diff --git a/db.go b/db.go
index b0f68eb23..7c551c738 100644
--- a/db.go
+++ b/db.go
@@ -35,14 +35,14 @@ type DB struct {
 	opts   *Options
 	path   string
 
-	shards []*SeriesShard
+	shards []*Shard
 }
 
 // TODO(fabxc): make configurable
 const (
-	seriesShardShift = 2
-	numSeriesShards  = 1 << seriesShardShift
-	maxChunkSize     = 1024
+	shardShift   = 2
+	numShards    = 1 << shardShift
+	maxChunkSize = 1024
 )
 
 // Open or create a new DB.
@@ -67,11 +67,11 @@ func Open(path string, l log.Logger, opts *Options) (*DB, error) {
 	// Initialize vertical shards.
 	// TODO(fabxc): validate shard number to be power of 2, which is required
 	// for the bitshift-modulo when finding the right shard.
-	for i := 0; i < numSeriesShards; i++ {
+	for i := 0; i < numShards; i++ {
 		l := log.NewContext(l).With("shard", i)
 		d := shardDir(path, i)
 
-		s, err := NewSeriesShard(d, l)
+		s, err := OpenShard(d, l)
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, fmt.Errorf("initializing shard %q failed: %s", d, err)
 		}
@@ -139,7 +139,7 @@ func (v *Vector) Reset() {
 // Add a sample to the vector.
 func (v *Vector) Add(lset Labels, val float64) {
 	h := lset.Hash()
-	s := uint16(h >> (64 - seriesShardShift))
+	s := uint16(h >> (64 - shardShift))
 
 	v.Buckets[s] = append(v.Buckets[s], Sample{
 		Hash:   h,
@@ -185,7 +185,7 @@ func (db *DB) AppendVector(ts int64, v *Vector) error {
 func (db *DB) AppendSingle(lset Labels, ts int64, v float64) error {
 	sort.Sort(lset)
 	h := lset.Hash()
-	s := uint16(h >> (64 - seriesShardShift))
+	s := uint16(h >> (64 - shardShift))
 
 	return db.shards[s].appendBatch(ts, []Sample{
 		{
@@ -198,9 +198,9 @@ func (db *DB) AppendSingle(lset Labels, ts int64, v float64) error {
 
 const sep = '\xff'
 
-// SeriesShard handles reads and writes of time series falling into
+// Shard handles reads and writes of time series falling into
 // a hashed shard of a series.
-type SeriesShard struct {
+type Shard struct {
 	path      string
 	persistCh chan struct{}
 	logger    log.Logger
@@ -210,8 +210,8 @@ type SeriesShard struct {
 	head      *HeadBlock
 }
 
-// NewSeriesShard returns a new SeriesShard.
-func NewSeriesShard(path string, logger log.Logger) (*SeriesShard, error) {
+// OpenShard returns a new Shard.
+func OpenShard(path string, logger log.Logger) (*Shard, error) {
 	// Create directory if shard is new.
 	if _, err := os.Stat(path); os.IsNotExist(err) {
 		if err := os.MkdirAll(path, 0777); err != nil {
@@ -225,7 +225,7 @@ func NewSeriesShard(path string, logger log.Logger) (*SeriesShard, error) {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
-	s := &SeriesShard{
+	s := &Shard{
 		path:      path,
 		persistCh: make(chan struct{}, 1),
 		logger:    logger,
@@ -240,8 +240,8 @@ func NewSeriesShard(path string, logger log.Logger) (*SeriesShard, error) {
 	return s, nil
 }
 
-// Close the series shard.
-func (s *SeriesShard) Close() error {
+// Close the shard.
+func (s *Shard) Close() error {
 	var e MultiError
 
 	for _, pb := range s.persisted {
@@ -251,7 +251,7 @@ func (s *SeriesShard) Close() error {
 	return e.Err()
 }
 
-func (s *SeriesShard) appendBatch(ts int64, samples []Sample) error {
+func (s *Shard) appendBatch(ts int64, samples []Sample) error {
 	// TODO(fabxc): make configurable.
 	const persistenceTimeThreshold = 1000 * 60 * 60 // 1 hour if timestamp in ms
 
@@ -283,14 +283,14 @@ func (s *SeriesShard) appendBatch(ts int64, samples []Sample) error {
 
 // blocksForRange returns all blocks within the shard that may contain
 // data for the given time range.
-func (s *SeriesShard) blocksForRange(mint, maxt int64) (bs []Block) {
+func (s *Shard) blocksForRange(mint, maxt int64) (bs []Block) {
 	return []Block{s.head}
 }
 
 // TODO(fabxc): make configurable.
 const shardGracePeriod = 60 * 1000 // 60 seconds for millisecond scale
 
-func (s *SeriesShard) persist() error {
+func (s *Shard) persist() error {
 	s.mtx.Lock()
 
 	// Set new head block.
diff --git a/querier.go b/querier.go
index 2e49bc9d6..2602b7232 100644
--- a/querier.go
+++ b/querier.go
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ type shardQuerier struct {
 
 // Querier returns a new querier over the data shard for the given
 // time range.
-func (s *SeriesShard) Querier(mint, maxt int64) Querier {
+func (s *Shard) Querier(mint, maxt int64) Querier {
 	blocks := s.blocksForRange(mint, maxt)
 
 	sq := &shardQuerier{