diff --git a/lib/backends/kv-backend.js b/lib/backends/kv-backend.js
index 7c18237b..baedc107 100644
--- a/lib/backends/kv-backend.js
+++ b/lib/backends/kv-backend.js
@@ -22,8 +22,8 @@ class KVBackend extends AbstractBackend {
    *   object, this is the property name of the value to use.
    * @returns {Promise} Promise object representing secret property values.
    */
-  _fetchSecretPropertyValues ({ secretProperties }) {
-    return Promise.all(secretProperties.map(async secretProperty => {
+  _fetchSecretPropertyValues ({ externalData }) {
+    return Promise.all(externalData.map(async secretProperty => {
       this._logger.info(`fetching secret property ${secretProperty.name}`)
       const value = await this._get({ secretKey: secretProperty.key })
 
@@ -48,10 +48,12 @@ class KVBackend extends AbstractBackend {
    */
   async getSecretManifestData ({ secretDescriptor }) {
     const data = {}
+    // Use secretDescriptor.properties to be backwards compatible.
+    const externalData = secretDescriptor.data || secretDescriptor.properties
     const secretPropertyValues = await this._fetchSecretPropertyValues({
-      secretProperties: secretDescriptor.properties
+      externalData
     })
-    secretDescriptor.properties.forEach((secretProperty, index) => {
+    externalData.forEach((secretProperty, index) => {
       data[secretProperty.name] = (Buffer.from(secretPropertyValues[index], 'utf8')).toString('base64')
     })
     return data
diff --git a/lib/backends/kv-backend.test.js b/lib/backends/kv-backend.test.js
index 6ec56bf0..1bcddc38 100644
--- a/lib/backends/kv-backend.test.js
+++ b/lib/backends/kv-backend.test.js
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ describe('SecretsManagerBackend', () => {
     it('handles secrets values that are objects', async () => {
       kvBackend._get.onFirstCall().resolves({ foo: 'bar' })
       const secretPropertyValues = await kvBackend._fetchSecretPropertyValues({
-        secretProperties: [{
+        externalData: [{
           key: 'mocked-key',
           name: 'mocked-name',
           property: 'foo'
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ describe('SecretsManagerBackend', () => {
       kvBackend._get.onSecondCall().resolves('fakePropertyValue2')
 
       const secretPropertyValues = await kvBackend._fetchSecretPropertyValues({
-        secretProperties: [{
+        externalData: [{
           key: 'fakePropertyKey1',
           name: 'fakePropertyName1'
         }, {
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ describe('SecretsManagerBackend', () => {
         })
 
       expect(kvBackend._fetchSecretPropertyValues.calledWith({
-        secretProperties: [{
+        externalData: [{
           key: 'fakePropertyKey1',
           name: 'fakePropertyName1'
         }, {