diff --git a/backend/remote-state/s3/backend.go b/backend/remote-state/s3/backend.go
index 846746b98..ae027f220 100644
--- a/backend/remote-state/s3/backend.go
+++ b/backend/remote-state/s3/backend.go
@@ -81,6 +81,14 @@ func New() backend.Backend {
 				Optional:    true,
 				Description: "DynamoDB table for state locking",
 				Default:     "",
+				Deprecated:  "please use the dynamodb_table attribute",
+			},
+
+			"dynamodb_table": {
+				Type:        schema.TypeString,
+				Optional:    true,
+				Description: "DynamoDB table for state locking and consistency",
+				Default:     "",
 			},
 
 			"profile": {
@@ -151,7 +159,7 @@ type Backend struct {
 	serverSideEncryption bool
 	acl                  string
 	kmsKeyID             string
-	lockTable            string
+	ddbTable             string
 }
 
 func (b *Backend) configure(ctx context.Context) error {
@@ -167,7 +175,12 @@ func (b *Backend) configure(ctx context.Context) error {
 	b.serverSideEncryption = data.Get("encrypt").(bool)
 	b.acl = data.Get("acl").(string)
 	b.kmsKeyID = data.Get("kms_key_id").(string)
-	b.lockTable = data.Get("lock_table").(string)
+
+	b.ddbTable = data.Get("dynamodb_table").(string)
+	if b.ddbTable == "" {
+		// try the depracted field
+		b.ddbTable = data.Get("lock_table").(string)
+	}
 
 	cfg := &terraformAWS.Config{
 		AccessKey:             data.Get("access_key").(string),
diff --git a/backend/remote-state/s3/backend_state.go b/backend/remote-state/s3/backend_state.go
index e35a11884..1835e7402 100644
--- a/backend/remote-state/s3/backend_state.go
+++ b/backend/remote-state/s3/backend_state.go
@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@ func (b *Backend) State(name string) (state.State, error) {
 		serverSideEncryption: b.serverSideEncryption,
 		acl:                  b.acl,
 		kmsKeyID:             b.kmsKeyID,
-		lockTable:            b.lockTable,
+		ddbTable:             b.ddbTable,
 	}
 
 	stateMgr := &remote.State{Client: client}
diff --git a/backend/remote-state/s3/backend_test.go b/backend/remote-state/s3/backend_test.go
index d90c76a6c..bdc81e899 100644
--- a/backend/remote-state/s3/backend_test.go
+++ b/backend/remote-state/s3/backend_test.go
@@ -34,11 +34,11 @@ func TestBackend_impl(t *testing.T) {
 func TestBackendConfig(t *testing.T) {
 	testACC(t)
 	config := map[string]interface{}{
-		"region":     "us-west-1",
-		"bucket":     "tf-test",
-		"key":        "state",
-		"encrypt":    true,
-		"lock_table": "dynamoTable",
+		"region":         "us-west-1",
+		"bucket":         "tf-test",
+		"key":            "state",
+		"encrypt":        true,
+		"dynamodb_table": "dynamoTable",
 	}
 
 	b := backend.TestBackendConfig(t, New(), config).(*Backend)
@@ -90,17 +90,17 @@ func TestBackendLocked(t *testing.T) {
 	keyName := "test/state"
 
 	b1 := backend.TestBackendConfig(t, New(), map[string]interface{}{
-		"bucket":     bucketName,
-		"key":        keyName,
-		"encrypt":    true,
-		"lock_table": bucketName,
+		"bucket":         bucketName,
+		"key":            keyName,
+		"encrypt":        true,
+		"dynamodb_table": bucketName,
 	}).(*Backend)
 
 	b2 := backend.TestBackendConfig(t, New(), map[string]interface{}{
-		"bucket":     bucketName,
-		"key":        keyName,
-		"encrypt":    true,
-		"lock_table": bucketName,
+		"bucket":         bucketName,
+		"key":            keyName,
+		"encrypt":        true,
+		"dynamodb_table": bucketName,
 	}).(*Backend)
 
 	createS3Bucket(t, b1.s3Client, bucketName)
@@ -139,7 +139,7 @@ func TestBackendExtraPaths(t *testing.T) {
 		serverSideEncryption: b.serverSideEncryption,
 		acl:                  b.acl,
 		kmsKeyID:             b.kmsKeyID,
-		lockTable:            b.lockTable,
+		ddbTable:             b.ddbTable,
 	}
 
