diff --git a/cmd/osctl/cmd/install_linux.go b/cmd/osctl/cmd/install_linux.go
index 218e42459..5779ca95c 100644
--- a/cmd/osctl/cmd/install_linux.go
+++ b/cmd/osctl/cmd/install_linux.go
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ var installCmd = &cobra.Command{
 			Install: &userdata.Install{
 				Force:           true,
 				ExtraKernelArgs: extraKernelArgs,
-				Data: &userdata.InstallDevice{
+				Ephemeral: &userdata.InstallDevice{
 					Device: device,
 					Size:   16 * 1024 * 1024,
 				},
diff --git a/docs/content/configuration/userdata.md b/docs/content/configuration/userdata.md
index 672b85905..c8f95e12b 100644
--- a/docs/content/configuration/userdata.md
+++ b/docs/content/configuration/userdata.md
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 ---
-title: User Data
+title: User ephemeral
 date: 2019-06-21T19:40:55-07:00
 draft: false
 weight: 20
@@ -369,7 +369,8 @@ install:
 
 **Note** The asset name **must** be named `initramfs.xz`.
 
-### Data
+### Ephemeral
+
 #### Device
 
 ``Device`` specifies the device name to use for the `/var` partition. This should be specified as the
@@ -377,7 +378,7 @@ unpartitioned block device. If this parameter is omitted, the value of `install.
 
 ```yaml
 install:
-  data:
+  ephemeral:
     device: <name of device to use>
 ```
 
@@ -388,7 +389,7 @@ value of 1GB will be used. This partition will auto extend to consume the remain
 
 ```yaml
 install:
-  data:
+  ephemeral:
     size: <size in bytes>
 ```
 
diff --git a/internal/app/machined/internal/platform/iso/iso.go b/internal/app/machined/internal/platform/iso/iso.go
index c1ee25bf9..2f8dd3ae0 100644
--- a/internal/app/machined/internal/platform/iso/iso.go
+++ b/internal/app/machined/internal/platform/iso/iso.go
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ func (i *ISO) UserData() (data *userdata.UserData, err error) {
 					Size:   512 * 1000 * 1000,
 				},
 			},
-			Data: &userdata.InstallDevice{
+			Ephemeral: &userdata.InstallDevice{
 				Device: "/dev/sda",
 				Size:   2048 * 1000 * 1000,
 			},
diff --git a/internal/pkg/installer/installer.go b/internal/pkg/installer/installer.go
index 7f8bb5e40..64e3db428 100644
--- a/internal/pkg/installer/installer.go
+++ b/internal/pkg/installer/installer.go
@@ -127,7 +127,7 @@ func (i *Installer) Install() (err error) {
 				if err = syslinux.Prepare(target.Device); err != nil {
 					return err
 				}
-			case constants.DataPartitionLabel:
+			case constants.EphemeralPartitionLabel:
 				continue
 			}
 
diff --git a/internal/pkg/installer/installer_test.go b/internal/pkg/installer/installer_test.go
index 4e92d60d1..9611bed2c 100644
--- a/internal/pkg/installer/installer_test.go
+++ b/internal/pkg/installer/installer_test.go
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ func (suite *validateSuite) TestVerifyDevice() {
 	// defaults.
 	data.Install.Boot = nil
 	suite.Require().NoError(VerifyBootDevice(data))
-	data.Install.Data = &userdata.InstallDevice{
+	data.Install.Ephemeral = &userdata.InstallDevice{
 		Device: "/dev/sda",
 	}
 	suite.Require().NoError(VerifyDataDevice(data))
@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@ install:
   boot:
     device: /dev/sda
     size: 1024000000
-  data:
+  ephemeral:
     device: /dev/sda
     size: 1024000000
 `
diff --git a/internal/pkg/installer/manifest/manifest.go b/internal/pkg/installer/manifest/manifest.go
index 4ef90f598..0fcb8358c 100644
--- a/internal/pkg/installer/manifest/manifest.go
+++ b/internal/pkg/installer/manifest/manifest.go
@@ -62,8 +62,8 @@ func NewManifest(data *userdata.UserData) (manifest *Manifest) {
 	// Initialize any slices we need. Note that a boot paritition is not
 	// required.
 
