diff --git a/agent/consul/state/catalog_oss_test.go b/agent/consul/state/catalog_oss_test.go
index 2603e85b70..0fa9129730 100644
--- a/agent/consul/state/catalog_oss_test.go
+++ b/agent/consul/state/catalog_oss_test.go
@@ -34,11 +34,11 @@ func testIndexerTableChecks() map[string]indexerTestCase {
 					Node:    "NoDe",
 					CheckID: "CheckId",
 				},
-				expected: []byte("internal\x00node\x00checkid\x00"),
+				expected: []byte("~\x00node\x00checkid\x00"),
 			},
 			write: indexValue{
 				source:   obj,
-				expected: []byte("internal\x00node\x00checkid\x00"),
+				expected: []byte("~\x00node\x00checkid\x00"),
 			},
 			prefix: []indexValue{
 				{
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ func testIndexerTableChecks() map[string]indexerTestCase {
 				},
 				{
 					source:   Query{Value: "nOdE"},
-					expected: []byte("internal\x00node\x00"),
+					expected: []byte("~\x00node\x00"),
 				},
 			},
 			extra: []indexerTestCase{
@@ -77,11 +77,11 @@ func testIndexerTableChecks() map[string]indexerTestCase {
 		indexStatus: {
 			read: indexValue{
 				source:   Query{Value: "PASSING"},
-				expected: []byte("internal\x00passing\x00"),
+				expected: []byte("~\x00passing\x00"),
 			},
 			write: indexValue{
 				source:   obj,
-				expected: []byte("internal\x00passing\x00"),
+				expected: []byte("~\x00passing\x00"),
 			},
 			extra: []indexerTestCase{
 				{
@@ -99,11 +99,11 @@ func testIndexerTableChecks() map[string]indexerTestCase {
 		indexService: {
 			read: indexValue{
 				source:   Query{Value: "ServiceName"},
-				expected: []byte("internal\x00servicename\x00"),
+				expected: []byte("~\x00servicename\x00"),
 			},
 			write: indexValue{
 				source:   obj,
-				expected: []byte("internal\x00servicename\x00"),
+				expected: []byte("~\x00servicename\x00"),
 			},
 			extra: []indexerTestCase{
 				{
@@ -124,11 +124,11 @@ func testIndexerTableChecks() map[string]indexerTestCase {
 					Node:    "NoDe",
 					Service: "SeRvIcE",
 				},
-				expected: []byte("internal\x00node\x00service\x00"),
+				expected: []byte("~\x00node\x00service\x00"),
 			},
 			write: indexValue{
 				source:   obj,
-				expected: []byte("internal\x00node\x00service\x00"),
+				expected: []byte("~\x00node\x00service\x00"),
 			},
 			extra: []indexerTestCase{
 				{
@@ -152,11 +152,11 @@ func testIndexerTableChecks() map[string]indexerTestCase {
 				source: Query{
 					Value: "NoDe",
 				},
-				expected: []byte("internal\x00node\x00"),
+				expected: []byte("~\x00node\x00"),
 			},
 			write: indexValue{
 				source:   obj,
-				expected: []byte("internal\x00node\x00"),
+				expected: []byte("~\x00node\x00"),
 			},
 			extra: []indexerTestCase{
 				{
@@ -272,11 +272,11 @@ func testIndexerTableNodes() map[string]indexerTestCase {
 		indexID: {
 			read: indexValue{
 				source:   Query{Value: "NoDeId"},
-				expected: []byte("internal\x00nodeid\x00"),
+				expected: []byte("~\x00nodeid\x00"),
 			},
 			write: indexValue{
 				source:   &structs.Node{Node: "NoDeId"},
-				expected: []byte("internal\x00nodeid\x00"),
+				expected: []byte("~\x00nodeid\x00"),
 			},
 			prefix: []indexValue{
 				{
@@ -289,11 +289,11 @@ func testIndexerTableNodes() map[string]indexerTestCase {
 				},
 				{
