diff --git a/raft/raft.go b/raft/raft.go
index 691993c3b..b3edc21fd 100644
--- a/raft/raft.go
+++ b/raft/raft.go
@@ -392,7 +392,7 @@ func (r *raft) handleAppendEntries(m pb.Message) {
 	if r.raftLog.maybeAppend(m.Index, m.LogTerm, m.Commit, m.Entries...) {
 		r.send(pb.Message{To: m.From, Type: msgAppResp, Index: r.raftLog.lastIndex()})
 	} else {
-		r.send(pb.Message{To: m.From, Type: msgAppResp, Denied: true})
+		r.send(pb.Message{To: m.From, Type: msgAppResp, Reject: true})
 	}
 }
 
@@ -435,7 +435,7 @@ func stepLeader(r *raft, m pb.Message) {
 		r.appendEntry(e)
 		r.bcastAppend()
 	case msgAppResp:
-		if m.Denied {
+		if m.Reject {
 			r.prs[m.From].decr()
 			r.sendAppend(m.From)
 		} else {
@@ -445,7 +445,7 @@ func stepLeader(r *raft, m pb.Message) {
 			}
 		}
 	case msgVote:
-		r.send(pb.Message{To: m.From, Type: msgVoteResp, Denied: true})
+		r.send(pb.Message{To: m.From, Type: msgVoteResp, Reject: true})
 	}
 }
 
@@ -460,9 +460,9 @@ func stepCandidate(r *raft, m pb.Message) {
 		r.becomeFollower(m.Term, m.From)
 		r.handleSnapshot(m)
 	case msgVote:
-		r.send(pb.Message{To: m.From, Type: msgVoteResp, Denied: true})
+		r.send(pb.Message{To: m.From, Type: msgVoteResp, Reject: true})
 	case msgVoteResp:
-		gr := r.poll(m.From, !m.Denied)
+		gr := r.poll(m.From, !m.Reject)
 		switch r.q() {
 		case gr:
 			r.becomeLeader()
@@ -494,7 +494,7 @@ func stepFollower(r *raft, m pb.Message) {
 			r.Vote = m.From
 			r.send(pb.Message{To: m.From, Type: msgVoteResp})
 		} else {
-			r.send(pb.Message{To: m.From, Type: msgVoteResp, Denied: true})
+			r.send(pb.Message{To: m.From, Type: msgVoteResp, Reject: true})
 		}
 	}
 }
diff --git a/raft/raft_test.go b/raft/raft_test.go
index ef09f556b..f6ed504c9 100644
--- a/raft/raft_test.go
+++ b/raft/raft_test.go
@@ -475,7 +475,7 @@ func TestHandleMsgApp(t *testing.T) {
 		m       pb.Message
 		wIndex  int64
 		wCommit int64
-		wDenied bool
+		wReject bool
 	}{
 		// Ensure 1
 		{pb.Message{Type: msgApp, Term: 2, LogTerm: 3, Index: 2, Commit: 3}, 2, 0, true}, // previous log mismatch
@@ -511,8 +511,8 @@ func TestHandleMsgApp(t *testing.T) {
 		if len(m) != 1 {
 			t.Fatalf("#%d: msg = nil, want 1", i)
 		}
-		if m[0].Denied != tt.wDenied {
-			t.Errorf("#%d: denied = %v, want %v", i, m[0].Denied, tt.wDenied)
+		if m[0].Reject != tt.wReject {
+			t.Errorf("#%d: reject = %v, want %v", i, m[0].Reject, tt.wReject)
 		}
 	}
 }
@@ -522,7 +522,7 @@ func TestRecvMsgVote(t *testing.T) {
 		state   StateType
 		i, term int64
 		voteFor int64
-		wdenied bool
+		wreject bool
 	}{
 		{StateFollower, 0, 0, None, true},
 		{StateFollower, 0, 1, None, true},
@@ -572,8 +572,8 @@ func TestRecvMsgVote(t *testing.T) {
 			t.Fatalf("#%d: len(msgs) = %d, want 1", i, g)
 			continue
 		}
-		if g := msgs[0].Denied; g != tt.wdenied {
-			t.Errorf("#%d, m.Denied = %d, want %d", i, g, tt.wdenied)
+		if g := msgs[0].Reject; g != tt.wreject {
+			t.Errorf("#%d, m.Reject = %d, want %d", i, g, tt.wreject)
 		}
 	}
 }
@@ -685,7 +685,7 @@ func TestAllServerStepdown(t *testing.T) {
 func TestLeaderAppResp(t *testing.T) {
 	tests := []struct {
 		index      int64
-		denied     bool
+		reject     bool
 		wmsgNum    int
 		windex     int64
 		wcommitted int64
@@ -702,7 +702,7 @@ func TestLeaderAppResp(t *testing.T) {
 		sm.becomeCandidate()
 		sm.becomeLeader()
 		sm.ReadMessages()
-		sm.Step(pb.Message{From: 2, Type: msgAppResp, Index: tt.index, Term: sm.Term, Denied: tt.denied})
+		sm.Step(pb.Message{From: 2, Type: msgAppResp, Index: tt.index, Term: sm.Term, Reject: tt.reject})
 		msgs := sm.ReadMessages()
 
