diff --git a/hgext/rebase.py b/hgext/rebase.py
--- a/hgext/rebase.py
+++ b/hgext/rebase.py
@@ -358,7 +358,7 @@ def rebase(ui, repo, **opts):
 
         # Keep track of the current bookmarks in order to reset them later
         currentbookmarks = repo._bookmarks.copy()
-        activebookmark = activebookmark or repo._bookmarkcurrent
+        activebookmark = activebookmark or repo._activebookmark
         if activebookmark:
             bookmarks.deactivate(repo)
 
@@ -1052,7 +1052,7 @@ def pullrebase(orig, ui, repo, *args, **
                 hg.update(repo, dest)
                 if bookmarks.update(repo, [movemarkfrom], repo['.'].node()):
                     ui.status(_("updating bookmark %s\n")
-                              % repo._bookmarkcurrent)
+                              % repo._activebookmark)
     else:
         if opts.get('tool'):
             raise util.Abort(_('--tool can only be used with --rebase'))
diff --git a/hgext/shelve.py b/hgext/shelve.py
--- a/hgext/shelve.py
+++ b/hgext/shelve.py
@@ -163,7 +163,7 @@ def createcmd(ui, repo, pats, opts):
 
     # we never need the user, so we use a generic user for all shelve operations
     user = 'shelve@localhost'
-    label = repo._bookmarkcurrent or parent.branch() or 'default'
+    label = repo._activebookmark or parent.branch() or 'default'
 
     # slashes aren't allowed in filenames, therefore we rename it
     label = label.replace('/', '_')
diff --git a/hgext/strip.py b/hgext/strip.py
--- a/hgext/strip.py
+++ b/hgext/strip.py
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ def strip(ui, repo, revs, update=True, b
 
         marks = repo._bookmarks
         if bookmark:
-            if bookmark == repo._bookmarkcurrent:
+            if bookmark == repo._activebookmark:
                 bookmarks.deactivate(repo)
             del marks[bookmark]
             marks.write()
diff --git a/mercurial/bookmarks.py b/mercurial/bookmarks.py
--- a/mercurial/bookmarks.py
+++ b/mercurial/bookmarks.py
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ class bmstore(dict):
 
     def _writerepo(self, repo):
         """Factored out for extensibility"""
-        if repo._bookmarkcurrent not in self:
+        if repo._activebookmark not in self:
             deactivate(repo)
 
         wlock = repo.wlock()
@@ -137,7 +137,7 @@ def activate(repo, mark):
     if mark not in repo._bookmarks:
         raise AssertionError('bookmark %s does not exist!' % mark)
 
-    current = repo._bookmarkcurrent
+    current = repo._activebookmark
     if current == mark:
         return
 
@@ -148,7 +148,7 @@ def activate(repo, mark):
         file.close()
     finally:
         wlock.release()
-    repo._bookmarkcurrent = mark
+    repo._activebookmark = mark
 
 def deactivate(repo):
     """
@@ -158,7 +158,7 @@ def deactivate(repo):
     try:
         try:
             repo.vfs.unlink('bookmarks.current')
-            repo._bookmarkcurrent = None
+            repo._activebookmark = None
         except OSError, inst:
             if inst.errno != errno.ENOENT:
                 raise
@@ -172,7 +172,7 @@ def iscurrent(repo, mark=None, parents=N
     parent of the working directory.
     '''
     if not mark:
-        mark = repo._bookmarkcurrent
+        mark = repo._activebookmark
     if not parents:
         parents = [p.node() for p in repo[None].parents()]
     marks = repo._bookmarks
@@ -209,7 +209,7 @@ def calculateupdate(ui, repo, checkout):
     check out and where to move the active bookmark from, if needed.'''
     movemarkfrom = None
     if checkout is None:
-        curmark = repo._bookmarkcurrent
+        curmark = repo._activebookmark
         if iscurrent(repo):
             movemarkfrom = repo['.'].node()
         elif curmark:
@@ -221,7 +221,7 @@ def update(repo, parents, node):
     deletefrom = parents
     marks = repo._bookmarks
     update = False
-    cur = repo._bookmarkcurrent
+    cur = repo._activebookmark
     if not cur:
         return False
 
diff --git a/mercurial/cmdutil.py b/mercurial/cmdutil.py
--- a/mercurial/cmdutil.py
+++ b/mercurial/cmdutil.py
@@ -2480,13 +2480,13 @@ def amend(ui, repo, commitfunc, old, ext
             # First, do a regular commit to record all changes in the working
             # directory (if there are any)
             ui.callhooks = False
-            currentbookmark = repo._bookmarkcurrent
+            currentbookmark = repo._activebookmark
             try:
-                repo._bookmarkcurrent = None
+                repo._activebookmark = None
                 opts['message'] = 'temporary amend commit for %s' % old
                 node = commit(ui, repo, commitfunc, pats, opts)
             finally:
-                repo._bookmarkcurrent = currentbookmark
+                repo._activebookmark = currentbookmark
                 ui.callhooks = True
             ctx = repo[node]
 
@@ -2722,7 +2722,7 @@ def buildcommittext(repo, ctx, subs, ext
     if ctx.branch():
         edittext.append(_("HG: branch '%s'") % ctx.branch())
     if bookmarks.iscurrent(repo):
-        edittext.append(_("HG: bookmark '%s'") % repo._bookmarkcurrent)
+        edittext.append(_("HG: bookmark '%s'") % repo._activebookmark)
     edittext.extend([_("HG: subrepo %s") % s for s in subs])
     edittext.extend([_("HG: added %s") % f for f in added])
     edittext.extend([_("HG: changed %s") % f for f in modified])
diff --git a/mercurial/commands.py b/mercurial/commands.py
--- a/mercurial/commands.py
+++ b/mercurial/commands.py
@@ -979,7 +979,7 @@ def bookmark(ui, repo, *names, **opts):
                     if mark not in marks:
                         raise util.Abort(_("bookmark '%s' does not exist") %
                                          mark)
-                    if mark == repo._bookmarkcurrent:
+                    if mark == repo._activebookmark:
                         bookmarks.deactivate(repo)
                     del marks[mark]
                 marks.write()
@@ -994,7 +994,7 @@ def bookmark(ui, repo, *names, **opts):
                     raise util.Abort(_("bookmark '%s' does not exist") % rename)
                 checkconflict(repo, mark, cur, force)
                 marks[mark] = marks[rename]
-                if repo._bookmarkcurrent == rename and not inactive:
+                if repo._activebookmark == rename and not inactive:
                     bookmarks.activate(repo, mark)
                 del marks[rename]
                 marks.write()
@@ -1005,7 +1005,7 @@ def bookmark(ui, repo, *names, **opts):
                     mark = checkformat(mark)
                     if newact is None:
                         newact = mark
-                    if inactive and mark == repo._bookmarkcurrent:
+                    if inactive and mark == repo._activebookmark:
                         bookmarks.deactivate(repo)
                         return
                     tgt = cur
@@ -1015,14 +1015,14 @@ def bookmark(ui, repo, *names, **opts):
                     marks[mark] = tgt
                 if not inactive and cur == marks[newact] and not rev:
                     bookmarks.activate(repo, newact)
-                elif cur != tgt and newact == repo._bookmarkcurrent:
+                elif cur != tgt and newact == repo._activebookmark:
                     bookmarks.deactivate(repo)
                 marks.write()
 
             elif inactive:
                 if len(marks) == 0:
                     ui.status(_("no bookmarks set\n"))
-                elif not repo._bookmarkcurrent:
+                elif not repo._activebookmark:
                     ui.status(_("no active bookmark\n"))
                 else:
                     bookmarks.deactivate(repo)
@@ -1035,7 +1035,7 @@ def bookmark(ui, repo, *names, **opts):
         if len(marks) == 0 and not fm:
             ui.status(_("no bookmarks set\n"))
         for bmark, n in sorted(marks.iteritems()):
-            current = repo._bookmarkcurrent
+            current = repo._activebookmark
             if bmark == current:
                 prefix, label = '*', 'bookmarks.current'
             else:
@@ -1506,7 +1506,7 @@ def commit(ui, repo, *pats, **opts):
                                match,
                                extra=extra)
 
