diff --git a/test/test_alt.py b/test/test_alt.py
index dd62f07..d616869 100644
--- a/test/test_alt.py
+++ b/test/test_alt.py
@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@ def test_alt_conditions(
 
 @pytest.mark.usefixtures('ds1_copy')
 @pytest.mark.parametrize(
-    'kind', ['builtin', '', None, 'envtpl', 'j2cli', 'j2'])
+    'kind', ['default', '', None, 'envtpl', 'j2cli', 'j2'])
 @pytest.mark.parametrize('label', ['t', 'template', 'yadm', ])
 def test_alt_templates(
         runner, paths, kind, label):
@@ -223,7 +223,7 @@ def test_template_overwrite_symlink(runner, yadm_y, paths, tst_sys):
     link = paths.work.join('test_link')
     link.mksymlinkto(target, absolute=1)
 
-    template = paths.work.join('test_link##template.builtin')
+    template = paths.work.join('test_link##template.default')
     template.write('test-data')
 
     run = runner(yadm_y('add', target, template))
diff --git a/test/test_unit_choose_template_cmd.py b/test/test_unit_choose_template_cmd.py
index b592331..536735d 100644
--- a/test/test_unit_choose_template_cmd.py
+++ b/test/test_unit_choose_template_cmd.py
@@ -2,12 +2,12 @@
 import pytest
 
 
-@pytest.mark.parametrize('label', ['', 'builtin', 'other'])
+@pytest.mark.parametrize('label', ['', 'default', 'other'])
 @pytest.mark.parametrize('awk', [True, False], ids=['awk', 'no-awk'])
-def test_kind_builtin(runner, yadm, awk, label):
-    """Test kind: builtin"""
+def test_kind_default(runner, yadm, awk, label):
+    """Test kind: default"""
 
-    expected = 'template_builtin'
+    expected = 'template_default'
     awk_avail = 'true'
 
     if not awk:
diff --git a/test/test_unit_template_builtin.py b/test/test_unit_template_default.py
similarity index 79%
rename from test/test_unit_template_builtin.py
rename to test/test_unit_template_default.py
index bfc7747..b8e8faf 100644
--- a/test/test_unit_template_builtin.py
+++ b/test/test_unit_template_default.py
@@ -1,18 +1,18 @@
-"""Unit tests: template_builtin"""
+"""Unit tests: template_default"""
 
 # these values are also testing the handling of bizarre characters
-LOCAL_CLASS = "builtin_Test+@-!^Class"
-LOCAL_SYSTEM = "builtin_Test+@-!^System"
-LOCAL_HOST = "builtin_Test+@-!^Host"
-LOCAL_USER = "builtin_Test+@-!^User"
-LOCAL_DISTRO = "builtin_Test+@-!^Distro"
+LOCAL_CLASS = "default_Test+@-!^Class"
+LOCAL_SYSTEM = "default_Test+@-!^System"
+LOCAL_HOST = "default_Test+@-!^Host"
+LOCAL_USER = "default_Test+@-!^User"
+LOCAL_DISTRO = "default_Test+@-!^Distro"
 TEMPLATE = f'''
 start of template
-builtin class  = >{{{{yadm.class}}}}<
-builtin os     = >{{{{yadm.os}}}}<
-builtin host   = >{{{{yadm.hostname}}}}<
-builtin user   = >{{{{yadm.user}}}}<
-builtin distro = >{{{{yadm.distro}}}}<
+default class  = >{{{{yadm.class}}}}<
+default os     = >{{{{yadm.os}}}}<
+default host   = >{{{{yadm.hostname}}}}<
+default user   = >{{{{yadm.user}}}}<
+default distro = >{{{{yadm.distro}}}}<
 {{% if yadm.class == "else1" %}}
 wrong else 1
 {{% else %}}
@@ -70,11 +70,11 @@ end of template
 '''
 EXPECTED = f'''
 start of template
-builtin class  = >{LOCAL_CLASS}<
-builtin os     = >{LOCAL_SYSTEM}<
-builtin host   = >{LOCAL_HOST}<
-builtin user   = >{LOCAL_USER}<
-builtin distro = >{LOCAL_DISTRO}<
+default class  = >{LOCAL_CLASS}<
+default os     = >{LOCAL_SYSTEM}<
+default host   = >{LOCAL_HOST}<
+default user   = >{LOCAL_USER}<
+default distro = >{LOCAL_DISTRO}<
 Included section from else
 Included section for class = {LOCAL_CLASS} ({LOCAL_CLASS} repeated)
 Multiple lines
@@ -86,8 +86,8 @@ end of template
 '''
 
 
-def test_template_builtin(runner, yadm, tmpdir):
-    """Test template_builtin"""
+def test_template_default(runner, yadm, tmpdir):
+    """Test template_default"""
 
     input_file = tmpdir.join('input')
     input_file.write(TEMPLATE, ensure=True)
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ def test_template_builtin(runner, yadm, tmpdir):
         local_host="{LOCAL_HOST}"
         local_user="{LOCAL_USER}"
         local_distro="{LOCAL_DISTRO}"
-        template_builtin "{input_file}" "{output_file}"
+        template_default "{input_file}" "{output_file}"
     """
     run = runner(command=['bash'], inp=script)
     assert run.success
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@ def test_source(runner, yadm, tmpdir):
 
     script = f"""
         YADM_TEST=1 source {yadm}
-        template_builtin "{input_file}" "{output_file}"
+        template_default "{input_file}" "{output_file}"
     """
     run = runner(command=['bash'], inp=script)
     assert run.success
diff --git a/yadm b/yadm
index 6c87c45..96f5754 100755
--- a/yadm
+++ b/yadm
@@ -275,8 +275,8 @@ function record_template() {
 function choose_template_cmd() {
   kind="$1"
 
-  if [ "$kind" = "builtin" ] || [ "$kind" = "" ] && awk_available; then
-    echo "template_builtin"
+  if [ "$kind" = "default" ] || [ "$kind" = "" ] && awk_available; then
+    echo "template_default"
   elif [ "$kind" = "j2cli" ] || [ "$kind" = "j2" ] && j2cli_available; then
     echo "template_j2cli"
   elif [ "$kind" = "envtpl" ] || [ "$kind" = "j2" ] && envtpl_available; then
@@ -289,14 +289,14 @@ function choose_template_cmd() {
 
 # ****** Template Processors ******
 
-function template_builtin() {
+function template_default() {
   input="$1"
   output="$2"
 
   # the explicit "space + tab" character class used below is used because not
   # all versions of awk seem to support the POSIX character classes [[:blank:]]
   awk_pgm=$(cat << "EOF"
-# built-in template processor
+# built-in default template processor
 BEGIN {
   blank         = "[ 	]"
   c["class"]    = class