diff --git a/builtin/odb--daemon.c b/builtin/odb--daemon.c
index feadffb36772f7..4f11dd136d09ae 100644
--- a/builtin/odb--daemon.c
+++ b/builtin/odb--daemon.c
@@ -255,13 +255,13 @@ static int odb_ipc_cb__get_parent(struct my_odb_ipc_state *state,
 	return 0;
 }
 
-static int odb_ipc_cb__get_nth_ancestor(struct my_odb_ipc_state *state,
-					const char *command, size_t command_len,
-					ipc_server_reply_cb *reply_cb,
-					struct ipc_server_reply_data *reply_data)
+static int odb_ipc_cb__get_ancestor(struct my_odb_ipc_state *state,
+				    const char *command, size_t command_len,
+				    ipc_server_reply_cb *reply_cb,
+				    struct ipc_server_reply_data *reply_data)
 {
-	struct odb_over_ipc__get_nth_ancestor__request *req;
-	struct odb_over_ipc__get_nth_ancestor__response *resp;
+	struct odb_over_ipc__get_ancestor__request *req;
+	struct odb_over_ipc__get_ancestor__response *resp;
 	const char *name;
 	size_t name_len;
 	int ret;
@@ -269,7 +269,7 @@ static int odb_ipc_cb__get_nth_ancestor(struct my_odb_ipc_state *state,
 	if (command_len < sizeof(*req))
 		BUG("incorrect size for binary data");
 
-	req = (struct odb_over_ipc__get_nth_ancestor__request *)command;
+	req = (struct odb_over_ipc__get_ancestor__request *)command;
 
 	name = command + sizeof(*req);
 	name_len = command_len - sizeof(*req);
@@ -278,7 +278,7 @@ static int odb_ipc_cb__get_nth_ancestor(struct my_odb_ipc_state *state,
 		BUG("incorrect data length");
 
 	resp = xmalloc(sizeof(*resp));
-	memcpy(&resp->key.key, "get-nth-ancestor", 11);
+	memcpy(&resp->key.key, "get-ancestor", 11);
 
 	ret = get_nth_ancestor(the_repository, name, name_len, &resp->oid,
 			       req->generation);
@@ -377,14 +377,14 @@ static int odb_ipc_cb(void *data,
 		return 0;
 	}
 
-	if (!strcmp(command, "get-nth-ancestor")) {
+	if (!strcmp(command, "get-ancestor")) {
 		/*
 		 * A client has requested that we find the nth ancestpr of a
 		 * given object.
 		 */
 		trace2_region_enter("odb-daemon", "get-nth-ancestor", NULL);
-		ret = odb_ipc_cb__get_nth_ancestor(state, command, command_len,
-						   reply_cb, reply_data);
+		ret = odb_ipc_cb__get_ancestor(state, command, command_len,
+					       reply_cb, reply_data);
 		trace2_region_leave("odb-daemon", "get-nth-ancestor", NULL);
 		return 0;
 	}
diff --git a/object-name.c b/object-name.c
index 9cd45b0163675e..5441c9b53b671b 100644
--- a/object-name.c
+++ b/object-name.c
@@ -1125,7 +1125,7 @@ enum get_oid_result get_nth_ancestor(struct repository *r,
 	struct commit *commit;
 	int ret;
 
-	if (odb_over_ipc__get_nth_ancestor(r, name, len, generation, result) == 0)
+	if (odb_over_ipc__get_ancestor(r, name, len, generation, result) == 0)
 		return FOUND;
 
 	ret = get_oid_1(r, name, len, &oid, GET_OID_COMMITTISH);
diff --git a/odb-over-ipc.c b/odb-over-ipc.c
index cbab474740e22c..f0342df1990659 100644
--- a/odb-over-ipc.c
+++ b/odb-over-ipc.c
@@ -311,12 +311,12 @@ int odb_over_ipc__get_parent(struct repository *r, const char *name, int len,
 	return ret;
 }
 
-int odb_over_ipc__get_nth_ancestor(struct repository *r, const char *name,
-				   int len, int generation,
-				   struct object_id *result)
+int odb_over_ipc__get_ancestor(struct repository *r, const char *name,
+			       int len, int generation,
+			       struct object_id *result)
 {
-	struct odb_over_ipc__get_nth_ancestor__request req;
-	struct odb_over_ipc__get_nth_ancestor__response *resp;
+	struct odb_over_ipc__get_ancestor__request req;
+	struct odb_over_ipc__get_ancestor__response *resp;
 	struct strbuf msg = STRBUF_INIT;
 	struct strbuf answer = STRBUF_INIT;
 	int ret;
@@ -331,7 +331,7 @@ int odb_over_ipc__get_nth_ancestor(struct repository *r, const char *name,
 		return -1;
 
 	memset(&req, 0, sizeof(req));
-	memcpy(req.key.key, "get-nth-ancestor", 16);
+	memcpy(req.key.key, "get-ancestor", 12);
 	req.generation = generation;
 	req.name_len = len;
 
@@ -351,7 +351,7 @@ int odb_over_ipc__get_nth_ancestor(struct repository *r, const char *name,
 
 	if (answer.len != sizeof(*resp))
 		BUG("incorrect size for binary data");
-	resp = (struct odb_over_ipc__get_nth_ancestor__response *)answer.buf;
+	resp = (struct odb_over_ipc__get_ancestor__response *)answer.buf;
 
 	oidcpy(result, &resp->oid);
 
diff --git a/odb-over-ipc.h b/odb-over-ipc.h
index 26a5111c197181..e84a2ce7b0491e 100644
--- a/odb-over-ipc.h
+++ b/odb-over-ipc.h
@@ -95,14 +95,14 @@ struct odb_over_ipc__get_parent__response
 	struct object_id oid;
 };
 
-struct odb_over_ipc__get_nth_ancestor__request
+struct odb_over_ipc__get_ancestor__request
 {
 	struct odb_over_ipc__key key;
 	int generation;
 	int name_len;
 };
 
-struct odb_over_ipc__get_nth_ancestor__response
+struct odb_over_ipc__get_ancestor__response
 {
 	struct odb_over_ipc__key key;
 	struct object_id oid;
@@ -129,9 +129,9 @@ int odb_over_ipc__hash_object(struct repository *r, struct object_id *oid,
 int odb_over_ipc__get_parent(struct repository *r, const char *name, int len,
 			     int idx, struct object_id *result);
 
-int odb_over_ipc__get_nth_ancestor(struct repository *r, const char *name,
-				   int len, int generation,
-				   struct object_id *result);
+int odb_over_ipc__get_ancestor(struct repository *r, const char *name,
+			       int len, int generation,
+			       struct object_id *result);
 
 /*
  * Explicitly shutdown IPC connection to the `git odb--daemon` process.