 					source:   Query{Value: "NoDeId"},
-					expected: []byte("internal\x00nodeid\x00"),
+					expected: []byte("~\x00nodeid\x00"),
 				},
 				{
 					source:   Query{},
-					expected: []byte("internal\x00"),
+					expected: []byte("~\x00"),
 				},
 			},
 			extra: []indexerTestCase{
@@ -322,27 +322,27 @@ func testIndexerTableNodes() map[string]indexerTestCase {
 		indexUUID: {
 			read: indexValue{
 				source:   Query{Value: uuid},
-				expected: append([]byte("internal\x00"), uuidBuf...),
+				expected: append([]byte("~\x00"), uuidBuf...),
 			},
 			write: indexValue{
 				source: &structs.Node{
 					ID:   types.NodeID(uuid),
 					Node: "NoDeId",
 				},
-				expected: append([]byte("internal\x00"), uuidBuf...),
+				expected: append([]byte("~\x00"), uuidBuf...),
 			},
 			prefix: []indexValue{
 				{ // partial length
 					source:   Query{Value: uuid[:6]},
-					expected: append([]byte("internal\x00"), uuidBuf[:3]...),
+					expected: append([]byte("~\x00"), uuidBuf[:3]...),
 				},
 				{ // full length
 					source:   Query{Value: uuid},
-					expected: append([]byte("internal\x00"), uuidBuf...),
+					expected: append([]byte("~\x00"), uuidBuf...),
 				},
 				{
 					source:   Query{},
-					expected: []byte("internal\x00"),
+					expected: []byte("~\x00"),
 				},
 			},
 			extra: []indexerTestCase{
@@ -382,7 +382,7 @@ func testIndexerTableNodes() map[string]indexerTestCase {
 					Key:   "KeY",
 					Value: "VaLuE",
 				},
-				expected: []byte("internal\x00KeY\x00VaLuE\x00"),
+				expected: []byte("~\x00KeY\x00VaLuE\x00"),
 			},
 			writeMulti: indexValueMulti{
 				source: &structs.Node{
@@ -393,8 +393,8 @@ func testIndexerTableNodes() map[string]indexerTestCase {
 					},
 				},
 				expected: [][]byte{
-					[]byte("internal\x00MaP-kEy-1\x00mAp-VaL-1\x00"),
-					[]byte("internal\x00mAp-KeY-2\x00MaP-vAl-2\x00"),
+					[]byte("~\x00MaP-kEy-1\x00mAp-VaL-1\x00"),
+					[]byte("~\x00mAp-KeY-2\x00MaP-vAl-2\x00"),
 				},
 			},
 			extra: []indexerTestCase{
@@ -449,11 +449,11 @@ func testIndexerTableServices() map[string]indexerTestCase {
 					Node:    "NoDeId",
 					Service: "SeRvIcE",
 				},
-				expected: []byte("internal\x00nodeid\x00service\x00"),
+				expected: []byte("~\x00nodeid\x00service\x00"),
 			},
 			write: indexValue{
 				source:   obj,
-				expected: []byte("internal\x00nodeid\x00service\x00"),
+				expected: []byte("~\x00nodeid\x00service\x00"),
 			},
 			prefix: []indexValue{
 				{
@@ -466,11 +466,11 @@ func testIndexerTableServices() map[string]indexerTestCase {
 				},
 				{
 					source:   Query{},
-					expected: []byte("internal\x00"),
+					expected: []byte("~\x00"),
 				},
 				{
 					source:   Query{Value: "NoDeId"},
-					expected: []byte("internal\x00nodeid\x00"),
+					expected: []byte("~\x00nodeid\x00"),
 				},
 			},
 			extra: []indexerTestCase{
@@ -505,11 +505,11 @@ func testIndexerTableServices() map[string]indexerTestCase {
 				source: Query{
 					Value: "NoDeId",
 				},
-				expected: []byte("internal\x00nodeid\x00"),
+				expected: []byte("~\x00nodeid\x00"),
 			},
 			write: indexValue{
 				source:   obj,
-				expected: []byte("internal\x00nodeid\x00"),
+				expected: []byte("~\x00nodeid\x00"),
 			},
 			extra: []indexerTestCase{