 	stateMgr := &remote.State{Client: client}
diff --git a/backend/remote-state/s3/client.go b/backend/remote-state/s3/client.go
index 25ff52930..87ddf0ff5 100644
--- a/backend/remote-state/s3/client.go
+++ b/backend/remote-state/s3/client.go
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ type RemoteClient struct {
 	serverSideEncryption bool
 	acl                  string
 	kmsKeyID             string
-	lockTable            string
+	ddbTable             string
 }
 
 var (
@@ -191,7 +191,7 @@ func (c *RemoteClient) Delete() error {
 }
 
 func (c *RemoteClient) Lock(info *state.LockInfo) (string, error) {
-	if c.lockTable == "" {
+	if c.ddbTable == "" {
 		return "", nil
 	}
 
@@ -211,7 +211,7 @@ func (c *RemoteClient) Lock(info *state.LockInfo) (string, error) {
 			"LockID": {S: aws.String(c.lockPath())},
 			"Info":   {S: aws.String(string(info.Marshal()))},
 		},
-		TableName:           aws.String(c.lockTable),
+		TableName:           aws.String(c.ddbTable),
 		ConditionExpression: aws.String("attribute_not_exists(LockID)"),
 	}
 	_, err := c.dynClient.PutItem(putParams)
@@ -233,7 +233,7 @@ func (c *RemoteClient) Lock(info *state.LockInfo) (string, error) {
 }
 
 func (c *RemoteClient) getMD5() ([]byte, error) {
-	if c.lockTable == "" {
+	if c.ddbTable == "" {
 		return nil, nil
 	}
 
@@ -242,7 +242,7 @@ func (c *RemoteClient) getMD5() ([]byte, error) {
 			"LockID": {S: aws.String(c.lockPath() + stateIDSuffix)},
 		},
 		ProjectionExpression: aws.String("LockID, Digest"),
-		TableName:            aws.String(c.lockTable),
+		TableName:            aws.String(c.ddbTable),
 	}
 
 	resp, err := c.dynClient.GetItem(getParams)
@@ -265,7 +265,7 @@ func (c *RemoteClient) getMD5() ([]byte, error) {
 
 // store the hash of the state to that clients can check for stale state files.
 func (c *RemoteClient) putMD5(sum []byte) error {
-	if c.lockTable == "" {
+	if c.ddbTable == "" {
 		return nil
 	}
 
@@ -278,7 +278,7 @@ func (c *RemoteClient) putMD5(sum []byte) error {
 			"LockID": {S: aws.String(c.lockPath() + stateIDSuffix)},
 			"Digest": {S: aws.String(hex.EncodeToString(sum))},
 		},
-		TableName: aws.String(c.lockTable),
+		TableName: aws.String(c.ddbTable),
 	}
 	_, err := c.dynClient.PutItem(putParams)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -290,7 +290,7 @@ func (c *RemoteClient) putMD5(sum []byte) error {
 
 // remove the hash value for a deleted state
 func (c *RemoteClient) deleteMD5() error {
-	if c.lockTable == "" {
+	if c.ddbTable == "" {
 		return nil
 	}
 
@@ -298,7 +298,7 @@ func (c *RemoteClient) deleteMD5() error {
 		Key: map[string]*dynamodb.AttributeValue{
 			"LockID": {S: aws.String(c.lockPath() + stateIDSuffix)},
 		},
-		TableName: aws.String(c.lockTable),
+		TableName: aws.String(c.ddbTable),
 	}
 	if _, err := c.dynClient.DeleteItem(params); err != nil {
 		return err
@@ -312,7 +312,7 @@ func (c *RemoteClient) getLockInfo() (*state.LockInfo, error) {
 			"LockID": {S: aws.String(c.lockPath())},
 		},
 		ProjectionExpression: aws.String("LockID, Info"),
-		TableName:            aws.String(c.lockTable),
+		TableName:            aws.String(c.ddbTable),
 	}
 
 	resp, err := c.dynClient.GetItem(getParams)
@@ -335,7 +335,7 @@ func (c *RemoteClient) getLockInfo() (*state.LockInfo, error) {
 }
 
 func (c *RemoteClient) Unlock(id string) error {
-	if c.lockTable == "" {
+	if c.ddbTable == "" {
 		return nil
 	}
 
