diff --git a/src/client.cc b/src/client.cc
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..d1950985
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/client.cc
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+#include "client.hh"
+
+#include "window.hh"
+
+namespace Kakoune
+{
+
+Client* current_client = nullptr;
+
+void draw_editor_ifn(Editor& editor)
+{
+    Window* window = dynamic_cast<Window*>(&editor);
+    if (current_client and window)
+        current_client->draw_window(*window);
+}
+
+String prompt(const String& text, Completer completer)
+{
+    assert(current_client);
+    return current_client->prompt(text, completer);
+}
+
+Key get_key()
+{
+    assert(current_client);
+    return current_client->get_key();
+}
+
+void print_status(const String& status)
+{
+    assert(current_client);
+    return current_client->print_status(status);
+}
+
+}
diff --git a/src/ui.hh b/src/client.hh
similarity index 78%
rename from src/ui.hh
rename to src/client.hh
index d7ca510a..b41de55b 100644
--- a/src/ui.hh
+++ b/src/client.hh
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
-#ifndef ui_hh_INCLUDED
-#define ui_hh_INCLUDED
+#ifndef client_hh_INCLUDED
+#define client_hh_INCLUDED
 
 #include "keys.hh"
 #include "completion.hh"
@@ -11,10 +11,10 @@ class Editor;
 class Window;
 class String;
 
-class UI
+class Client
 {
 public:
-    virtual ~UI() {}
+    virtual ~Client() {}
 
     virtual void   draw_window(Window& window) = 0;
     virtual void   print_status(const String& status) = 0;
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ public:
 
 struct prompt_aborted {};
 
-extern UI* current_ui;
+extern Client* current_client;
 
 void draw_editor_ifn(Editor& editor);
 String prompt(const String& text, Completer completer = complete_nothing);
@@ -33,5 +33,4 @@ void print_status(const String& status);
 
 }
 
-#endif // ui_hh_INCLUDED
-
+#endif // client_hh_INCLUDED
diff --git a/src/commands.cc b/src/commands.cc
index c31b99c3..0d42b060 100644
--- a/src/commands.cc
+++ b/src/commands.cc
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
 #include "buffer.hh"
 #include "window.hh"
 #include "file.hh"
-#include "ui.hh"
+#include "client.hh"
 #include "regex.hh"
 #include "highlighter_registry.hh"
 #include "filter_registry.hh"
@@ -671,19 +671,19 @@ private:
     char                m_name;
 };
 
-class BatchUI : public UI
+class BatchClient : public Client
 {
 public:
-    BatchUI(const KeyList& keys)
+    BatchClient(const KeyList& keys)
         : m_keys(keys), m_pos(0)
     {
-        m_previous_ui = current_ui;
-        current_ui = this;
+        m_previous_client = current_client;
+        current_client = this;
     }
 
-    ~BatchUI()
+    ~BatchClient()
     {
-        current_ui = m_previous_ui;
+        current_client = m_previous_client;
     }
 
     String prompt(const String&, Completer)
@@ -709,26 +709,26 @@ public:
 
     void print_status(const String& status)
     {
-        m_previous_ui->print_status(status);
+        m_previous_client->print_status(status);
     }
 
     void draw_window(Window& window)
     {
-        m_previous_ui->draw_window(window);
+        m_previous_client->draw_window(window);
     }
 
     bool has_key_left() const { return m_pos < m_keys.size(); }
 
 private:
     const KeyList& m_keys;
-    size_t m_pos;
-    UI*    m_previous_ui;
+    size_t         m_pos;
+    Client*        m_previous_client;
 };
 
 void exec_keys(const KeyList& keys,
                const Context& context)
 {
-    BatchUI batch_ui(keys);
+    BatchClient batch_client(keys);
 
     RegisterRestorer quote('"');
     RegisterRestorer slash('/');
@@ -740,9 +740,9 @@ void exec_keys(const KeyList& keys,
     scoped_edition edition(editor);
 
     int count = 0;
-    while (batch_ui.has_key_left())
+    while (batch_client.has_key_left())
     {
-        Key key = batch_ui.get_key();
+        Key key = batch_client.get_key();
 
         if (key.modifiers == Key::Modifiers::None and isdigit(key.key))
             count = count * 10 + key.key - '0';
diff --git a/src/main.cc b/src/main.cc
index aa084566..9a9c2008 100644
--- a/src/main.cc
+++ b/src/main.cc
@@ -31,7 +31,6 @@ namespace Kakoune
 Context main_context;
 bool quit_requested = false;
 