-        current = repo._bookmarkcurrent
+        current = repo._activebookmark
         marks = old.bookmarks()
         node = cmdutil.amend(ui, repo, commitfunc, old, extra, pats, opts)
         if node == old.node():
@@ -4702,9 +4702,9 @@ def merge(ui, repo, node=None, **opts):
     if node:
         node = scmutil.revsingle(repo, node).node()
 
-    if not node and repo._bookmarkcurrent:
-        bmheads = repo.bookmarkheads(repo._bookmarkcurrent)
-        curhead = repo[repo._bookmarkcurrent].node()
+    if not node and repo._activebookmark:
+        bmheads = repo.bookmarkheads(repo._activebookmark)
+        curhead = repo[repo._activebookmark].node()
         if len(bmheads) == 2:
             if curhead == bmheads[0]:
                 node = bmheads[1]
@@ -4719,7 +4719,7 @@ def merge(ui, repo, node=None, **opts):
                 "please merge with an explicit rev or bookmark"),
                 hint=_("run 'hg heads' to see all heads"))
 
-    if not node and not repo._bookmarkcurrent:
+    if not node and not repo._activebookmark:
         branch = repo[None].branch()
         bheads = repo.branchheads(branch)
         nbhs = [bh for bh in bheads if not repo[bh].bookmarks()]
@@ -5049,7 +5049,7 @@ def postincoming(ui, repo, modheads, opt
             return 0
         if not ret and not checkout:
             if bookmarks.update(repo, [movemarkfrom], repo['.'].node()):
-                ui.status(_("updating bookmark %s\n") % repo._bookmarkcurrent)
+                ui.status(_("updating bookmark %s\n") % repo._activebookmark)
         return ret
     if modheads > 1:
         currentbranchheads = len(repo.branchheads())
@@ -5914,7 +5914,7 @@ def summary(ui, repo, **opts):
         ui.status(m, label='log.branch')
 
     if marks:
-        current = repo._bookmarkcurrent
+        current = repo._activebookmark
         # i18n: column positioning for "hg summary"
         ui.write(_('bookmarks:'), label='log.bookmark')
         if current is not None:
@@ -6405,14 +6405,14 @@ def update(ui, repo, node=None, rev=None
 
     if not ret and movemarkfrom:
         if bookmarks.update(repo, [movemarkfrom], repo['.'].node()):
-            ui.status(_("updating bookmark %s\n") % repo._bookmarkcurrent)
+            ui.status(_("updating bookmark %s\n") % repo._activebookmark)
     elif brev in repo._bookmarks:
         bookmarks.activate(repo, brev)
         ui.status(_("(activating bookmark %s)\n") % brev)
     elif brev:
-        if repo._bookmarkcurrent:
+        if repo._activebookmark:
             ui.status(_("(leaving bookmark %s)\n") %
-                      repo._bookmarkcurrent)
+                      repo._activebookmark)
         bookmarks.deactivate(repo)
 
     return ret
diff --git a/mercurial/localrepo.py b/mercurial/localrepo.py
--- a/mercurial/localrepo.py
+++ b/mercurial/localrepo.py
@@ -415,7 +415,7 @@ class localrepository(object):
         return bookmarks.bmstore(self)
 
     @repofilecache('bookmarks.current')
-    def _bookmarkcurrent(self):
+    def _activebookmark(self):
         return bookmarks.readactive(self)
 
     def bookmarkheads(self, bookmark):
diff --git a/mercurial/templatekw.py b/mercurial/templatekw.py
--- a/mercurial/templatekw.py
+++ b/mercurial/templatekw.py
@@ -210,7 +210,7 @@ def showbookmarks(**args):
     """
     repo = args['ctx']._repo
     bookmarks = args['ctx'].bookmarks()
-    current = repo._bookmarkcurrent
+    current = repo._activebookmark
     makemap = lambda v: {'bookmark': v, 'current': current}
     f = _showlist('bookmark', bookmarks, **args)
     return _hybrid(f, bookmarks, makemap, lambda x: x['bookmark'])
@@ -227,7 +227,7 @@ def showcurrentbookmark(**args):
     import bookmarks as bookmarks # to avoid circular import issues
     repo = args['repo']
     if bookmarks.iscurrent(repo):
-        current = repo._bookmarkcurrent
+        current = repo._activebookmark
         if current in args['ctx'].bookmarks():
             return current
     return ''