diff --git a/release/create_casync_channel.py b/release/create_casync_channel.py
index 4ece82dec5..459f70d3a8 100755
--- a/release/create_casync_channel.py
+++ b/release/create_casync_channel.py
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 import argparse
 import pathlib
 
-from openpilot.system.updated.casync.common import create_caexclude_file, create_casync_channel, create_manifest_file
+from openpilot.system.updated.casync.common import create_caexclude_file, create_casync_channel, create_version_metadata_file
 
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ if __name__ == "__main__":
   target_dir = pathlib.Path(args.target_dir)
   output_dir = pathlib.Path(args.output_dir)
 
-  create_manifest_file(target_dir, args.channel)
+  create_version_metadata_file(target_dir, args.channel)
   create_caexclude_file(target_dir)
 
   digest, caidx = create_casync_channel(target_dir, output_dir, args.channel)
diff --git a/system/updated/casync/common.py b/system/updated/casync/common.py
index 2743aa572c..abdda7a1b6 100644
--- a/system/updated/casync/common.py
+++ b/system/updated/casync/common.py
@@ -6,8 +6,8 @@ from openpilot.system.version import get_release_notes, get_version
 
 
 CASYNC_ARGS = ["--with=symlinks", "--with=permissions"]
-CHANNEL_MANIFEST_FILE = "channel.json" # file that contains details of the current release
-CASYNC_FILES = [CHANNEL_MANIFEST_FILE, ".caexclude"]
+VERSION_METADATA_FILE = "version.json" # file that contains details of the current release
+CASYNC_FILES = [VERSION_METADATA_FILE, ".caexclude"]
 
 
 def run(cmd):
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ def create_caexclude_file(path: pathlib.Path):
       f.write(f"!{file}\n")
 
 
-def create_manifest(channel, version, release_notes):
+def create_version_metadata(channel, version, release_notes):
   return {
     "name": channel,
     "openpilot": {
@@ -47,11 +47,11 @@ def create_manifest(channel, version, release_notes):
     }
   }
 
-def create_manifest_file(path: pathlib.Path, channel: str):
+def create_version_metadata_file(path: pathlib.Path, channel: str):
   version = get_version(str(path))
   release_notes = get_release_notes(str(path))
-  with open(path / CHANNEL_MANIFEST_FILE, "w") as f:
-    f.write(json.dumps(create_manifest(channel, version, release_notes)))
+  with open(path / VERSION_METADATA_FILE, "w") as f:
+    f.write(json.dumps(create_version_metadata(channel, version, release_notes)))
 
 
 def create_casync_channel(target_dir: pathlib.Path, output_dir: pathlib.Path, channel: str):