diff --git a/core/state/journal.go b/core/state/journal.go
index 540ade6fb..720c821b9 100644
--- a/core/state/journal.go
+++ b/core/state/journal.go
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ type (
 	resetObjectChange struct {
 		prev *StateObject
 	}
-	deleteAccountChange struct {
+	suicideChange struct {
 		account     *common.Address
 		prev        bool // whether account had already suicided
 		prevbalance *big.Int
@@ -79,10 +79,10 @@ func (ch resetObjectChange) undo(s *StateDB) {
 	s.setStateObject(ch.prev)
 }
 
-func (ch deleteAccountChange) undo(s *StateDB) {
+func (ch suicideChange) undo(s *StateDB) {
 	obj := s.GetStateObject(*ch.account)
 	if obj != nil {
-		obj.remove = ch.prev
+		obj.suicided = ch.prev
 		obj.setBalance(ch.prevbalance)
 	}
 }
diff --git a/core/state/state_object.go b/core/state/state_object.go
index 31ff9bcd8..a6b6028bc 100644
--- a/core/state/state_object.go
+++ b/core/state/state_object.go
@@ -83,10 +83,10 @@ type StateObject struct {
 	dirtyStorage  Storage // Storage entries that need to be flushed to disk
 
 	// Cache flags.
-	// When an object is marked for deletion it will be delete from the trie
-	// during the "update" phase of the state transition
+	// When an object is marked suicided it will be delete from the trie
+	// during the "update" phase of the state transition.
 	dirtyCode bool // true if the code was updated
-	remove    bool
+	suicided  bool
 	deleted   bool
 	onDirty   func(addr common.Address) // Callback method to mark a state object newly dirty
 }
@@ -123,8 +123,8 @@ func (self *StateObject) setError(err error) {
 	}
 }
 
-func (self *StateObject) markForDeletion() {
-	self.remove = true
+func (self *StateObject) markSuicided() {
+	self.suicided = true
 	if self.onDirty != nil {
 		self.onDirty(self.Address())
 		self.onDirty = nil
@@ -266,7 +266,7 @@ func (self *StateObject) deepCopy(db *StateDB, onDirty func(addr common.Address)
 	stateObject.code = self.code
 	stateObject.dirtyStorage = self.dirtyStorage.Copy()
 	stateObject.cachedStorage = self.dirtyStorage.Copy()
-	stateObject.remove = self.remove
+	stateObject.suicided = self.suicided
 	stateObject.dirtyCode = self.dirtyCode
 	stateObject.deleted = self.deleted
 	return stateObject
diff --git a/core/state/state_test.go b/core/state/state_test.go
index b86d8b140..f188bc271 100644
--- a/core/state/state_test.go
+++ b/core/state/state_test.go
@@ -156,7 +156,7 @@ func TestSnapshot2(t *testing.T) {
 	so0.SetBalance(big.NewInt(42))
 	so0.SetNonce(43)
 	so0.SetCode(crypto.Keccak256Hash([]byte{'c', 'a', 'f', 'e'}), []byte{'c', 'a', 'f', 'e'})
-	so0.remove = false
+	so0.suicided = false
 	so0.deleted = false
 	state.setStateObject(so0)
 
@@ -168,7 +168,7 @@ func TestSnapshot2(t *testing.T) {
 	so1.SetBalance(big.NewInt(52))
 	so1.SetNonce(53)
 	so1.SetCode(crypto.Keccak256Hash([]byte{'c', 'a', 'f', 'e', '2'}), []byte{'c', 'a', 'f', 'e', '2'})
-	so1.remove = true
+	so1.suicided = true
 	so1.deleted = true
 	state.setStateObject(so1)
 
@@ -228,8 +228,8 @@ func compareStateObjects(so0, so1 *StateObject, t *testing.T) {
 		}
 	}
 
-	if so0.remove != so1.remove {
-		t.Fatalf("Remove mismatch: have %v, want %v", so0.remove, so1.remove)
+	if so0.suicided != so1.suicided {
+		t.Fatalf("suicided mismatch: have %v, want %v", so0.suicided, so1.suicided)
 	}
 	if so0.deleted != so1.deleted {
 		t.Fatalf("Deleted mismatch: have %v, want %v", so0.deleted, so1.deleted)
diff --git a/core/state/statedb.go b/core/state/statedb.go
index 4f74302c3..ec9e9392f 100644
--- a/core/state/statedb.go
+++ b/core/state/statedb.go
@@ -275,10 +275,10 @@ func (self *StateDB) GetState(a common.Address, b common.Hash) common.Hash {
 	return common.Hash{}
 }
 
-func (self *StateDB) IsDeleted(addr common.Address) bool {
+func (self *StateDB) HasSuicided(addr common.Address) bool {
 	stateObject := self.GetStateObject(addr)
 	if stateObject != nil {
-		return stateObject.remove
+		return stateObject.suicided
 	}
 	return false
 }
@@ -322,22 +322,22 @@ func (self *StateDB) SetState(addr common.Address, key common.Hash, value common
 	}
 }
 
