diff --git a/src/__tests__/starWarsSchema.js b/src/__tests__/starWarsSchema.js
index 0a9ded69dc..2869d9eded 100644
--- a/src/__tests__/starWarsSchema.js
+++ b/src/__tests__/starWarsSchema.js
@@ -309,6 +309,6 @@ export const StarWarsSchema = new GraphQLSchema({
 export const StarWarsSchemaDeferStreamEnabled = new GraphQLSchema({
   query: queryType,
   types: [humanType, droidType],
-  experimentalDeferFragmentSpreads: true,
+  experimentalDefer: true,
   experimentalStream: true,
 });
diff --git a/src/execution/execute.js b/src/execution/execute.js
index b7f7c397fb..77dff38573 100644
--- a/src/execution/execute.js
+++ b/src/execution/execute.js
@@ -546,7 +546,7 @@ export function collectFields(
           continue;
         }
 
-        const patchLabel = exeContext.schema.__experimentalDeferFragmentSpreads
+        const patchLabel = exeContext.schema.__experimentalDefer
           ? getDeferredNodeLabel(exeContext, selection)
           : '';
 
@@ -582,7 +582,7 @@ export function collectFields(
           continue;
         }
 
-        const patchLabel = exeContext.schema.__experimentalDeferFragmentSpreads
+        const patchLabel = exeContext.schema.__experimentalDefer
           ? getDeferredNodeLabel(exeContext, selection)
           : '';
 
diff --git a/src/type/schema.js b/src/type/schema.js
index 7ebd771ab5..2b56f54fc5 100644
--- a/src/type/schema.js
+++ b/src/type/schema.js
@@ -137,7 +137,7 @@ export class GraphQLSchema {
   // Used as a cache for validateSchema().
   __validationErrors: ?$ReadOnlyArray<GraphQLError>;
   // Referenced by execute()
-  __experimentalDeferFragmentSpreads: boolean;
+  __experimentalDefer: boolean;
   __experimentalStream: boolean;
 
   constructor(config: $ReadOnly<GraphQLSchemaConfig>): void {
@@ -173,11 +173,11 @@ export class GraphQLSchema {
     // Provide specified directives (e.g. @include and @skip) by default.
     this._directives = config.directives || specifiedDirectives;
 
-    if (config.experimentalDeferFragmentSpreads) {
-      this.__experimentalDeferFragmentSpreads = true;
+    if (config.__experimentalDefer) {
+      this.____experimentalDefer = true;
       this._directives = [].concat(this._directives, [GraphQLDeferDirective]);
     } else {
-      this.__experimentalDeferFragmentSpreads = false;
+      this.____experimentalDefer = false;
     }
 
     if (config.experimentalStream) {
@@ -335,7 +335,7 @@ export type GraphQLSchemaValidationOptions = {|
    *
    * Default: false
    */
-  experimentalDeferFragmentSpreads?: boolean,
+  experimentalDefer?: boolean,
 
   /**
    *
diff --git a/src/utilities/buildASTSchema.js b/src/utilities/buildASTSchema.js
index 251b965b35..85e9beb661 100644
--- a/src/utilities/buildASTSchema.js
+++ b/src/utilities/buildASTSchema.js
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ export function buildASTSchema(
 
   if (
     options &&
-    options.experimentalDeferFragmentSpreads &&
+    options.experimentalDefer &&
     !directives.some(directive => directive.name === 'defer')
   ) {
     directives.push(GraphQLDeferDirective);