diff --git a/docs/sphinx/qapidoc.py b/docs/sphinx/qapidoc.py
index 8d428c64b0..71362ba929 100644
--- a/docs/sphinx/qapidoc.py
+++ b/docs/sphinx/qapidoc.py
@@ -145,22 +145,22 @@ def _nodes_for_one_member(self, member):
             term.extend(self._nodes_for_ifcond(member.ifcond))
         return term
 
-    def _nodes_for_variant_when(self, variants, variant):
+    def _nodes_for_variant_when(self, branches, variant):
         """Return list of Text, literal nodes for variant 'when' clause
 
         Return a list of doctree nodes which give text like
         'when tagname is variant (If: ...)' suitable for use in
-        the 'variants' part of a definition list.
+        the 'branches' part of a definition list.
         """
         term = [nodes.Text(' when '),
-                nodes.literal('', variants.tag_member.name),
+                nodes.literal('', branches.tag_member.name),
                 nodes.Text(' is '),
                 nodes.literal('', '"%s"' % variant.name)]
         if variant.ifcond.is_present():
             term.extend(self._nodes_for_ifcond(variant.ifcond))
         return term
 
-    def _nodes_for_members(self, doc, what, base=None, variants=None):
+    def _nodes_for_members(self, doc, what, base=None, branches=None):
         """Return list of doctree nodes for the table of members"""
         dlnode = nodes.definition_list()
         for section in doc.args.values():
@@ -178,14 +178,14 @@ def _nodes_for_members(self, doc, what, base=None, variants=None):
                                          nodes.literal('', base.doc_type())],
                                         None)
 
-        if variants:
-            for v in variants.variants:
+        if branches:
+            for v in branches.variants:
                 if v.type.name == 'q_empty':
                     continue
                 assert not v.type.is_implicit()
                 term = [nodes.Text('The members of '),
                         nodes.literal('', v.type.doc_type())]
-                term.extend(self._nodes_for_variant_when(variants, v))
+                term.extend(self._nodes_for_variant_when(branches, v))
                 dlnode += self._make_dlitem(term, None)
 
         if not dlnode.children:
@@ -308,12 +308,12 @@ def visit_enum_type(self, name, info, ifcond, features, members, prefix):
                       + self._nodes_for_if_section(ifcond))
 
     def visit_object_type(self, name, info, ifcond, features,
-                          base, members, variants):
+                          base, members, branches):
         doc = self._cur_doc
         if base and base.is_implicit():
             base = None
         self._add_doc('Object',
-                      self._nodes_for_members(doc, 'Members', base, variants)
+                      self._nodes_for_members(doc, 'Members', base, branches)
                       + self._nodes_for_features(doc)
                       + self._nodes_for_sections(doc)
                       + self._nodes_for_if_section(ifcond))
diff --git a/scripts/qapi/introspect.py b/scripts/qapi/introspect.py
index b866517942..7852591490 100644
--- a/scripts/qapi/introspect.py
+++ b/scripts/qapi/introspect.py
@@ -336,13 +336,13 @@ def visit_object_type_flat(self, name: str, info: Optional[QAPISourceInfo],
                                ifcond: QAPISchemaIfCond,
                                features: List[QAPISchemaFeature],
                                members: List[QAPISchemaObjectTypeMember],
-                               variants: Optional[QAPISchemaBranches]) -> None:
+                               branches: Optional[QAPISchemaBranches]) -> None:
         obj: SchemaInfoObject = {
             'members': [self._gen_object_member(m) for m in members]
         }
-        if variants:
-            obj['tag'] = variants.tag_member.name
-            obj['variants'] = [self._gen_variant(v) for v in variants.variants]
+        if branches:
+            obj['tag'] = branches.tag_member.name
+            obj['variants'] = [self._gen_variant(v) for v in branches.variants]
         self._gen_tree(name, 'object', obj, ifcond, features)
 
     def visit_alternate_type(self, name: str, info: Optional[QAPISourceInfo],
diff --git a/scripts/qapi/schema.py b/scripts/qapi/schema.py
index 5cdedfc2c8..65c82dd4f1 100644
--- a/scripts/qapi/schema.py
+++ b/scripts/qapi/schema.py
@@ -215,7 +215,7 @@ def visit_object_type(
         features: List[QAPISchemaFeature],
         base: Optional[QAPISchemaObjectType],
         members: List[QAPISchemaObjectTypeMember],
-        variants: Optional[QAPISchemaBranches],
+        branches: Optional[QAPISchemaBranches],
     ) -> None:
         pass
 
