diff --git a/trace.c b/trace.c
index 08180a90bc0..37a7fa9640d 100644
--- a/trace.c
+++ b/trace.c
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ static int get_trace_fd(const char *key, int *need_close)
 static const char err_msg[] = "Could not trace into fd given by "
 	"GIT_TRACE environment variable";
 
-static void trace_vprintf(const char *key, const char *fmt, va_list ap)
+static void trace_vprintf(const char *key, const char *format, va_list ap)
 {
 	struct strbuf buf = STRBUF_INIT;
 
@@ -70,25 +70,25 @@ static void trace_vprintf(const char *key, const char *fmt, va_list ap)
 		return;
 
 	set_try_to_free_routine(NULL);	/* is never reset */
-	strbuf_vaddf(&buf, fmt, ap);
+	strbuf_vaddf(&buf, format, ap);
 	trace_strbuf(key, &buf);
 	strbuf_release(&buf);
 }
 
 __attribute__((format (printf, 2, 3)))
-void trace_printf_key(const char *key, const char *fmt, ...)
+void trace_printf_key(const char *key, const char *format, ...)
 {
 	va_list ap;
-	va_start(ap, fmt);
-	trace_vprintf(key, fmt, ap);
+	va_start(ap, format);
+	trace_vprintf(key, format, ap);
 	va_end(ap);
 }
 
-void trace_printf(const char *fmt, ...)
+void trace_printf(const char *format, ...)
 {
 	va_list ap;
-	va_start(ap, fmt);
-	trace_vprintf("GIT_TRACE", fmt, ap);
+	va_start(ap, format);
+	trace_vprintf("GIT_TRACE", format, ap);
 	va_end(ap);
 }
 
@@ -106,7 +106,7 @@ void trace_strbuf(const char *key, const struct strbuf *buf)
 		close(fd);
 }
 
-void trace_argv_printf(const char **argv, const char *fmt, ...)
+void trace_argv_printf(const char **argv, const char *format, ...)
 {
 	struct strbuf buf = STRBUF_INIT;
 	va_list ap;
@@ -117,8 +117,8 @@ void trace_argv_printf(const char **argv, const char *fmt, ...)
 		return;
 
 	set_try_to_free_routine(NULL);	/* is never reset */
-	va_start(ap, fmt);
-	strbuf_vaddf(&buf, fmt, ap);
+	va_start(ap, format);
+	strbuf_vaddf(&buf, format, ap);
 	va_end(ap);
 
 	sq_quote_argv(&buf, argv, 0);
diff --git a/trace.h b/trace.h
index 6cc4541425d..8fea50bf1db 100644
--- a/trace.h
+++ b/trace.h
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ extern void trace_argv_printf(const char **argv, const char *format, ...);
 extern void trace_repo_setup(const char *prefix);
 extern int trace_want(const char *key);
 __attribute__((format (printf, 2, 3)))
-extern void trace_printf_key(const char *key, const char *fmt, ...);
+extern void trace_printf_key(const char *key, const char *format, ...);
 extern void trace_strbuf(const char *key, const struct strbuf *buf);
 
 #endif /* TRACE_H */