-
 struct InsertSequence
 {
     IncrementalInserter::Mode mode;
@@ -447,8 +446,8 @@ int main(int argc, char* argv[])
 
     try
     {
-        NCursesUI ui;
-        current_ui = &ui;
+        NCursesClient client;
+        current_client = &client;
 
         try
         {
@@ -471,7 +470,7 @@ int main(int argc, char* argv[])
             main_context = Context(*buffer->get_or_create_window());
         }
 
-        current_ui->draw_window(main_context.window());
+        current_client->draw_window(main_context.window());
         int count = 0;
         while(not quit_requested)
         {
@@ -486,7 +485,7 @@ int main(int argc, char* argv[])
                     if (it != keymap.end())
                     {
                         it->second(main_context.window(), count);
-                        current_ui->draw_window(main_context.window());
+                        current_client->draw_window(main_context.window());
                     }
                     count = 0;
                 }
diff --git a/src/ncurses.cc b/src/ncurses.cc
index 791b72b4..0daaabe9 100644
--- a/src/ncurses.cc
+++ b/src/ncurses.cc
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@
 namespace Kakoune
 {
 
-NCursesUI::NCursesUI()
+NCursesClient::NCursesClient()
 {
     // setlocale(LC_ALL, "");
     initscr();
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ NCursesUI::NCursesUI()
     ESCDELAY=25;
 }
 
-NCursesUI::~NCursesUI()
+NCursesClient::~NCursesClient()
 {
     endwin();
 }
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ static void set_color(Color fg_color, Color bg_color)
     }
 }
 
-void NCursesUI::draw_window(Window& window)
+void NCursesClient::draw_window(Window& window)
 {
     int max_x,max_y;
     getmaxyx(stdscr, max_y, max_x);
@@ -160,7 +160,7 @@ void NCursesUI::draw_window(Window& window)
     last_status_length = status_line.length();
 }
 
-Key NCursesUI::get_key()
+Key NCursesClient::get_key()
 {
     char c = getch();
 
@@ -184,7 +184,7 @@ Key NCursesUI::get_key()
     return Key(modifiers, c);
 }
 
-String NCursesUI::prompt(const String& text, Completer completer)
+String NCursesClient::prompt(const String& text, Completer completer)
 {
     curs_set(2);
     auto restore_cursor = on_scope_end([]() { curs_set(0); });
@@ -321,7 +321,7 @@ String NCursesUI::prompt(const String& text, Completer completer)
     return result;
 }
 
-void NCursesUI::print_status(const String& status)
+void NCursesClient::print_status(const String& status)
 {
     int x,y;
     getmaxyx(stdscr, y, x);
diff --git a/src/ncurses.hh b/src/ncurses.hh
index 640b0fd5..8583240b 100644
--- a/src/ncurses.hh
+++ b/src/ncurses.hh
@@ -1,19 +1,19 @@
 #ifndef ncurses_hh_INCLUDED
 #define ncurses_hh_INCLUDED
 
-#include "ui.hh"
+#include "client.hh"
 
 namespace Kakoune
 {
 
-class NCursesUI : public UI
+class NCursesClient : public Client
 {
 public:
-    NCursesUI();
-    ~NCursesUI();
+    NCursesClient();
+    ~NCursesClient();
 
-    NCursesUI(const NCursesUI&) = delete;
-    NCursesUI& operator=(const NCursesUI&) = delete;
+    NCursesClient(const NCursesClient&) = delete;
+    NCursesClient& operator=(const NCursesClient&) = delete;
 
     void draw_window(Window& window);
     void print_status(const String& status);
diff --git a/src/ui.cc b/src/ui.cc
deleted file mode 100644
index 319c9a35..00000000
--- a/src/ui.cc
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,35 +0,0 @@
-#include "ui.hh"
-
-#include "window.hh"
-
-namespace Kakoune
-{
-
-UI* current_ui = nullptr;
-
-void draw_editor_ifn(Editor& editor)
-{
-    Window* window = dynamic_cast<Window*>(&editor);
-    if (current_ui and window)
-        current_ui->draw_window(*window);
-}
-
-String prompt(const String& text, Completer completer)
-{
-    assert(current_ui);
-    return current_ui->prompt(text, completer);
-}
-
-Key get_key()
-{
-    assert(current_ui);
-    return current_ui->get_key();
-}
-
-void print_status(const String& status)
-{
-    assert(current_ui);
-    return current_ui->print_status(status);
-}
-
-}