diff --git a/synapse/storage/account_data.py b/synapse/storage/account_data.py
index 95294c3f6..62e49e1c0 100644
--- a/synapse/storage/account_data.py
+++ b/synapse/storage/account_data.py
@@ -128,7 +128,7 @@ class AccountDataStore(SQLBaseStore):
 
             return (global_account_data, account_data_by_room)
 
-        changed = self._account_data_stream_cache.get_entity_has_changed(
+        changed = self._account_data_stream_cache.has_entity_changed(
             user_id, int(stream_id)
         )
         if not changed:
diff --git a/synapse/storage/stream.py b/synapse/storage/stream.py
index c7d789332..6e81d46c6 100644
--- a/synapse/storage/stream.py
+++ b/synapse/storage/stream.py
@@ -200,7 +200,7 @@ class StreamStore(SQLBaseStore):
             defer.returnValue(([], from_key))
 
         if from_id:
-            has_changed = yield self._events_stream_cache.get_entity_has_changed(
+            has_changed = yield self._events_stream_cache.has_entity_changed(
                 room_id, from_id
             )
 
diff --git a/synapse/storage/tags.py b/synapse/storage/tags.py
index 50af89919..75ce04092 100644
--- a/synapse/storage/tags.py
+++ b/synapse/storage/tags.py
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ class TagsStore(SQLBaseStore):
             room_ids = [row[0] for row in txn.fetchall()]
             return room_ids
 
-        changed = self._tags_stream_cache.get_entity_has_changed(user_id, int(stream_id))
+        changed = self._tags_stream_cache.has_entity_changed(user_id, int(stream_id))
         if not changed:
             defer.returnValue({})
 
diff --git a/synapse/util/caches/stream_change_cache.py b/synapse/util/caches/stream_change_cache.py
index 33b37f7f2..3ca0e5778 100644
--- a/synapse/util/caches/stream_change_cache.py
+++ b/synapse/util/caches/stream_change_cache.py
@@ -40,7 +40,9 @@ class StreamChangeCache(object):
         self.name = name
         caches_by_name[self.name] = self._cache
 
-    def get_entity_has_changed(self, entity, stream_pos):
+    def has_entity_changed(self, entity, stream_pos):
+        """Returns True if the entity may have been updated since stream_pos
+        """
         assert type(stream_pos) is int
 
         if stream_pos <= self._earliest_known_stream_pos: