diff --git a/IPython/frontend/qt/console/frontend_widget.py b/IPython/frontend/qt/console/frontend_widget.py
index 69db8bc..275b49d 100644
--- a/IPython/frontend/qt/console/frontend_widget.py
+++ b/IPython/frontend/qt/console/frontend_widget.py
@@ -228,7 +228,7 @@ class FrontendWidget(HistoryConsoleWidget, BaseFrontendMixin):
 
             elif key == QtCore.Qt.Key_Period:
                 message = 'Are you sure you want to restart the kernel?'
-                self.restart_kernel(message, instant_death=False)
+                self.restart_kernel(message, now=False)
                 return True
 
         elif not event.modifiers() & QtCore.Qt.AltModifier:
@@ -322,7 +322,7 @@ class FrontendWidget(HistoryConsoleWidget, BaseFrontendMixin):
         if self.custom_restart:
             self.custom_restart_kernel_died.emit(since_last_heartbeat)
         else:
-            self.restart_kernel(message, instant_death=True)
+            self.restart_kernel(message, now=True)
 
     def _handle_object_info_reply(self, rep):
         """ Handle replies for call tips.
@@ -395,10 +395,10 @@ class FrontendWidget(HistoryConsoleWidget, BaseFrontendMixin):
             self._append_plain_text('Kernel process is either remote or '
                                     'unspecified. Cannot interrupt.\n')
 
-    def restart_kernel(self, message, instant_death=False):
+    def restart_kernel(self, message, now=False):
         """ Attempts to restart the running kernel.
         """
-        # FIXME: instant_death should be configurable via a checkbox in the
+        # FIXME: now should be configurable via a checkbox in the
         # dialog.  Right now at least the heartbeat path sets it to True and
         # the manual restart to False.  But those should just be the
         # pre-selected states of a checkbox that the user could override if so
@@ -421,8 +421,7 @@ class FrontendWidget(HistoryConsoleWidget, BaseFrontendMixin):
                                                     message, buttons)
                 if result == QtGui.QMessageBox.Yes:
                     try:
-                        self.kernel_manager.restart_kernel(
-                            instant_death=instant_death)
+                        self.kernel_manager.restart_kernel(now=now)
                     except RuntimeError:
                         message = 'Kernel started externally. Cannot restart.\n'
                         self._append_plain_text(message)
diff --git a/IPython/zmq/kernelmanager.py b/IPython/zmq/kernelmanager.py
index d1d6b75..4e0f6ca 100644
--- a/IPython/zmq/kernelmanager.py
+++ b/IPython/zmq/kernelmanager.py
@@ -757,14 +757,14 @@ class KernelManager(HasTraits):
             if self.has_kernel:
                 self.kill_kernel()
     
-    def restart_kernel(self, instant_death=False):
+    def restart_kernel(self, now=False):
         """Restarts a kernel with the same arguments that were used to launch
         it. If the old kernel was launched with random ports, the same ports
         will be used for the new kernel.
 
         Parameters
         ----------
-        instant_death : bool, optional
+        now : bool, optional
           If True, the kernel is forcefully restarted *immediately*, without
           having a chance to do any cleanup action.  Otherwise the kernel is
           given 1s to clean up before a forceful restart is issued.
@@ -777,7 +777,7 @@ class KernelManager(HasTraits):
                                "No previous call to 'start_kernel'.")
         else:
             if self.has_kernel:
-                if instant_death:
+                if now:
                     self.kill_kernel()
                 else:
                     self.shutdown_kernel()