 		if len(msgs) != tt.wmsgNum {
@@ -857,7 +857,7 @@ func TestProvideSnap(t *testing.T) {
 	// node 1 needs a snapshot
 	sm.prs[2].next = sm.raftLog.offset
 
-	sm.Step(pb.Message{From: 2, To: 1, Type: msgAppResp, Index: -1, Denied: true})
+	sm.Step(pb.Message{From: 2, To: 1, Type: msgAppResp, Index: -1, Reject: true})
 	msgs := sm.ReadMessages()
 	if len(msgs) != 1 {
 		t.Fatalf("len(msgs) = %d, want 1", len(msgs))
diff --git a/raft/raftpb/raft.pb.go b/raft/raftpb/raft.pb.go
index 46320cdd3..b9f60c239 100644
--- a/raft/raftpb/raft.pb.go
+++ b/raft/raftpb/raft.pb.go
@@ -141,7 +141,7 @@ type Message struct {
 	Entries          []Entry  `protobuf:"bytes,7,rep,name=entries" json:"entries"`
 	Commit           int64    `protobuf:"varint,8,req,name=commit" json:"commit"`
 	Snapshot         Snapshot `protobuf:"bytes,9,req,name=snapshot" json:"snapshot"`
-	Denied           bool     `protobuf:"varint,10,req,name=denied" json:"denied"`
+	Reject           bool     `protobuf:"varint,10,req,name=reject" json:"reject"`
 	XXX_unrecognized []byte   `json:"-"`
 }
 
@@ -640,7 +640,7 @@ func (m *Message) Unmarshal(data []byte) error {
 					break
 				}
 			}
-			m.Denied = bool(v != 0)
+			m.Reject = bool(v != 0)
 		default:
 			var sizeOfWire int
 			for {
@@ -1118,7 +1118,7 @@ func (m *Message) MarshalTo(data []byte) (n int, err error) {
 	i += n1
 	data[i] = 0x50
 	i++
-	if m.Denied {
+	if m.Reject {
 		data[i] = 1
 	} else {
 		data[i] = 0
diff --git a/raft/raftpb/raft.proto b/raft/raftpb/raft.proto
index 53dda5c6c..4d0a8d1d9 100644
--- a/raft/raftpb/raft.proto
+++ b/raft/raftpb/raft.proto
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ message Message {
 	repeated Entry entries     = 7  [(gogoproto.nullable) = false];
 	required int64 commit      = 8  [(gogoproto.nullable) = false];
 	required Snapshot snapshot = 9  [(gogoproto.nullable) = false];
-	required bool  denied      = 10 [(gogoproto.nullable) = false];
+	required bool  reject      = 10 [(gogoproto.nullable) = false];
 }
 
 message HardState {