diff --git a/overlord/hookstate/ctlcmd/export_test.go b/overlord/hookstate/ctlcmd/export_test.go
index 852c85f6a88..b59b04d32bc 100644
--- a/overlord/hookstate/ctlcmd/export_test.go
+++ b/overlord/hookstate/ctlcmd/export_test.go
@@ -39,15 +39,15 @@ const (
 var (
 	AttributesTask = attributesTask
 
-	KmodEnsureConnection = kmodEnsureConnection
-	KmodMatchConnection  = kmodMatchConnection
+	KmodCheckConnection = kmodCheckConnection
+	KmodMatchConnection = kmodMatchConnection
 )
 
 type KmodCommand = kmodCommand
 
-func MockKmodEnsureConnection(f func(*hookstate.Context, string, []string) error) (restore func()) {
-	r := testutil.Backup(&kmodEnsureConnection)
-	kmodEnsureConnection = f
+func MockKmodCheckConnection(f func(*hookstate.Context, string, []string) error) (restore func()) {
+	r := testutil.Backup(&kmodCheckConnection)
+	kmodCheckConnection = f
 	return r
 }
 
diff --git a/overlord/hookstate/ctlcmd/kmod.go b/overlord/hookstate/ctlcmd/kmod.go
index 1d495057ad9..ed841bb27e1 100644
--- a/overlord/hookstate/ctlcmd/kmod.go
+++ b/overlord/hookstate/ctlcmd/kmod.go
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ func (k *KModInsertCmd) Execute([]string) error {
 		return err
 	}
 
-	if err := kmodEnsureConnection(context, k.Positional.Module, k.Positional.Options); err != nil {
+	if err := kmodCheckConnection(context, k.Positional.Module, k.Positional.Options); err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("cannot load module %q: %v", k.Positional.Module, err)
 	}
 
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@ func (k *KModRemoveCmd) Execute([]string) error {
 		return err
 	}
 
-	if err := kmodEnsureConnection(context, k.Positional.Module, []string{}); err != nil {
+	if err := kmodCheckConnection(context, k.Positional.Module, []string{}); err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("cannot unload module %q: %v", k.Positional.Module, err)
 	}
 
@@ -133,10 +133,10 @@ func kmodMatchConnection(attributes map[string]interface{}, moduleName string, m
 	return true
 }
 
-// kmodFindConnections walks through the established connections to find one which
+// kmodCheckConnection walks through the established connections to find one which
 // is compatible with a kmod operation on the given moduleName and
 // moduleOptions. Returns an error if not found.
-var kmodEnsureConnection = func(context *hookstate.Context, moduleName string, moduleOptions []string) (err error) {
+var kmodCheckConnection = func(context *hookstate.Context, moduleName string, moduleOptions []string) (err error) {
 	snapName := context.InstanceName()
 
 	st := context.State()
diff --git a/overlord/hookstate/ctlcmd/kmod_test.go b/overlord/hookstate/ctlcmd/kmod_test.go
index ae763e5fd5b..1dae8d6f4a3 100644
--- a/overlord/hookstate/ctlcmd/kmod_test.go
+++ b/overlord/hookstate/ctlcmd/kmod_test.go
@@ -140,7 +140,7 @@ func (s *kmodSuite) TestFindConnectionBadConnection(c *C) {
 	ctx, err := hookstate.NewContext(task, state, setup, s.mockHandler, "")
 	c.Assert(err, IsNil)
 
-	err = ctlcmd.KmodEnsureConnection(ctx, "module1", []string{"one", "two"})
+	err = ctlcmd.KmodCheckConnection(ctx, "module1", []string{"one", "two"})
 	c.Assert(err, ErrorMatches, `.*internal error: cannot get connections: .*`)
 }
 
@@ -176,14 +176,14 @@ func (s *kmodSuite) TestFindConnectionMissingProperPlug(c *C) {
 	s.state.Set("conns", connections)
 	s.state.Unlock()
 
-	err := ctlcmd.KmodEnsureConnection(s.mockContext, "module3", []string{"opt1=v1"})
+	err := ctlcmd.KmodCheckConnection(s.mockContext, "module3", []string{"opt1=v1"})
 	c.Check(err, ErrorMatches, "required interface not connected")
 }
 
 func (s *kmodSuite) TestFindConnectionHappy(c *C) {
 	s.injectSnapWithProperPlug(c)
 
-	err := ctlcmd.KmodEnsureConnection(s.mockContext, "module2", []string{"opt1=v1"})
+	err := ctlcmd.KmodCheckConnection(s.mockContext, "module2", []string{"opt1=v1"})
 	c.Check(err, IsNil)
 }
 
@@ -193,7 +193,7 @@ func (s *kmodSuite) TestInsertFailure(c *C) {
 	var loadModuleError error
 	var ensureConnectionError error
 
-	r1 := ctlcmd.MockKmodEnsureConnection(func(ctx *hookstate.Context, moduleName string, moduleOptions []string) error {
+	r1 := ctlcmd.MockKmodCheckConnection(func(ctx *hookstate.Context, moduleName string, moduleOptions []string) error {
 		c.Check(moduleName, Equals, "moderr")
 		c.Check(moduleOptions, DeepEquals, []string{"o1=v1", "o2=v2"})
 		return ensureConnectionError
@@ -254,7 +254,7 @@ func (s *kmodSuite) TestRemoveFailure(c *C) {
 	var loadModuleError error
 	var ensureConnectionError error
 
-	r1 := ctlcmd.MockKmodEnsureConnection(func(ctx *hookstate.Context, moduleName string, moduleOptions []string) error {
+	r1 := ctlcmd.MockKmodCheckConnection(func(ctx *hookstate.Context, moduleName string, moduleOptions []string) error {
 		c.Check(moduleName, Equals, "moderr")
 		c.Check(moduleOptions, HasLen, 0)
 		return ensureConnectionError