diff --git a/plugin/youcompleteme.vim b/plugin/youcompleteme.vim
index f8465da0..f8e9b3e9 100644
--- a/plugin/youcompleteme.vim
+++ b/plugin/youcompleteme.vim
@@ -109,8 +109,8 @@ let g:ycm_server_log_level =
 let g:ycm_server_keep_logfiles =
       \ get( g:, 'ycm_server_keep_logfiles', 0 )
 
-let g:ycm_server_idle_shutdown_seconds =
-      \ get( g:, 'ycm_server_idle_shutdown_seconds', 43200 )
+let g:ycm_server_idle_suicide_seconds =
+      \ get( g:, 'ycm_server_idle_suicide_seconds', 43200 )
 
 
 " On-demand loading. Let's use the autoload folder and not slow down vim's
diff --git a/python/ycm/server/watchdog_plugin.py b/python/ycm/server/watchdog_plugin.py
index 82be070f..23c48ae6 100644
--- a/python/ycm/server/watchdog_plugin.py
+++ b/python/ycm/server/watchdog_plugin.py
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ from threading import Thread, Lock
 # The idea here is to decorate every route handler automatically so that on
 # every request, we log when the request was made. Then a watchdog thread checks
 # every check_interval_seconds whether the server has been idle for a time
-# greater that the passed-in idle_shutdown_seconds. If it has, we kill the
+# greater that the passed-in idle_suicide_seconds. If it has, we kill the
 # server.
 #
 # We want to do this so that if something goes bonkers in Vim and the server
@@ -40,13 +40,13 @@ class WatchdogPlugin( object ):
 
 
   def __init__( self,
-                idle_shutdown_seconds,
+                idle_suicide_seconds,
                 check_interval_seconds = 60 * 10 ):
     self._check_interval_seconds = check_interval_seconds
-    self._idle_shutdown_seconds = idle_shutdown_seconds
+    self._idle_suicide_seconds = idle_suicide_seconds
     self._last_request_time = time.time()
     self._last_request_time_lock = Lock()
-    if idle_shutdown_seconds <= 0:
+    if idle_suicide_seconds <= 0:
       return
     self._watchdog_thread = Thread( target = self._WatchdogMain )
     self._watchdog_thread.daemon = True
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ class WatchdogPlugin( object ):
   def _WatchdogMain( self ):
     while True:
       time.sleep( self._check_interval_seconds )
-      if time.time() - self._GetLastRequestTime() > self._idle_shutdown_seconds:
+      if time.time() - self._GetLastRequestTime() > self._idle_suicide_seconds:
         utils.TerminateProcess( os.getpid() )
 
 
diff --git a/python/ycm/server/ycmd.py b/python/ycm/server/ycmd.py
index a80e1cbc..07d34d68 100755
--- a/python/ycm/server/ycmd.py
+++ b/python/ycm/server/ycmd.py
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ def Main():
   parser.add_argument( '--log', type = str, default = 'info',
                        help = 'log level, one of '
                               '[debug|info|warning|error|critical]' )
-  parser.add_argument( '--idle_shutdown_seconds', type = int, default = 0,
+  parser.add_argument( '--idle_suicide_seconds', type = int, default = 0,
                        help = 'num idle seconds before server shuts down')
   parser.add_argument( '--options_file', type = str, default = '',
                        help = 'file with user options, in JSON format' )
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ def Main():
   from ycm.server import handlers
   handlers.UpdateUserOptions( options )
   SetUpSignalHandler()
-  handlers.app.install( WatchdogPlugin( args.idle_shutdown_seconds ) )
+  handlers.app.install( WatchdogPlugin( args.idle_suicide_seconds ) )
   waitress.serve( handlers.app,
                   host = args.host,
                   port = args.port,
diff --git a/python/ycm/youcompleteme.py b/python/ycm/youcompleteme.py
index 6967c807..bf9d4d99 100644
--- a/python/ycm/youcompleteme.py
+++ b/python/ycm/youcompleteme.py
@@ -70,8 +70,8 @@ class YouCompleteMe( object ):
                '--port={0}'.format( server_port ),
                '--options_file={0}'.format( options_file.name ),
                '--log={0}'.format( self._user_options[ 'server_log_level' ] ),
-               '--idle_shutdown_seconds={0}'.format(
-                  self._user_options[ 'server_idle_shutdown_seconds' ] ) ]
+               '--idle_suicide_seconds={0}'.format(
+                  self._user_options[ 'server_idle_suicide_seconds' ] ) ]
 
       BaseRequest.server_location = 'http://localhost:' + str( server_port )