diff --git a/src/buffer.cc b/src/buffer.cc
index 93360b74..807f8f62 100644
--- a/src/buffer.cc
+++ b/src/buffer.cc
@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@ ByteCount Buffer::line_length(LineCount line) const
 {
     kak_assert(line < line_count());
     ByteCount end = (line < line_count() - 1) ?
-                    m_lines[line + 1].start : character_count();
+                    m_lines[line + 1].start : byte_count();
     return end - m_lines[line].start;
 }
 
@@ -149,7 +149,7 @@ BufferIterator Buffer::end() const
     return BufferIterator(*this, { line_count()-1, m_lines.back().length() });
 }
 
-ByteCount Buffer::character_count() const
+ByteCount Buffer::byte_count() const
 {
     if (m_lines.empty())
         return 0;
diff --git a/src/buffer.hh b/src/buffer.hh
index bca30078..05453ae0 100644
--- a/src/buffer.hh
+++ b/src/buffer.hh
@@ -127,7 +127,7 @@ public:
 
     BufferIterator begin() const;
     BufferIterator end() const;
-    ByteCount      character_count() const;
+    ByteCount      byte_count() const;
     LineCount      line_count() const;
     ByteCount      line_length(LineCount line) const;
     const String&  line_content(LineCount line) const
diff --git a/src/buffer_iterator.inl.hh b/src/buffer_iterator.inl.hh
index ac455482..194a293f 100644
--- a/src/buffer_iterator.inl.hh
+++ b/src/buffer_iterator.inl.hh
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ inline ByteCount BufferIterator::offset() const
 {
     kak_assert(m_buffer);
     return line() >= m_buffer->line_count() ?
-        m_buffer->character_count() : m_buffer->m_lines[line()].start + column();
+        m_buffer->byte_count() : m_buffer->m_lines[line()].start + column();
 }
 
 inline size_t BufferIterator::operator-(const BufferIterator& iterator) const
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ inline BufferIterator BufferIterator::operator+(ByteCount size) const
     kak_assert(m_buffer);
     if (size >= 0)
     {
-        ByteCount o = std::min(m_buffer->character_count(), offset() + size);
+        ByteCount o = std::min(m_buffer->byte_count(), offset() + size);
         for (LineCount i = line() + 1; i < m_buffer->line_count(); ++i)
         {
             if (m_buffer->m_lines[i].start > o)
@@ -188,7 +188,7 @@ inline bool BufferIterator::is_end() const
         kak_assert(m_coord.column == 0);
         return true;
     }
-    return offset() == m_buffer->character_count();
+    return offset() == m_buffer->byte_count();
 }
 
 }