-	if manifest.Targets[data.Install.Data.Device] == nil {
-		manifest.Targets[data.Install.Data.Device] = []*Target{}
+	if manifest.Targets[data.Install.Ephemeral.Device] == nil {
+		manifest.Targets[data.Install.Ephemeral.Device] = []*Target{}
 	}
 
 	var bootTarget *Target
@@ -89,12 +89,12 @@ func NewManifest(data *userdata.UserData) (manifest *Manifest) {
 	}
 
 	dataTarget := &Target{
-		Device:     data.Install.Data.Device,
-		Label:      constants.DataPartitionLabel,
-		Size:       data.Install.Data.Size,
+		Device:     data.Install.Ephemeral.Device,
+		Label:      constants.EphemeralPartitionLabel,
+		Size:       data.Install.Ephemeral.Size,
 		Force:      data.Install.Force,
 		Test:       false,
-		MountPoint: constants.DataMountPoint,
+		MountPoint: constants.EphemeralMountPoint,
 	}
 
 	for _, target := range []*Target{bootTarget, dataTarget} {
@@ -171,8 +171,8 @@ func (t *Target) Partition(bd *blockdevice.BlockDevice) (err error) {
 		// EFI System Partition
 		typeID := "C12A7328-F81F-11D2-BA4B-00A0C93EC93B"
 		opts = append(opts, partition.WithPartitionType(typeID), partition.WithPartitionName(t.Label), partition.WithLegacyBIOSBootableAttribute(true))
-	case constants.DataPartitionLabel:
-		// Data Partition
+	case constants.EphemeralPartitionLabel:
+		// Ephemeral Partition
 		typeID := "AF3DC60F-8384-7247-8E79-3D69D8477DE4"
 		opts = append(opts, partition.WithPartitionType(typeID), partition.WithPartitionName(t.Label))
 	default:
diff --git a/internal/pkg/installer/manifest/manifest_test.go b/internal/pkg/installer/manifest/manifest_test.go
index 17770524f..c5904e2c6 100644
--- a/internal/pkg/installer/manifest/manifest_test.go
+++ b/internal/pkg/installer/manifest/manifest_test.go
@@ -147,7 +147,7 @@ install:
   boot:
     device: /dev/sda
     size: 1024000000
-  data:
+  ephemeral:
     device: /dev/sda
     size: 1024000000
 `
diff --git a/internal/pkg/installer/verify.go b/internal/pkg/installer/verify.go
index 1c5fb44be..54d096a75 100644
--- a/internal/pkg/installer/verify.go
+++ b/internal/pkg/installer/verify.go
@@ -14,16 +14,16 @@ import (
 // VerifyDataDevice verifies the supplied data device options.
 func VerifyDataDevice(data *userdata.UserData) (err error) {
 	// Set data device to root device if not specified
-	if data.Install.Data == nil {
-		data.Install.Data = &userdata.InstallDevice{}
+	if data.Install.Ephemeral == nil {
+		data.Install.Ephemeral = &userdata.InstallDevice{}
 	}
 
-	if data.Install.Data.Device == "" {
-		return errors.New("a data device is required")
+	if data.Install.Ephemeral.Device == "" {
+		return errors.New("an ephemeral device is required")
 	}
 
 	if !data.Install.Force {
-		if err = VerifyDiskAvailability(constants.DataPartitionLabel); err != nil {
+		if err = VerifyDiskAvailability(constants.EphemeralPartitionLabel); err != nil {
 			return errors.Wrap(err, "failed to verify disk availability")
 		}
 	}
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ func VerifyBootDevice(data *userdata.UserData) (err error) {
 		// We can safely assume data device is defined at this point
 		// because VerifyDataDevice should have been called first in
 		// in the chain
-		data.Install.Boot.Device = data.Install.Data.Device
+		data.Install.Boot.Device = data.Install.Ephemeral.Device
 	}
 
 	if data.Install.Boot.Size == 0 {
diff --git a/internal/pkg/mount/manager/owned/owned.go b/internal/pkg/mount/manager/owned/owned.go
index 1306cf22c..e67cf6fe1 100644
--- a/internal/pkg/mount/manager/owned/owned.go
+++ b/internal/pkg/mount/manager/owned/owned.go
@@ -21,11 +21,11 @@ import (
 // filesystems.
 func MountPointsForDevice(devpath string) (mountpoints *mount.Points, err error) {
 	mountpoints = mount.NewMountPoints()
-	for _, name := range []string{constants.DataPartitionLabel, constants.BootPartitionLabel} {
+	for _, name := range []string{constants.EphemeralPartitionLabel, constants.BootPartitionLabel} {
 		var target string
 		switch name {
-		case constants.DataPartitionLabel:
-			target = constants.DataMountPoint
+		case constants.EphemeralPartitionLabel:
+			target = constants.EphemeralMountPoint
 		case constants.BootPartitionLabel:
 			target = constants.BootMountPoint
 		}
@@ -51,12 +51,12 @@ func MountPointsForDevice(devpath string) (mountpoints *mount.Points, err error)
 // we want to grow the data filesystem.
 func MountPointsFromLabels() (mountpoints *mount.Points, err error) {
 	mountpoints = mount.NewMountPoints()
-	for _, name := range []string{constants.DataPartitionLabel, constants.BootPartitionLabel} {
+	for _, name := range []string{constants.EphemeralPartitionLabel, constants.BootPartitionLabel} {
 		opts := []mount.Option{}
 		var target string
 		switch name {
-		case constants.DataPartitionLabel:
-			target = constants.DataMountPoint
+		case constants.EphemeralPartitionLabel:
+			target = constants.EphemeralMountPoint
 			opts = append(opts, mount.WithResize(true))
 		case constants.BootPartitionLabel:
 			target = constants.BootMountPoint
diff --git a/internal/pkg/mount/mount.go b/internal/pkg/mount/mount.go
index c11b9ea82..e1b55ccf0 100644
--- a/internal/pkg/mount/mount.go
+++ b/internal/pkg/mount/mount.go
@@ -188,7 +188,7 @@ func (p *Point) ResizePartition() (err error) {
 	}
 
 	for _, partition := range pt.Partitions() {
-		if partition.(*gptpartition.Partition).Name == constants.DataPartitionLabel {
+		if partition.(*gptpartition.Partition).Name == constants.EphemeralPartitionLabel {
 			if err := pt.Resize(partition); err != nil {
 				return err
 			}
diff --git a/pkg/constants/constants.go b/pkg/constants/constants.go
index 6271b55e8..385889f52 100644
--- a/pkg/constants/constants.go
+++ b/pkg/constants/constants.go
@@ -44,13 +44,13 @@ const (
 	// the boot path.
 	BootMountPoint = "/boot"
 
-	// DataPartitionLabel is the label of the partition to use for mounting at
-	// the data path.
-	DataPartitionLabel = "DATA"
+	// EphemeralPartitionLabel is the label of the partition to use for
+	// mounting at the data path.
+	EphemeralPartitionLabel = "EPHEMERAL"
 
-	// DataMountPoint is the label of the partition to use for mounting at
+	// EphemeralMountPoint is the label of the partition to use for mounting at
 	// the data path.
-	DataMountPoint = "/var"
+	EphemeralMountPoint = "/var"
 
 	// RootMountPoint is the label of the partition to use for mounting at
 	// the root path.
diff --git a/pkg/userdata/install.go b/pkg/userdata/install.go
index ee1bc6f67..6dffe86ed 100644
--- a/pkg/userdata/install.go
+++ b/pkg/userdata/install.go
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ package userdata
 // Install represents the installation options for preparing a node.
 type Install struct {
 	Boot            *BootDevice    `yaml:"boot,omitempty"`
-	Data            *InstallDevice `yaml:"data,omitempty"`
+	Ephemeral       *InstallDevice `yaml:"ephemeral,omitempty"`
 	ExtraDevices    []*ExtraDevice `yaml:"extraDevices,omitempty"`
 	ExtraKernelArgs []string       `yaml:"extraKernelArgs,omitempty"`
 	Wipe            bool           `yaml:"wipe"`
diff --git a/pkg/userdata/userdata_test.go b/pkg/userdata/userdata_test.go
index 6c2bbee0b..c7d8736d5 100644
--- a/pkg/userdata/userdata_test.go
+++ b/pkg/userdata/userdata_test.go
@@ -141,11 +141,7 @@ install:
     force: true
     device: /dev/sda
     size: 1024000000
-  root:
-    force: true
-    device: /dev/sda
-    size: 1024000000
-  data:
+  ephemeral:
     force: true
     device: /dev/sda
     size: 1024000000