diff --git a/lib/ghosts.js b/lib/ghosts.js
index 5ebc31b..15d93a9 100644
--- a/lib/ghosts.js
+++ b/lib/ghosts.js
@@ -118,23 +118,23 @@ class Ghosts {
    * @param {string} tangleID
    * @param {string} msgID
    * @param {number} depth
-   * @param {number} max
+   * @param {number} span
    * @param {CB<void>} cb
    */
-  save(tangleID, msgID, depth, max, cb) {
+  save(tangleID, msgID, depth, span, cb) {
     this.#loaded.onReady(() => {
       if (!this.#maps.has(tangleID)) this.#maps.set(tangleID, new Map())
       const map = /** @type {Map<string, number>} */ (this.#maps.get(tangleID))
       const newMap = new Map(map)
       newMap.set(msgID, depth)
 
-      // Garbage collect any ghost smaller than largestDepth - max
+      // Garbage collect any ghost smaller than largestDepth - span
       let largestDepth = -1
       for (const depth of newMap.values()) {
         if (depth > largestDepth) largestDepth = depth
       }
       for (const [x, depth] of newMap.entries()) {
-        if (depth <= largestDepth - max) newMap.delete(x)
+        if (depth <= largestDepth - span) newMap.delete(x)
       }
 
       atomic.writeFile(
diff --git a/lib/index.js b/lib/index.js
index b487d34..46cf780 100644
--- a/lib/index.js
+++ b/lib/index.js
@@ -945,7 +945,7 @@ function initDB(peer, config) {
   }
 
   /**
-   * @param {{ tangleID: MsgID; msgID: MsgID; max: number; }} opts
+   * @param {{ tangleID: MsgID; msgID: MsgID; span: number; }} opts
    * @param {CB<void>} cb
    */
   function addGhost(opts, cb) {
@@ -955,8 +955,8 @@ function initDB(peer, config) {
     // prettier-ignore
     if (!opts.msgID || typeof opts.msgID !== 'string') return cb(new Error('ghosts.add() requires msgID of the deleted msg in `opts.msgID`'))
     // prettier-ignore
-    if (!opts.max || typeof opts.max !== 'number') return cb(new Error('ghosts.add() requires max depth distance in `opts.max`'))
-    const { tangleID, msgID, max } = opts
+    if (!opts.span || typeof opts.span !== 'number') return cb(new Error('ghosts.add() requires span in `opts.span`'))
+    const { tangleID, msgID, span} = opts
     const rec = getRecord(msgID)
     if (!rec) return cb()
     if (!rec.msg) return cb()
@@ -965,7 +965,7 @@ function initDB(peer, config) {
     if (!tangleData) return cb(new Error(`ghosts.add() opts.msg "${opts.msgID}" does not belong to opts.tangle "${opts.tangleID}"`))
     const depth = tangleData.depth
 
-    ghosts.save(tangleID, msgID, depth, max, (err) => {
+    ghosts.save(tangleID, msgID, depth, span, (err) => {
       // prettier-ignore
       if (err) cb(new Error('ghosts.add() failed to save to disk', { cause: err }))
       else cb()
diff --git a/test/ghosts.tests.js b/test/ghosts.tests.js
index da3cf67..ee5b97c 100644
--- a/test/ghosts.tests.js
+++ b/test/ghosts.tests.js
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ test('ghosts.add, ghosts.get, ghosts.getMinDepth', async (t) => {
   await peer.db.loaded()
 
   const account = await p(peer.db.account.create)({ domain: 'person' })
-  const MAX = 5
+  const SPAN = 5
 
   let msgIDs = []
   for (let i = 0; i < 10; i++) {
@@ -32,27 +32,27 @@ test('ghosts.add, ghosts.get, ghosts.getMinDepth', async (t) => {
     })
     msgIDs.push(rec.id)
   }
-  const feedID = peer.db.feed.getID(account, 'post')
+  const tangleID = peer.db.feed.getID(account, 'post')
 
-  const ghosts0 = peer.db.ghosts.get(feedID)
+  const ghosts0 = peer.db.ghosts.get(tangleID)
   assert.deepEqual(ghosts0, [], 'no ghosts so far')
 
-  await p(peer.db.ghosts.add)({ msgID: msgIDs[0], tangleID: feedID, max: MAX })
-  await p(peer.db.ghosts.add)({ msgID: msgIDs[1], tangleID: feedID, max: MAX })
-  await p(peer.db.ghosts.add)({ msgID: msgIDs[2], tangleID: feedID, max: MAX })
-  await p(peer.db.ghosts.add)({ msgID: msgIDs[3], tangleID: feedID, max: MAX })
-  await p(peer.db.ghosts.add)({ msgID: msgIDs[4], tangleID: feedID, max: MAX })
+  await p(peer.db.ghosts.add)({ msgID: msgIDs[0], tangleID, span: SPAN })
+  await p(peer.db.ghosts.add)({ msgID: msgIDs[1], tangleID, span: SPAN })
+  await p(peer.db.ghosts.add)({ msgID: msgIDs[2], tangleID, span: SPAN })
+  await p(peer.db.ghosts.add)({ msgID: msgIDs[3], tangleID, span: SPAN })
+  await p(peer.db.ghosts.add)({ msgID: msgIDs[4], tangleID, span: SPAN })
 
-  const ghostsA = peer.db.ghosts.get(feedID)
+  const ghostsA = peer.db.ghosts.get(tangleID)
   assert.deepEqual(ghostsA, msgIDs.slice(0, 5), 'ghosts so far')
-  const depthA = peer.db.ghosts.getMinDepth(feedID)
+  const depthA = peer.db.ghosts.getMinDepth(tangleID)
   assert.equal(depthA, 1, 'min depth so far')
 
-  await p(peer.db.ghosts.add)({ msgID: msgIDs[5], tangleID: feedID, max: MAX })
+  await p(peer.db.ghosts.add)({ msgID: msgIDs[5], tangleID, span: SPAN })
 
-  const ghostsB = peer.db.ghosts.get(feedID)
+  const ghostsB = peer.db.ghosts.get(tangleID)
   assert.deepEqual(ghostsB, msgIDs.slice(1, 6), 'ghosts so far')
-  const depthB = peer.db.ghosts.getMinDepth(feedID)
+  const depthB = peer.db.ghosts.getMinDepth(tangleID)
   assert.equal(depthB, 2, 'min depth so far')
 
   await p(peer.close)(true)