diff --git a/kong/clustering/data_plane.lua b/kong/clustering/data_plane.lua
index b83cabd28b5..249bc99e72d 100644
--- a/kong/clustering/data_plane.lua
+++ b/kong/clustering/data_plane.lua
@@ -74,8 +74,8 @@ function _M.new(clustering)
 end
 
 
-local function set_control_plane_reachable(reachable)
-  local ok, err = ngx.shared.kong:safe_set("control_plane_reachable", reachable)
+local function set_control_plane_connected(reachable)
+  local ok, err = ngx.shared.kong:safe_set("control_plane_connected", reachable)
   if not ok then
     ngx_log(ngx_ERR, _log_prefix, "failed to set controlplane_reachable key in shm to " .. reachable .. " :", err)
   end
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ function _M:init_worker(basic_info)
 
   self.plugins_list = basic_info.plugins
   self.filters = basic_info.filters
-  set_control_plane_reachable(false)
+  set_control_plane_connected(false)
 
   local function start_communicate()
     assert(ngx.timer.at(0, function(premature)
@@ -148,13 +148,13 @@ local function send_ping(c, log_suffix)
 
   local _, err = c:send_ping(hash)
   if err then
-    set_control_plane_reachable(false)
+    set_control_plane_connected(false)
     ngx_log(is_timeout(err) and ngx_NOTICE or ngx_WARN, _log_prefix,
             "unable to send ping frame to control plane: ", err, log_suffix)
 
   -- only log a ping if the hash changed
   else
-    set_control_plane_reachable(true)
+    set_control_plane_connected(true)
     if hash ~= prev_hash then
       prev_hash = hash
       ngx_log(ngx_INFO, _log_prefix, "sent ping frame to control plane with hash: ", hash, log_suffix)
@@ -210,7 +210,7 @@ function _M:communicate(premature)
 
   local c, uri, err = clustering_utils.connect_cp(self, "/v1/outlet")
   if not c then
-    set_control_plane_reachable(false)
+    set_control_plane_connected(false)
     ngx_log(ngx_WARN, _log_prefix, "connection to control plane ", uri, " broken: ", err,
                  " (retrying after ", reconnection_delay, " seconds)", log_suffix)
 
@@ -243,7 +243,7 @@ function _M:communicate(premature)
                                        filters = self.filters,
                                        labels = labels, }))
   if err then
-    set_control_plane_reachable(false)
+    set_control_plane_connected(false)
     ngx_log(ngx_ERR, _log_prefix, "unable to send basic information to control plane: ", uri,
                      " err: ", err, " (retrying after ", reconnection_delay, " seconds)", log_suffix)
 
@@ -253,7 +253,7 @@ function _M:communicate(premature)
     end))
     return
   end
-  set_control_plane_reachable(true)
+  set_control_plane_connected(true)
 
   local config_semaphore = semaphore.new(0)
 
@@ -360,19 +360,19 @@ function _M:communicate(premature)
       local data, typ, err = c:recv_frame()
       if err then
         if not is_timeout(err) then
-          set_control_plane_reachable(false)
+          set_control_plane_connected(false)
           return nil, "error while receiving frame from control plane: " .. err
         end
 
         local waited = ngx_time() - last_seen
         if waited > PING_WAIT then
-          set_control_plane_reachable(false)
+          set_control_plane_connected(false)
           return nil, "did not receive pong frame from control plane within " .. PING_WAIT .. " seconds"
         end
 
         goto continue
       end
-      set_control_plane_reachable(true)
+      set_control_plane_connected(true)
 
       if typ == "close" then
         ngx_log(ngx_DEBUG, _log_prefix, "received close frame from control plane", log_suffix)
diff --git a/kong/plugins/prometheus/exporter.lua b/kong/plugins/prometheus/exporter.lua
index e22fbe98378..e648f76aa61 100644
--- a/kong/plugins/prometheus/exporter.lua
+++ b/kong/plugins/prometheus/exporter.lua
@@ -67,9 +67,9 @@ local function init()
                                           nil,
                                           prometheus.LOCAL_STORAGE)
   if role == "data_plane" then
-    metrics.cp_reachable = prometheus:gauge("control_plane_reachable",
-                                          "Control plane reachable from gateway, " ..
-                                          "0 is unreachable",
+    metrics.cp_connected = prometheus:gauge("control_plane_connected",
+                                          "Kong connected to controlplane, " ..
+                                          "0 is unconnected",
                                           nil,
                                           prometheus.LOCAL_STORAGE)
   end
@@ -460,11 +460,11 @@ local function metric_data(write_fn)
     end
 
     if role == "data_plane" then
-      local cp_reachable = ngx.shared.kong:get("control_plane_reachable")
+      local cp_reachable = ngx.shared.kong:get("control_plane_connected")
       if cp_reachable then
-        metrics.cp_reachable:set(1)
+        metrics.cp_connected:set(1)
       else
-        metrics.cp_reachable:set(0)
+        metrics.cp_connected:set(0)
       end
     end
   end
diff --git a/spec/03-plugins/26-prometheus/04-status_api_spec.lua b/spec/03-plugins/26-prometheus/04-status_api_spec.lua
index ad6a393960b..6762547001d 100644
--- a/spec/03-plugins/26-prometheus/04-status_api_spec.lua
+++ b/spec/03-plugins/26-prometheus/04-status_api_spec.lua
@@ -589,10 +589,10 @@ describe("CP/DP connectivity state #", function ()
 
   it("exposes controlplane connectivity status", function ()
     local body = get_metrics()
-    assert.matches('kong_control_plane_reachable 1', body, nil, true)
+    assert.matches('kong_control_plane_connected 1', body, nil, true)
 
     helpers.stop_kong("prom_cp")
     local body  = get_metrics()
-    assert.matches('kong_control_plane_reachable 0', body, nil, true)
+    assert.matches('kong_control_plane_connected 0', body, nil, true)
   end)
 end)