-// Delete marks the given account as suicided.
+// Suicide marks the given account as suicided.
 // This clears the account balance.
 //
 // The account's state object is still available until the state is committed,
-// GetStateObject will return a non-nil account after Delete.
-func (self *StateDB) Delete(addr common.Address) bool {
+// GetStateObject will return a non-nil account after Suicide.
+func (self *StateDB) Suicide(addr common.Address) bool {
 	stateObject := self.GetStateObject(addr)
 	if stateObject == nil {
 		return false
 	}
-	self.journal = append(self.journal, deleteAccountChange{
+	self.journal = append(self.journal, suicideChange{
 		account:     &addr,
-		prev:        stateObject.remove,
+		prev:        stateObject.suicided,
 		prevbalance: new(big.Int).Set(stateObject.Balance()),
 	})
-	stateObject.markForDeletion()
+	stateObject.markSuicided()
 	stateObject.data.Balance = new(big.Int)
 	return true
 }
@@ -516,7 +516,7 @@ func (self *StateDB) GetRefund() *big.Int {
 func (s *StateDB) IntermediateRoot() common.Hash {
 	for addr, _ := range s.stateObjectsDirty {
 		stateObject := s.stateObjects[addr]
-		if stateObject.remove {
+		if stateObject.suicided {
 			s.deleteStateObject(stateObject)
 		} else {
 			stateObject.updateRoot(s.db)
@@ -542,7 +542,7 @@ func (s *StateDB) DeleteSuicides() {
 
 		// If the object has been removed by a suicide
 		// flag the object as deleted.
-		if stateObject.remove {
+		if stateObject.suicided {
 			stateObject.deleted = true
 		}
 		delete(s.stateObjectsDirty, addr)
@@ -575,7 +575,7 @@ func (s *StateDB) commit(dbw trie.DatabaseWriter) (root common.Hash, err error)
 
 	// Commit objects to the trie.
 	for addr, stateObject := range s.stateObjects {
-		if stateObject.remove {
+		if stateObject.suicided {
 			// If the object has been removed, don't bother syncing it
 			// and just mark it for deletion in the trie.
 			s.deleteStateObject(stateObject)
diff --git a/core/state/statedb_test.go b/core/state/statedb_test.go
index e236cb8f3..5d041c740 100644
--- a/core/state/statedb_test.go
+++ b/core/state/statedb_test.go
@@ -202,9 +202,9 @@ func newTestAction(addr common.Address, r *rand.Rand) testAction {
 			},
 		},
 		{
-			name: "Delete",
+			name: "Suicide",
 			fn: func(a testAction, s *StateDB) {
-				s.Delete(addr)
+				s.Suicide(addr)
 			},
 		},
 		{
@@ -323,7 +323,7 @@ func (test *snapshotTest) checkEqual(state, checkstate *StateDB) error {
 		}
 		// Check basic accessor methods.
 		checkeq("Exist", state.Exist(addr), checkstate.Exist(addr))
-		checkeq("IsDeleted", state.IsDeleted(addr), checkstate.IsDeleted(addr))
+		checkeq("HasSuicided", state.HasSuicided(addr), checkstate.HasSuicided(addr))
 		checkeq("GetBalance", state.GetBalance(addr), checkstate.GetBalance(addr))
 		checkeq("GetNonce", state.GetNonce(addr), checkstate.GetNonce(addr))
 		checkeq("GetCode", state.GetCode(addr), checkstate.GetCode(addr))
diff --git a/core/vm/environment.go b/core/vm/environment.go
index 1038e69d5..a4b2ac196 100644
--- a/core/vm/environment.go
+++ b/core/vm/environment.go
@@ -105,9 +105,12 @@ type Database interface {
 	GetState(common.Address, common.Hash) common.Hash
 	SetState(common.Address, common.Hash, common.Hash)
 
-	Delete(common.Address) bool
+	Suicide(common.Address) bool
+	HasSuicided(common.Address) bool
+
+	// Exist reports whether the given account exists in state.
+	// Notably this should also return true for suicided accounts.
 	Exist(common.Address) bool
-	IsDeleted(common.Address) bool
 }
 
 // Account represents a contract or basic ethereum account.
diff --git a/core/vm/instructions.go b/core/vm/instructions.go
index 849a8463c..79aee60d2 100644
--- a/core/vm/instructions.go
+++ b/core/vm/instructions.go
@@ -614,7 +614,7 @@ func opSuicide(instr instruction, pc *uint64, env Environment, contract *Contrac
 	balance := env.Db().GetBalance(contract.Address())
 	env.Db().AddBalance(common.BigToAddress(stack.pop()), balance)
 
-	env.Db().Delete(contract.Address())
+	env.Db().Suicide(contract.Address())
 }
 
 // following functions are used by the instruction jump  table
diff --git a/core/vm/jit.go b/core/vm/jit.go
index 460a68ddd..55d2e0477 100644
--- a/core/vm/jit.go
+++ b/core/vm/jit.go
@@ -425,7 +425,7 @@ func jitCalculateGasAndSize(env Environment, contract *Contract, instr instructi
 		}
 		gas.Set(g)
 	case SUICIDE:
-		if !statedb.IsDeleted(contract.Address()) {
+		if !statedb.HasSuicided(contract.Address()) {
 			statedb.AddRefund(params.SuicideRefundGas)
 		}
 	case MLOAD:
diff --git a/core/vm/vm.go b/core/vm/vm.go
index 5d78b4a2a..033ada21c 100644
--- a/core/vm/vm.go
+++ b/core/vm/vm.go
@@ -303,7 +303,7 @@ func calculateGasAndSize(env Environment, contract *Contract, caller ContractRef
 		}
 		gas.Set(g)
 	case SUICIDE:
-		if !statedb.IsDeleted(contract.Address()) {
+		if !statedb.HasSuicided(contract.Address()) {
 			statedb.AddRefund(params.SuicideRefundGas)
 		}
 	case MLOAD: