diff --git a/namespaces/exec.go b/namespaces/exec.go
index 44efb938d..d62b295fe 100644
--- a/namespaces/exec.go
+++ b/namespaces/exec.go
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ func Exec(container *libcontainer.Config, term Terminal, rootfs, dataPath string
 		Pid1StartTime: started,
 	}
 
-	if err := libcontainer.WriteState(dataPath, state); err != nil {
+	if err := libcontainer.SaveState(dataPath, state); err != nil {
 		command.Process.Kill()
 		command.Wait()
 		return -1, err
diff --git a/nsinit/exec.go b/nsinit/exec.go
index b1b36c135..c58c30664 100644
--- a/nsinit/exec.go
+++ b/nsinit/exec.go
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ func execAction(context *cli.Context) {
 		log.Fatal(err)
 	}
 
-	state, err := libcontainer.LoadState(dataPath)
+	state, err := libcontainer.GetState(dataPath)
 	if err != nil && !os.IsNotExist(err) {
 		log.Fatalf("unable to read state.json: %s", err)
 	}
diff --git a/state.go b/state.go
index 330f8195b..1f05d4c07 100644
--- a/state.go
+++ b/state.go
@@ -14,9 +14,9 @@ type State struct {
 	Pid1StartTime string `json:"pid1_start_time,omitempty"`
 }
 
-// WriteState writes the container's runtime state to a state.json file
+// SaveState writes the container's runtime state to a state.json file
 // in the specified path
-func WriteState(basePath string, state *State) error {
+func SaveState(basePath string, state *State) error {
 	f, err := os.Create(filepath.Join(basePath, "state.json"))
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
@@ -26,8 +26,8 @@ func WriteState(basePath string, state *State) error {
 	return json.NewEncoder(f).Encode(state)
 }
 
-// LoadState reads the state.json file for a running container
-func LoadState(basePath string) (*State, error) {
+// GetState reads the state.json file for a running container
+func GetState(basePath string) (*State, error) {
 	f, err := os.Open(filepath.Join(basePath, "state.json"))
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err