diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index eaa6637d..798454a9 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -236,7 +236,7 @@ TODO, still WIP
   plugin. It has support for YCM and together they will provide you with compile
   errors/warnings practically instantly and without saving the file.
 
-YCM looks for a `.ycm_clang_options.py` file in the directory of the opened file
+YCM looks for a `.ycm_extra_conf.py` file in the directory of the opened file
 or in any directory above it in the hierarchy (recursively); when the file is
 found, it is loaded (only once!) as a Python module. YCM calls a `FlagsForFile`
 method in that module which should provide it with the information necessary to
@@ -246,7 +246,7 @@ This system was designed this way so that the user can perform any arbitrary
 sequence of operations to produce a list of compilation flags YCM should hand
 to Clang.
 
-[See YCM's own `.ycm_clang_options.py`][flags_example] for details on how this
+[See YCM's own `.ycm_extra_conf.py`][flags_example] for details on how this
 works. You should be able to use it as a starting point. Hint: just replace the
 strings in the `flags` variable with compilation flags necessary for your
 project. That should be enough for 99% of projects.
@@ -254,7 +254,7 @@ project. That should be enough for 99% of projects.
 Yes, [Clang's `CompilationDatabase` system][compdb] is also supported. Again, see the
 above linked example file.
 
-TODO: compile flags, include paths, ycm_clang_options, CompilationDatabase
+TODO: compile flags, include paths, ycm_extra_conf, CompilationDatabase
 support, how the search system works (subsequence match), extending the semantic
 engine for other langs, using ListToggle
 
@@ -413,5 +413,5 @@ This software is licensed under the [GPL v3 license][gpl].
 [gpl]: http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/gpl.html
 [vim]: http://www.vim.org/
 [syntastic]: https://github.com/scrooloose/syntastic
-[flags_example]: https://github.com/Valloric/YouCompleteMe/blob/master/cpp/ycm/.ycm_clang_options.py
+[flags_example]: https://github.com/Valloric/YouCompleteMe/blob/master/cpp/ycm/.ycm_extra_conf.py
 [compdb]: http://clang.llvm.org/docs/JSONCompilationDatabase.html
diff --git a/cpp/ycm/.ycm_clang_options.py b/cpp/ycm/.ycm_extra_conf.py
similarity index 98%
rename from cpp/ycm/.ycm_clang_options.py
rename to cpp/ycm/.ycm_extra_conf.py
index 896f5fcd..f418f016 100644
--- a/cpp/ycm/.ycm_clang_options.py
+++ b/cpp/ycm/.ycm_extra_conf.py
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ def FlagsForFile( filename ):
 
     # NOTE: This is just for YouCompleteMe; it's highly likely that your project
     # does NOT need to remove the stdlib flag. DO NOT USE THIS IN YOUR
-    # ycm_clang_options IF YOU'RE NOT 100% YOU NEED IT.
+    # ycm_extra_conf IF YOU'RE NOT 100% YOU NEED IT.
     try:
       final_flags.remove( '-stdlib=libc++' )
     except ValueError:
diff --git a/python/completers/cpp/flags.py b/python/completers/cpp/flags.py
index 6f385e20..78642035 100644
--- a/python/completers/cpp/flags.py
+++ b/python/completers/cpp/flags.py
@@ -25,10 +25,10 @@ import string
 import sys
 import vimsupport
 
-CLANG_OPTIONS_FILENAME = '.ycm_clang_options.py'
+YCM_EXTRA_CONF_FILENAME = '.ycm_extra_conf.py'
 NO_OPTIONS_FILENAME_MESSAGE = ('No {0} file detected, so no compile flags '
   'are available. Thus no semantic support for C/C++/ObjC/ObjC++.').format(
-    CLANG_OPTIONS_FILENAME )
+    YCM_EXTRA_CONF_FILENAME )
 
 class Flags( object ):
   def __init__( self ):
@@ -86,15 +86,15 @@ class Flags( object ):
 
 
 def _FlagsModuleSourceFileForFile( filename ):
-  """For a given filename, finds its nearest CLANG_OPTIONS_FILENAME file that
+  """For a given filename, finds its nearest YCM_EXTRA_CONF_FILENAME file that
   will compute the flags necessary to compile the file. Returns None if no
-  CLANG_OPTIONS_FILENAME file could be found."""
+  YCM_EXTRA_CONF_FILENAME file could be found."""
 
   parent_folder = os.path.dirname( filename )
   old_parent_folder = ''
 
   while True:
-    current_file = os.path.join( parent_folder, CLANG_OPTIONS_FILENAME )
+    current_file = os.path.join( parent_folder, YCM_EXTRA_CONF_FILENAME )
     if os.path.exists( current_file ):
       return current_file