diff --git a/cmd_create.go b/cmd_create.go
index ad755d7..9eb6b2a 100644
--- a/cmd_create.go
+++ b/cmd_create.go
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ func createRun(cmd *Command, args ...string) {
 		}
 	}
 
-	conf, err := MakeDBConf()
+	conf, err := NewDBConf()
 	if err != nil {
 		log.Fatal(err)
 	}
diff --git a/cmd_down.go b/cmd_down.go
index bcec7a0..159696d 100644
--- a/cmd_down.go
+++ b/cmd_down.go
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ var downCmd = &Command{
 
 func downRun(cmd *Command, args ...string) {
 
-	conf, err := MakeDBConf()
+	conf, err := NewDBConf()
 	if err != nil {
 		log.Fatal(err)
 	}
diff --git a/cmd_status.go b/cmd_status.go
index 38a45a6..938c567 100644
--- a/cmd_status.go
+++ b/cmd_status.go
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ type StatusData struct {
 
 func statusRun(cmd *Command, args ...string) {
 
-	conf, err := MakeDBConf()
+	conf, err := NewDBConf()
 	if err != nil {
 		log.Fatal(err)
 	}
diff --git a/cmd_up.go b/cmd_up.go
index 2fbc089..7915764 100644
--- a/cmd_up.go
+++ b/cmd_up.go
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ var upCmd = &Command{
 
 func upRun(cmd *Command, args ...string) {
 
-	conf, err := MakeDBConf()
+	conf, err := NewDBConf()
 	if err != nil {
 		log.Fatal(err)
 	}
diff --git a/dbconf.go b/dbconf.go
index a8d04df..ce929b2 100644
--- a/dbconf.go
+++ b/dbconf.go
@@ -29,12 +29,12 @@ type DBConf struct {
 }
 
 // default helper - makes a DBConf from the dbPath and dbEnv flags
-func MakeDBConf() (*DBConf, error) {
-	return makeDBConfDetails(*dbPath, *dbEnv)
+func NewDBConf() (*DBConf, error) {
+	return newDBConfDetails(*dbPath, *dbEnv)
 }
 
 // extract configuration details from the given file
-func makeDBConfDetails(p, env string) (*DBConf, error) {
+func newDBConfDetails(p, env string) (*DBConf, error) {
 
 	cfgFile := filepath.Join(p, "dbconf.yml")
 
diff --git a/dbconf_test.go b/dbconf_test.go
index da7e7ef..457fad9 100644
--- a/dbconf_test.go
+++ b/dbconf_test.go
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ import (
 
 func TestBasics(t *testing.T) {
 
-	dbconf, err := makeDBConfDetails("db-sample", "test")
+	dbconf, err := newDBConfDetails("db-sample", "test")
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Error("couldn't create DBConf")
 	}
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ func TestBasics(t *testing.T) {
 
 func TestImportOverride(t *testing.T) {
 
-	dbconf, err := makeDBConfDetails("db-sample", "customimport")
+	dbconf, err := newDBConfDetails("db-sample", "customimport")
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Error("couldn't create DBConf")
 	}