diff --git a/ctdb/include/ctdb_private.h b/ctdb/include/ctdb_private.h
index df3141a2669..5e860ab6d0d 100644
--- a/ctdb/include/ctdb_private.h
+++ b/ctdb/include/ctdb_private.h
@@ -107,9 +107,9 @@ struct ctdb_address {
 };
 
 /*
-  check a vnn is valid
+  check that a pnn is valid
  */
-#define ctdb_validate_vnn(ctdb, vnn) (((uint32_t)(vnn)) < (ctdb)->num_nodes)
+#define ctdb_validate_pnn(ctdb, pnn) (((uint32_t)(pnn)) < (ctdb)->num_nodes)
 
 
 /* called from the queue code when a packet comes in. Called with data==NULL
diff --git a/ctdb/server/ctdb_control.c b/ctdb/server/ctdb_control.c
index 09276cd3de4..ca0ea9a937f 100644
--- a/ctdb/server/ctdb_control.c
+++ b/ctdb/server/ctdb_control.c
@@ -469,7 +469,7 @@ int ctdb_daemon_send_control(struct ctdb_context *ctdb, uint32_t destnode,
 	if (destnode != CTDB_BROADCAST_VNNMAP && 
 	    destnode != CTDB_BROADCAST_ALL && 
 	    destnode != CTDB_BROADCAST_CONNECTED && 
-	    (!ctdb_validate_vnn(ctdb, destnode) || 
+	    (!ctdb_validate_pnn(ctdb, destnode) || 
 	     (ctdb->nodes[destnode]->flags & NODE_FLAGS_DISCONNECTED))) {
 		if (!(flags & CTDB_CTRL_FLAG_NOREPLY)) {
 			callback(ctdb, -1, tdb_null, "ctdb_control to disconnected node", private_data);
diff --git a/ctdb/server/ctdb_daemon.c b/ctdb/server/ctdb_daemon.c
index f487434a9bb..0112fd61d11 100644
--- a/ctdb/server/ctdb_daemon.c
+++ b/ctdb/server/ctdb_daemon.c
@@ -38,12 +38,12 @@ static void flag_change_handler(struct ctdb_context *ctdb, uint64_t srvid,
 {
 	struct ctdb_node_flag_change *c = (struct ctdb_node_flag_change *)data.dptr;
 
-	if (data.dsize != sizeof(*c) || !ctdb_validate_vnn(ctdb, c->vnn)) {
+	if (data.dsize != sizeof(*c) || !ctdb_validate_pnn(ctdb, c->vnn)) {
 		DEBUG(0,(__location__ "Invalid data in ctdb_node_flag_change\n"));
 		return;
 	}
 
-	if (!ctdb_validate_vnn(ctdb, c->vnn)) {
+	if (!ctdb_validate_pnn(ctdb, c->vnn)) {
 		DEBUG(0,("Bad vnn %u in flag_change_handler\n", c->vnn));
 		return;
 	}
@@ -809,7 +809,7 @@ static void daemon_request_control_from_client(struct ctdb_client *client,
 	state->client = client;
 	state->c = talloc_steal(state, c);
 	state->reqid = c->hdr.reqid;
-	if (ctdb_validate_vnn(client->ctdb, c->hdr.destnode)) {
+	if (ctdb_validate_pnn(client->ctdb, c->hdr.destnode)) {
 		state->node = client->ctdb->nodes[c->hdr.destnode];
 		DLIST_ADD(state->node->pending_controls, state);
 	} else {
diff --git a/ctdb/server/ctdb_recoverd.c b/ctdb/server/ctdb_recoverd.c
index a8097a6387f..e687fe81048 100644
--- a/ctdb/server/ctdb_recoverd.c
+++ b/ctdb/server/ctdb_recoverd.c
@@ -54,8 +54,8 @@ static void ctdb_unban_node(struct ctdb_recoverd *rec, uint32_t vnn)
 {
 	struct ctdb_context *ctdb = rec->ctdb;
 
-	if (!ctdb_validate_vnn(ctdb, vnn)) {
-		DEBUG(0,("Bad vnn %u in ctdb_ban_node\n", vnn));
+	if (!ctdb_validate_pnn(ctdb, vnn)) {
+		DEBUG(0,("Bad pnn %u in ctdb_ban_node\n", vnn));
 		return;
 	}
 
@@ -90,8 +90,8 @@ static void ctdb_ban_node(struct ctdb_recoverd *rec, uint32_t vnn, uint32_t ban_
 {
 	struct ctdb_context *ctdb = rec->ctdb;
 
-	if (!ctdb_validate_vnn(ctdb, vnn)) {
-		DEBUG(0,("Bad vnn %u in ctdb_ban_node\n", vnn));
+	if (!ctdb_validate_pnn(ctdb, vnn)) {
+		DEBUG(0,("Bad pnn %u in ctdb_ban_node\n", vnn));
 		return;
 	}
 
diff --git a/ctdb/server/ctdb_server.c b/ctdb/server/ctdb_server.c
index 8dabcd595d9..a9ae79bc7ec 100644
--- a/ctdb/server/ctdb_server.c
+++ b/ctdb/server/ctdb_server.c
@@ -455,7 +455,7 @@ void ctdb_queue_packet(struct ctdb_context *ctdb, struct ctdb_req_header *hdr)
 
 	ctdb->statistics.node_packets_sent++;
 
-	if (!ctdb_validate_vnn(ctdb, hdr->destnode)) {
+	if (!ctdb_validate_pnn(ctdb, hdr->destnode)) {
 	  	DEBUG(0,(__location__ " cant send to node %u that does not exist\n", 
 			 hdr->destnode));
 		return;
diff --git a/ctdb/server/ctdbd.c b/ctdb/server/ctdbd.c
index 4083d1539cb..218c6582907 100644
--- a/ctdb/server/ctdbd.c
+++ b/ctdb/server/ctdbd.c
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ static void ctdb_recv_pkt(struct ctdb_context *ctdb, uint8_t *data, uint32_t len
 	ctdb->statistics.node_packets_recv++;
 
 	/* up the counter for this source node, so we know its alive */
-	if (ctdb_validate_vnn(ctdb, hdr->srcnode)) {
+	if (ctdb_validate_pnn(ctdb, hdr->srcnode)) {
 		/* as a special case, redirected calls don't increment the rx_cnt */
 		if (hdr->operation != CTDB_REQ_CALL ||
 		    ((struct ctdb_req_call *)hdr)->hopcount == 0) {