diff --git a/builtin/interpret-trailers.c b/builtin/interpret-trailers.c
index 033bd1556c..85a3413baf 100644
--- a/builtin/interpret-trailers.c
+++ b/builtin/interpret-trailers.c
@@ -132,11 +132,11 @@ int cmd_interpret_trailers(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 	if (argc) {
 		int i;
 		for (i = 0; i < argc; i++)
-			process_trailers(argv[i], &opts, &trailers);
+			interpret_trailers(&opts, &trailers, argv[i]);
 	} else {
 		if (opts.in_place)
 			die(_("no input file given for in-place editing"));
-		process_trailers(NULL, &opts, &trailers);
+		interpret_trailers(&opts, &trailers, NULL);
 	}
 
 	new_trailers_clear(&trailers);
diff --git a/trailer.c b/trailer.c
index f74915bd8c..916175707d 100644
--- a/trailer.c
+++ b/trailer.c
@@ -163,12 +163,12 @@ static void print_tok_val(FILE *outfile, const char *tok, const char *val)
 		fprintf(outfile, "%s%c %s\n", tok, separators[0], val);
 }
 
-static void print_all(FILE *outfile, struct list_head *head,
-		      const struct process_trailer_options *opts)
+static void format_trailers(const struct process_trailer_options *opts,
+			    struct list_head *trailers, FILE *outfile)
 {
 	struct list_head *pos;
 	struct trailer_item *item;
-	list_for_each(pos, head) {
+	list_for_each(pos, trailers) {
 		item = list_entry(pos, struct trailer_item, list);
 		if ((!opts->trim_empty || strlen(item->value) > 0) &&
 		    (!opts->only_trailers || item->token))
@@ -589,7 +589,7 @@ static int git_trailer_config(const char *conf_key, const char *value,
 	return 0;
 }
 
-static void ensure_configured(void)
+static void trailer_config_init(void)
 {
 	if (configured)
 		return;
@@ -1035,10 +1035,10 @@ static void parse_trailers(struct trailer_info *info,
 	}
 }
 
-static void free_all(struct list_head *head)
+static void free_trailers(struct list_head *trailers)
 {
 	struct list_head *pos, *p;
-	list_for_each_safe(pos, p, head) {
+	list_for_each_safe(pos, p, trailers) {
 		list_del(pos);
 		free_trailer_item(list_entry(pos, struct trailer_item, list));
 	}
@@ -1075,16 +1075,16 @@ static FILE *create_in_place_tempfile(const char *file)
 	return outfile;
 }
 
-void process_trailers(const char *file,
-		      const struct process_trailer_options *opts,
-		      struct list_head *new_trailer_head)
+void interpret_trailers(const struct process_trailer_options *opts,
+			struct list_head *new_trailer_head,
+			const char *file)
 {
 	LIST_HEAD(head);
 	struct strbuf sb = STRBUF_INIT;
 	struct trailer_info info;
 	FILE *outfile = stdout;
 
-	ensure_configured();
+	trailer_config_init();
 
 	read_input_file(&sb, file);
 
@@ -1110,8 +1110,8 @@ void process_trailers(const char *file,
 		process_trailers_lists(&head, &arg_head);
 	}
 
-	print_all(outfile, &head, opts);
-	free_all(&head);
+	format_trailers(opts, &head, outfile);
+	free_trailers(&head);
 
 	/* Print the lines after the trailers as is */
 	if (!opts->only_trailers)
@@ -1134,7 +1134,7 @@ void trailer_info_get(struct trailer_info *info, const char *str,
 	size_t nr = 0, alloc = 0;
 	char **last = NULL;
 
-	ensure_configured();
+	trailer_config_init();
 
 	end_of_log_message = find_end_of_log_message(str, opts->no_divider);
 	trailer_block_start = find_trailer_block_start(str, end_of_log_message);
diff --git a/trailer.h b/trailer.h
index 1644cd05f6..37033e631a 100644
--- a/trailer.h
+++ b/trailer.h
@@ -81,9 +81,9 @@ struct process_trailer_options {
 
 #define PROCESS_TRAILER_OPTIONS_INIT {0}
 
-void process_trailers(const char *file,
-		      const struct process_trailer_options *opts,
-		      struct list_head *new_trailer_head);
+void interpret_trailers(const struct process_trailer_options *opts,
+			struct list_head *new_trailer_head,
+			const char *file);
 
 void trailer_info_get(struct trailer_info *info, const char *str,
 		      const struct process_trailer_options *opts);