@@ -226,7 +226,7 @@ def visit_object_type_flat(
         ifcond: QAPISchemaIfCond,
         features: List[QAPISchemaFeature],
         members: List[QAPISchemaObjectTypeMember],
-        variants: Optional[QAPISchemaBranches],
+        branches: Optional[QAPISchemaBranches],
     ) -> None:
         pass
 
diff --git a/scripts/qapi/types.py b/scripts/qapi/types.py
index 23cdf3e83e..0abb78f3a8 100644
--- a/scripts/qapi/types.py
+++ b/scripts/qapi/types.py
@@ -350,13 +350,13 @@ def visit_object_type(self,
                           features: List[QAPISchemaFeature],
                           base: Optional[QAPISchemaObjectType],
                           members: List[QAPISchemaObjectTypeMember],
-                          variants: Optional[QAPISchemaBranches]) -> None:
+                          branches: Optional[QAPISchemaBranches]) -> None:
         # Nothing to do for the special empty builtin
         if name == 'q_empty':
             return
         with ifcontext(ifcond, self._genh):
             self._genh.preamble_add(gen_fwd_object_or_array(name))
-        self._genh.add(gen_object(name, ifcond, base, members, variants))
+        self._genh.add(gen_object(name, ifcond, base, members, branches))
         with ifcontext(ifcond, self._genh, self._genc):
             if base and not base.is_implicit():
                 self._genh.add(gen_upcast(name, base))
diff --git a/scripts/qapi/visit.py b/scripts/qapi/visit.py
index 990685498f..fbae5f3e4e 100644
--- a/scripts/qapi/visit.py
+++ b/scripts/qapi/visit.py
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ def gen_visit_members_decl(name: str) -> str:
 def gen_visit_object_members(name: str,
                              base: Optional[QAPISchemaObjectType],
                              members: List[QAPISchemaObjectTypeMember],
-                             variants: Optional[QAPISchemaBranches]) -> str:
+                             branches: Optional[QAPISchemaBranches]) -> str:
     ret = mcgen('''
 
 bool visit_type_%(c_name)s_members(Visitor *v, %(c_name)s *obj, Error **errp)
@@ -132,8 +132,8 @@ def gen_visit_object_members(name: str,
 ''')
         ret += memb.ifcond.gen_endif()
 
-    if variants:
-        tag_member = variants.tag_member
+    if branches:
+        tag_member = branches.tag_member
         assert isinstance(tag_member.type, QAPISchemaEnumType)
 
         ret += mcgen('''
@@ -141,7 +141,7 @@ def gen_visit_object_members(name: str,
 ''',
                      c_name=c_name(tag_member.name))
 
-        for var in variants.variants:
+        for var in branches.variants:
             case_str = c_enum_const(tag_member.type.name, var.name,
                                     tag_member.type.prefix)
             ret += var.ifcond.gen_if()
@@ -394,14 +394,14 @@ def visit_object_type(self,
                           features: List[QAPISchemaFeature],
                           base: Optional[QAPISchemaObjectType],
                           members: List[QAPISchemaObjectTypeMember],
-                          variants: Optional[QAPISchemaBranches]) -> None:
+                          branches: Optional[QAPISchemaBranches]) -> None:
         # Nothing to do for the special empty builtin
         if name == 'q_empty':
             return
         with ifcontext(ifcond, self._genh, self._genc):
             self._genh.add(gen_visit_members_decl(name))
             self._genc.add(gen_visit_object_members(name, base,
-                                                    members, variants))
+                                                    members, branches))
             # TODO Worth changing the visitor signature, so we could
             # directly use rather than repeat type.is_implicit()?
             if not name.startswith('q_'):
diff --git a/tests/qapi-schema/test-qapi.py b/tests/qapi-schema/test-qapi.py
index 40095431ae..7c67ad8d9b 100755
--- a/tests/qapi-schema/test-qapi.py
+++ b/tests/qapi-schema/test-qapi.py
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ def visit_array_type(self, name, info, ifcond, element_type):
         self._print_if(ifcond)
 
     def visit_object_type(self, name, info, ifcond, features,
-                          base, members, variants):
+                          base, members, branches):
         print('object %s' % name)
         if base:
             print('    base %s' % base.name)
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ def visit_object_type(self, name, info, ifcond, features,
                   % (m.name, m.type.name, m.optional))
             self._print_if(m.ifcond, 8)
             self._print_features(m.features, indent=8)
-        self._print_variants(variants)
+        self._print_variants(branches)
         self._print_if(ifcond)
         self._print_features(features)
 
