diff --git a/src/libstore-c/nix_api_store.cc b/src/libstore-c/nix_api_store.cc
index 93e1626a1..d80ba332e 100644
--- a/src/libstore-c/nix_api_store.cc
+++ b/src/libstore-c/nix_api_store.cc
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ nix_err nix_store_get_uri(nix_c_context * context, Store * store, void * callbac
         context->last_err_code = NIX_OK;
     try {
         auto res = store->ptr->getUri();
-        return call_nix_observe_string(res, callback, user_data);
+        return call_nix_get_string_callback(res, callback, user_data);
     }
     NIXC_CATCH_ERRS
 }
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ nix_err nix_store_get_version(nix_c_context * context, Store * store, void * cal
         context->last_err_code = NIX_OK;
     try {
         auto res = store->ptr->getVersion();
-        return call_nix_observe_string(res.value_or(""), callback, user_data);
+        return call_nix_get_string_callback(res.value_or(""), callback, user_data);
     }
     NIXC_CATCH_ERRS
 }
diff --git a/src/libstore-c/nix_api_store.h b/src/libstore-c/nix_api_store.h
index 25175de44..1309f99b7 100644
--- a/src/libstore-c/nix_api_store.h
+++ b/src/libstore-c/nix_api_store.h
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ void nix_store_free(Store * store);
  * @param[in] store nix store reference
  * @param[in] callback Called with the URI.
  * @param[in] user_data optional, arbitrary data, passed to the callback when it's called.
- * @see nix_observe_string
+ * @see nix_get_string_callback
  * @return error code, NIX_OK on success.
  */
 nix_err nix_store_get_uri(nix_c_context * context, Store * store, void * callback, void * user_data);
@@ -133,7 +133,7 @@ nix_err nix_store_realise(
  * @param[in] store nix store reference
  * @param[in] callback Called with the version.
  * @param[in] user_data optional, arbitrary data, passed to the callback when it's called.
- * @see nix_observe_string
+ * @see nix_get_string_callback
  * @return error code, NIX_OK on success.
  */
 nix_err nix_store_get_version(nix_c_context * context, Store * store, void * callback, void * user_data);
diff --git a/src/libutil-c/nix_api_util.cc b/src/libutil-c/nix_api_util.cc
index ed542059d..8d0f7ac38 100644
--- a/src/libutil-c/nix_api_util.cc
+++ b/src/libutil-c/nix_api_util.cc
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ nix_err nix_setting_get(nix_c_context * context, const char * key, void * callba
         std::map<std::string, nix::AbstractConfig::SettingInfo> settings;
         nix::globalConfig.getSettings(settings);
         if (settings.contains(key)) {
-            return call_nix_observe_string(settings[key].value, callback, user_data);
+            return call_nix_get_string_callback(settings[key].value, callback, user_data);
         } else {
             return nix_set_err_msg(context, NIX_ERR_KEY, "Setting not found");
         }
@@ -122,7 +122,7 @@ nix_err nix_err_name(nix_c_context * context, const nix_c_context * read_context
     if (read_context->last_err_code != NIX_ERR_NIX_ERROR) {
         return nix_set_err_msg(context, NIX_ERR_UNKNOWN, "Last error was not a nix error");
     }
-    return call_nix_observe_string(read_context->name, callback, user_data);
+    return call_nix_get_string_callback(read_context->name, callback, user_data);
 }
 
 nix_err nix_err_info_msg(nix_c_context * context, const nix_c_context * read_context, void * callback, void * user_data)
@@ -132,7 +132,7 @@ nix_err nix_err_info_msg(nix_c_context * context, const nix_c_context * read_con
     if (read_context->last_err_code != NIX_ERR_NIX_ERROR) {
         return nix_set_err_msg(context, NIX_ERR_UNKNOWN, "Last error was not a nix error");
     }
-    return call_nix_observe_string(read_context->info->msg.str(), callback, user_data);
+    return call_nix_get_string_callback(read_context->info->msg.str(), callback, user_data);
 }
 
 nix_err nix_err_code(const nix_c_context * read_context)
@@ -141,8 +141,8 @@ nix_err nix_err_code(const nix_c_context * read_context)
 }
 