@@ -360,7 +360,7 @@ func (c *RemoteClient) Unlock(id string) error {
 		Key: map[string]*dynamodb.AttributeValue{
 			"LockID": {S: aws.String(c.lockPath())},
 		},
-		TableName: aws.String(c.lockTable),
+		TableName: aws.String(c.ddbTable),
 	}
 	_, err = c.dynClient.DeleteItem(params)
 
diff --git a/backend/remote-state/s3/client_test.go b/backend/remote-state/s3/client_test.go
index d93711c9f..e981924b7 100644
--- a/backend/remote-state/s3/client_test.go
+++ b/backend/remote-state/s3/client_test.go
@@ -47,17 +47,17 @@ func TestRemoteClientLocks(t *testing.T) {
 	keyName := "testState"
 
 	b1 := backend.TestBackendConfig(t, New(), map[string]interface{}{
-		"bucket":     bucketName,
-		"key":        keyName,
-		"encrypt":    true,
-		"lock_table": bucketName,
+		"bucket":         bucketName,
+		"key":            keyName,
+		"encrypt":        true,
+		"dynamodb_table": bucketName,
 	}).(*Backend)
 
 	b2 := backend.TestBackendConfig(t, New(), map[string]interface{}{
-		"bucket":     bucketName,
-		"key":        keyName,
-		"encrypt":    true,
-		"lock_table": bucketName,
+		"bucket":         bucketName,
+		"key":            keyName,
+		"encrypt":        true,
+		"dynamodb_table": bucketName,
 	}).(*Backend)
 
 	createS3Bucket(t, b1.s3Client, bucketName)
@@ -85,17 +85,17 @@ func TestForceUnlock(t *testing.T) {
 	keyName := "testState"
 
 	b1 := backend.TestBackendConfig(t, New(), map[string]interface{}{
-		"bucket":     bucketName,
-		"key":        keyName,
-		"encrypt":    true,
-		"lock_table": bucketName,
+		"bucket":         bucketName,
+		"key":            keyName,
+		"encrypt":        true,
+		"dynamodb_table": bucketName,
 	}).(*Backend)
 
 	b2 := backend.TestBackendConfig(t, New(), map[string]interface{}{
-		"bucket":     bucketName,
-		"key":        keyName,
-		"encrypt":    true,
-		"lock_table": bucketName,
+		"bucket":         bucketName,
+		"key":            keyName,
+		"encrypt":        true,
+		"dynamodb_table": bucketName,
 	}).(*Backend)
 
 	createS3Bucket(t, b1.s3Client, bucketName)
@@ -162,9 +162,9 @@ func TestRemoteClient_clientMD5(t *testing.T) {
 	keyName := "testState"
 
 	b := backend.TestBackendConfig(t, New(), map[string]interface{}{
-		"bucket":     bucketName,
-		"key":        keyName,
-		"lock_table": bucketName,
+		"bucket":         bucketName,
+		"key":            keyName,
+		"dynamodb_table": bucketName,
 	}).(*Backend)
 
 	createS3Bucket(t, b.s3Client, bucketName)
@@ -210,9 +210,9 @@ func TestRemoteClient_stateChecksum(t *testing.T) {
 	keyName := "testState"
 
 	b1 := backend.TestBackendConfig(t, New(), map[string]interface{}{
-		"bucket":     bucketName,
-		"key":        keyName,
-		"lock_table": bucketName,
+		"bucket":         bucketName,
+		"key":            keyName,
+		"dynamodb_table": bucketName,
 	}).(*Backend)
 
 	createS3Bucket(t, b1.s3Client, bucketName)
@@ -238,7 +238,7 @@ func TestRemoteClient_stateChecksum(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
 
-	// Use b2 without a lock_table to bypass the lock table to write the state directly.
+	// Use b2 without a dynamodb_table to bypass the lock table to write the state directly.
 	// client2 will write the "incorrect" state, simulating s3 eventually consistency delays
 	b2 := backend.TestBackendConfig(t, New(), map[string]interface{}{
 		"bucket": bucketName,