 				{
@@ -530,11 +530,11 @@ func testIndexerTableServices() map[string]indexerTestCase {
 		indexService: {
 			read: indexValue{
 				source:   Query{Value: "ServiceName"},
-				expected: []byte("internal\x00servicename\x00"),
+				expected: []byte("~\x00servicename\x00"),
 			},
 			write: indexValue{
 				source:   obj,
-				expected: []byte("internal\x00servicename\x00"),
+				expected: []byte("~\x00servicename\x00"),
 			},
 			extra: []indexerTestCase{
 				{
@@ -552,14 +552,14 @@ func testIndexerTableServices() map[string]indexerTestCase {
 		indexConnect: {
 			read: indexValue{
 				source:   Query{Value: "ConnectName"},
-				expected: []byte("internal\x00connectname\x00"),
+				expected: []byte("~\x00connectname\x00"),
 			},
 			write: indexValue{
 				source: &structs.ServiceNode{
 					ServiceName:    "ConnectName",
 					ServiceConnect: structs.ServiceConnect{Native: true},
 				},
-				expected: []byte("internal\x00connectname\x00"),
+				expected: []byte("~\x00connectname\x00"),
 			},
 			extra: []indexerTestCase{
 				{
@@ -571,7 +571,7 @@ func testIndexerTableServices() map[string]indexerTestCase {
 								DestinationServiceName: "ConnectName",
 							},
 						},
-						expected: []byte("internal\x00connectname\x00"),
+						expected: []byte("~\x00connectname\x00"),
 					},
 				},
 				{
@@ -621,13 +621,13 @@ func testIndexerTableServices() map[string]indexerTestCase {
 		indexKind: {
 			read: indexValue{
 				source:   Query{Value: "connect-proxy"},
-				expected: []byte("internal\x00connect-proxy\x00"),
+				expected: []byte("~\x00connect-proxy\x00"),
 			},
 			write: indexValue{
 				source: &structs.ServiceNode{
 					ServiceKind: structs.ServiceKindConnectProxy,
 				},
-				expected: []byte("internal\x00connect-proxy\x00"),
+				expected: []byte("~\x00connect-proxy\x00"),
 			},
 			extra: []indexerTestCase{
 				{
@@ -636,7 +636,7 @@ func testIndexerTableServices() map[string]indexerTestCase {
 							ServiceName: "ServiceName",
 							ServiceKind: structs.ServiceKindTypical,
 						},
-						expected: []byte("internal\x00\x00"),
+						expected: []byte("~\x00\x00"),
 					},
 				},
 				{
@@ -694,18 +694,18 @@ func testIndexerTableServiceVirtualIPs() map[string]indexerTestCase {
 						Name: "foo",
 					},
 				},
-				expected: []byte("internal\x00foo\x00"),
+				expected: []byte("~\x00foo\x00"),
 			},
 			write: indexValue{
 				source:   obj,
-				expected: []byte("internal\x00foo\x00"),
+				expected: []byte("~\x00foo\x00"),
 			},
 			prefix: []indexValue{
 				{
 					source: Query{
 						Value: "foo",
 					},
-					expected: []byte("internal\x00foo\x00"),
+					expected: []byte("~\x00foo\x00"),
 				},
 				{
 					source: Query{
diff --git a/agent/structs/structs.go b/agent/structs/structs.go
index 275bf4c18b..afc9133850 100644
--- a/agent/structs/structs.go
+++ b/agent/structs/structs.go
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ const (
 
 const (
 	// LocalPeerKeyword is a reserved keyword used for indexing in the state store for objects in the local peer.
-	LocalPeerKeyword = "internal"
+	LocalPeerKeyword = "~"
 
 	// DefaultPeerKeyword is the PeerName to use to refer to the local
 	// cluster's own data, rather than replicated peered data.