provider).removePrivateFields(backupConfig);
 }
 
@@ -124,9 +124,9 @@ function testConfig(backupConfig, callback) {
     // remember to adjust the cron ensureBackup task interval accordingly
     if (backupConfig.intervalSecs < 6 * 60 * 60) return callback(new BoxError(BoxError.BAD_FIELD, 'Interval must be atleast 6 hours', { field: 'interval' }));
 
-    if ('key' in backupConfig) {
-        if (typeof backupConfig.key !== 'string') return callback(new BoxError(BoxError.BAD_FIELD, 'key must be a string', { field: 'key' }));
-        if (backupConfig.key.length < 8) return callback(new BoxError(BoxError.BAD_FIELD, 'key must be atleast 8 characters', { field: 'key' }));
+    if ('password' in backupConfig) {
+        if (typeof backupConfig.password !== 'string') return callback(new BoxError(BoxError.BAD_FIELD, 'password must be a string', { field: 'password' }));
+        if (backupConfig.password.length < 8) return callback(new BoxError(BoxError.BAD_FIELD, 'password must be atleast 8 characters', { field: 'password' }));
     }
 
     api(backupConfig.provider).testConfig(backupConfig, callback);
@@ -186,7 +186,7 @@ function getBackupFilePath(backupConfig, backupId, format) {
     assert.strictEqual(typeof format, 'string');
 
     if (format === 'tgz') {
-        const fileType = backupConfig.key ? '.tar.gz.enc' : '.tar.gz';
+        const fileType = backupConfig.password ? '.tar.gz.enc' : '.tar.gz';
         return path.join(backupConfig.prefix || backupConfig.backupFolder || '', backupId+fileType);
     } else {
         return path.join(backupConfig.prefix || backupConfig.backupFolder || '', backupId);
@@ -407,7 +407,7 @@ function tarPack(dataLayout, key, callback) {
 }
 
 function aesKeyFromPassword(password) {
-    assert(password === null || typeof password === 'string');
+    assert(typeof password === 'undefined' || typeof password === 'string');
 
     if (!password) return null;
 
@@ -423,12 +423,12 @@ function sync(backupConfig, backupId, dataLayout, progressCallback, callback) {
 
     // the number here has to take into account the s3.upload partSize (which is 10MB). So 20=200MB
     const concurrency = backupConfig.syncConcurrency || (backupConfig.provider === 's3' ? 20 : 10);
-    const aesKey = aesKeyFromPassword(backupConfig.key);
+    const aesKey = aesKeyFromPassword(backupConfig.password);
 
     syncer.sync(dataLayout, function processTask(task, iteratorCallback) {
         debug('sync: processing task: %j', task);
         // the empty task.path is special to signify the directory
-        const destPath = task.path && backupConfig.key ? encryptFilePath(task.path, aesKey) : task.path;
+        const destPath = task.path && backupConfig.password ? encryptFilePath(task.path, aesKey) : task.path;
         const backupFilePath = path.join(getBackupFilePath(backupConfig, backupId, backupConfig.format), destPath);
 
         if (task.operation === 'removedir') {
@@ -547,7 +547,7 @@ function upload(backupId, format, dataLayoutString, progressCallback, callback)
             if (error) return callback(error);
 
             if (format === 'tgz') {
-                const aesKey = aesKeyFromPassword(backupConfig.key);
+                const aesKey = aesKeyFromPassword(backupConfig.password);
                 async.retry({ times: 5, interval: 20000 }, function (retryCallback) {
                     retryCallback = once(retryCallback); // protect again upload() erroring much later after tar stream error
 
@@ -662,11 +662,11 @@ function downloadDir(backupConfig, backupFilePath, dataLayout, progressCallback,
 
     debug(`downloadDir: ${backupFilePath} to ${dataLayout.toString()}`);
 
-    const aesKey = aesKeyFromPassword(backupConfig.key);
+    const aesKey = aesKeyFromPassword(backupConfig.password);
 
     function downloadFile(entry, done) {
         let relativePath = path.relative(backupFilePath, entry.fullPath);
-        if (backupConfig.key) {
+        if (backupConfig.password) {
             relativePath = decryptFilePath(relativePath, aesKey);
             if (!relativePath) return done(new BoxError(BoxError.CRYPTO_ERROR, 'Unable to decrypt file'));
         }
@@ -727,7 +727,7 @@ function download(backupConfig, backupId, format, dataLayout, progressCallback,
     const backupFilePath = getBackupFilePath(backupConfig, backupId, format);
 
     if (format === 'tgz') {
-        const aesKey = aesKeyFromPassword(backupConfig.key);
+        const aesKey = aesKeyFromPassword(backupConfig.password);
         async.retry({ times: 5, interval: 20000 }, function (retryCallback) {
             api(backupConfig.provider).download(backupConfig, backupFilePath, function (error, sourceStream) {
                 if (error) return retryCallback(error);
diff --git a/src/routes/apps.js b/src/routes/apps.js
index fc43483ac..9288971d7 100644
--- a/src/routes/apps.js
+++ b/src/routes/apps.js
@@ -428,7 +428,7 @@ function importApp(req, res, next) {
 
         if (req.body.backupConfig) {
             if (typeof backupConfig.provider !== 'string') return next(new HttpError(400, 'provider is required'));
-            if ('key' in backupConfig && typeof backupConfig.key !== 'string') return next(new HttpError(400, 'key must be a string'));
+            if ('password' in backupConfig && typeof backupConfig.password !== 'string') return next(new HttpError(400, 'password must be a string'));
             if ('acceptSelfSignedCerts' in backupConfig && typeof backupConfig.acceptSelfSignedCerts !== 'boolean') return next(new HttpError(400, 'format must be a boolean'));
 
             // testing backup config can take sometime
diff --git a/src/routes/provision.js b/src/routes/provision.js
index 29ec0d483..cb19a6a1c 100644
--- a/src/routes/provision.js
+++ b/src/routes/provision.js
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@ function restore(req, res, next) {
 
     var backupConfig = req.body.backupConfig;
     if (typeof backupConfig.provider !== 'string') return next(new HttpError(400, 'provider is required'));
-    if ('key' in backupConfig && typeof backupConfig.key !== 'string') return next(new HttpError(400, 'key must be a string'));
+    if ('password' in backupConfig && typeof backupConfig.password !== 'string') return next(new HttpError(400, 'password must be a string'));
     if (typeof backupConfig.format !== 'string') return next(new HttpError(400, 'format must be a string'));
     if ('acceptSelfSignedCerts' in backupConfig && typeof backupConfig.acceptSelfSignedCerts !== 'boolean') return next(new HttpError(400, 'format must be a boolean'));
 
diff --git a/src/routes/settings.js b/src/routes/settings.js
index 64c9ba961..984abeba1 100644
--- a/src/routes/settings.js
+++ b/src/routes/settings.js
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ function setBackupConfig(req, res, next) {
     if (typeof req.body.provider !== 'string') return next(new HttpError(400, 'provider is required'));
     if (typeof req.body.retentionSecs !== 'number') return next(new HttpError(400, 'retentionSecs is required'));
     if (typeof req.body.intervalSecs !== 'number') return next(new HttpError(400, 'intervalSecs is required'));
-    if ('key' in req.body && typeof req.body.key !== 'string') return next(new HttpError(400, 'key must be a string'));
+    if ('password' in req.body && typeof req.body.password !== 'string') return next(new HttpError(400, 'password must be a string'));
     if ('syncConcurrency' in req.body) {
         if (typeof req.body.syncConcurrency !== 'number') return next(new HttpError(400, 'syncConcurrency must be a positive integer'));
         if (req.body.syncConcurrency < 1) return next(new HttpError(400, 'syncConcurrency must be a positive integer'));
diff --git a/src/settings.js b/src/settings.js
index 315952da1..f06f8ddfd 100644
--- a/src/settings.js
+++ b/src/settings.js
@@ -142,7 +142,6 @@ let gDefaults = (function () {
     result[exports.CLOUDRON_TOKEN_KEY] = '';
     result[exports.BACKUP_CONFIG_KEY] = {
         provider: 'filesystem',
-        key: '',
         backupFolder: '/var/backups',
         format: 'tgz',
         retentionSecs: 2 * 24 * 60 * 60, // 2 days
@@ -386,7 +385,7 @@ function getBackupConfig(callback) {
         if (error && error.reason === BoxError.NOT_FOUND) return callback(null, gDefaults[exports.BACKUP_CONFIG_KEY]);
         if (error) return callback(error);
 
-        callback(null, JSON.parse(value)); // provider, token, key, region, prefix, bucket
+        callback(null, JSON.parse(value)); // provider, token, password, region, prefix, bucket
     });
 }
 
diff --git a/src/test/backups-test.js b/src/test/backups-test.js
index 982b86d70..7dc3bd507 100644
--- a/src/test/backups-test.js
+++ b/src/test/backups-test.js
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ describe('backups', function () {
             database._clear,
             settings.setBackupConfig.bind(null, {
                 provider: 'filesystem',
-                key: 'secretenckey',
+                password: 'supersecret',
                 backupFolder: BACKUP_DIR,
                 retentionSecs: 1,
                 format: 'tgz'