 // internal
-nix_err call_nix_observe_string(const std::string str, void * callback, void * user_data)
+nix_err call_nix_get_string_callback(const std::string str, void * callback, void * user_data)
 {
-    ((nix_observe_string) callback)(str.c_str(), str.size(), user_data);
+    ((nix_get_string_callback) callback)(str.c_str(), str.size(), user_data);
     return NIX_OK;
 }
diff --git a/src/libutil-c/nix_api_util.h b/src/libutil-c/nix_api_util.h
index fc6dc8655..cb506ca90 100644
--- a/src/libutil-c/nix_api_util.h
+++ b/src/libutil-c/nix_api_util.h
@@ -124,9 +124,9 @@ typedef struct nix_c_context nix_c_context;
  *
  * @param[in] start the string to copy.
  * @param[in] n the string length.
- * @param[in] user_data optional, arbitrary data, passed to the nix_observe_string when it's called.
+ * @param[in] user_data optional, arbitrary data, passed to the nix_get_string_callback when it's called.
  */
-typedef void (*nix_observe_string)(const char * start, unsigned int n, void * user_data);
+typedef void (*nix_get_string_callback)(const char * start, unsigned int n, void * user_data);
 
 // Function prototypes
 
@@ -171,7 +171,7 @@ nix_err nix_libutil_init(nix_c_context * context);
  * @param[in] key The key of the setting to retrieve.
  * @param[in] callback Called with the setting value.
  * @param[in] user_data optional, arbitrary data, passed to the callback when it's called.
- * @see nix_observe_string
+ * @see nix_get_string_callback
  * @return NIX_ERR_KEY if the setting is unknown, or NIX_OK if the setting was retrieved
  * successfully.
  */
@@ -238,7 +238,7 @@ const char * nix_err_msg(nix_c_context * context, const nix_c_context * ctx, uns
  * @param[in] read_context the context to retrieve the error message from.
  * @param[in] callback Called with the error message.
  * @param[in] user_data optional, arbitrary data, passed to the callback when it's called.
- * @see nix_observe_string
+ * @see nix_get_string_callback
  * @return NIX_OK if there were no errors, an error code otherwise.
  */
 nix_err
@@ -257,7 +257,7 @@ nix_err_info_msg(nix_c_context * context, const nix_c_context * read_context, vo
  * @param[in] read_context the context to retrieve the error message from
  * @param[in] callback Called with the error name.
  * @param[in] user_data optional, arbitrary data, passed to the callback when it's called.
- * @see nix_observe_string
+ * @see nix_get_string_callback
  * @return NIX_OK if there were no errors, an error code otherwise.
  */
 nix_err nix_err_name(nix_c_context * context, const nix_c_context * read_context, void * callback, void * user_data);
diff --git a/src/libutil-c/nix_api_util_internal.h b/src/libutil-c/nix_api_util_internal.h
index f91d8c118..6e8eac020 100644
--- a/src/libutil-c/nix_api_util_internal.h
+++ b/src/libutil-c/nix_api_util_internal.h
@@ -20,16 +20,16 @@ nix_err nix_context_error(nix_c_context * context);
 /**
  * Internal use only.
  *
- * Helper to invoke nix_observe_string
+ * Helper to invoke nix_get_string_callback
  * @param context optional, the context to store errors in if this function
  * fails
  * @param str The string to observe
  * @param callback Called with the observed string.
  * @param user_data optional, arbitrary data, passed to the callback when it's called.
  * @return NIX_OK if there were no errors.
- * @see nix_observe_string
+ * @see nix_get_string_callback
  */
-nix_err call_nix_observe_string(const std::string str, void * callback, void * user_data);
+nix_err call_nix_get_string_callback(const std::string str, void * callback, void * user_data);
 
 #define NIXC_CATCH_ERRS \
     catch (...) \