diff --git a/runners/bench_runner.c b/runners/bench_runner.c
index 6fa3690a..86821063 100644
--- a/runners/bench_runner.c
+++ b/runners/bench_runner.c
@@ -602,7 +602,7 @@ void bench_permutation(size_t i, uint32_t *buffer, size_t size) {
 
 // bench recording state
 typedef struct bench_record {
-    const char *m;
+    const char *probe;
     lfs3_emubd_io_t last_reads;
     lfs3_emubd_io_t last_progs;
     lfs3_emubd_io_t last_erases;
@@ -622,7 +622,7 @@ void bench_reset(struct lfs3_cfg *cfg) {
     bench_record_count = 0;
 }
 
-void bench_start(const char *m) {
+void bench_start(const char *probe) {
     // measure current read/prog/erase
     assert(bench_cfg);
     lfs3_emubd_sio_t reads = lfs3_emubd_reads(bench_cfg);
@@ -646,7 +646,7 @@ void bench_start(const char *m) {
             sizeof(bench_record_t),
             &bench_record_count,
             &bench_record_capacity);
-    record->m = m;
+    record->probe = probe;
     record->last_reads = reads;
     record->last_progs = progs;
     record->last_erases = erases;
@@ -656,7 +656,7 @@ void bench_start(const char *m) {
     record->last_simtime = simtime;
 }
 
-void bench_stop(const char *m, uintmax_t n) {
+void bench_stop(const char *probe, uintmax_t n) {
     // measure current read/prog/erase
     assert(bench_cfg);
     lfs3_emubd_sio_t reads = lfs3_emubd_reads(bench_cfg);
@@ -676,14 +676,14 @@ void bench_stop(const char *m, uintmax_t n) {
 
     // find our record
     for (size_t i = 0; i < bench_record_count; i++) {
-        if (strcmp(bench_records[i].m, m) == 0) {
+        if (strcmp(bench_records[i].probe, probe) == 0) {
             // print results
             if (simtime >= 0) {
                 printf("benched %s %jd "
                             "%"PRIu64" %"PRIu64" %"PRIu64" "
                             "%"PRIu64" %"PRIu64" %"PRIu64" "
                             "%"PRIu64"\n",
-                        m,
+                        probe,
                         n,
                         reads   - bench_records[i].last_reads,
                         progs   - bench_records[i].last_progs,
@@ -696,7 +696,7 @@ void bench_stop(const char *m, uintmax_t n) {
                 printf("benched %s %jd "
                             "%"PRIu64" %"PRIu64" %"PRIu64" "
                             "%"PRIu64" %"PRIu64" %"PRIu64"\n",
-                        m,
+                        probe,
                         n,
                         reads   - bench_records[i].last_reads,
                         progs   - bench_records[i].last_progs,
@@ -717,23 +717,23 @@ void bench_stop(const char *m, uintmax_t n) {
 
     // not found?
     fprintf(stderr, "error: bench stopped before it was started (%s)\n",
-            m);
+            probe);
     assert(false);
     exit(-1);
 }
 
-void bench_result(const char *m, uintmax_t n, uintmax_t result) {
+void bench_result(const char *probe, uintmax_t n, uintmax_t result) {
     // we just print these directly
     printf("benched %s %jd %"PRIu64"\n",
-            m,
+            probe,
             n,
             result);
 }
 
-void bench_fresult(const char *m, uintmax_t n, double result) {
+void bench_fresult(const char *probe, uintmax_t n, double result) {
     // we just print these directly
     printf("benched %s %jd %.6f\n",
-            m,
+            probe,
             n,
             result);
 }
diff --git a/runners/bench_runner.h b/runners/bench_runner.h
index 2b443c9a..01f1129f 100644
--- a/runners/bench_runner.h
+++ b/runners/bench_runner.h
@@ -19,20 +19,20 @@ void bench_trace(const char *fmt, ...);
 #define LFS3_TRACE(...) LFS3_TRACE_(__VA_ARGS__, "")
 #define LFS3_EMUBD_TRACE(...) LFS3_TRACE_(__VA_ARGS__, "")
 
-// BENCH_START/BENCH_STOP macros measure readed/proged/erased bytes
+// BENCH_START/BENCH_STOP macros measure readed/progged/erased bytes
 // through emubd
-void bench_start(const char *m);
-void bench_stop(const char *m, uintmax_t n);
+void bench_start(const char *probe);
+void bench_stop(const char *probe, uintmax_t n);
 
-#define BENCH_START(m) bench_start(m)
-#define BENCH_STOP(m, n) bench_stop(m, n)
+#define BENCH_START(probe) bench_start(probe)
+#define BENCH_STOP(probe, n) bench_stop(probe, n)
 
 // BENCH_RESULT/BENCH_FRESULT allow for explicit non-io measurements
-void bench_result(const char *m, uintmax_t n, uintmax_t result);
-void bench_fresult(const char *m, uintmax_t n, double result);
+void bench_result(const char *probe, uintmax_t n, uintmax_t result);
+void bench_fresult(const char *probe, uintmax_t n, double result);
 
-#define BENCH_RESULT(m, n, result) bench_result(m, n, result)
-#define BENCH_FRESULT(m, n, result) bench_fresult(m, n, result)
+#define BENCH_RESULT(probe, n, result) bench_result(probe, n, result)
+#define BENCH_FRESULT(probe, n, result) bench_fresult(probe, n, result)
 
 
 // note these are indirectly included in any generated files
diff --git a/scripts/bench.py b/scripts/bench.py
index 01fc52a4..61a0c8f5 100755
--- a/scripts/bench.py
+++ b/scripts/bench.py
@@ -1092,7 +1092,7 @@ def run_stage(name, runner, bench_ids, stdout_, trace_, output_, **args):
                 '|' '(?P<path>[^:]+):(?P<lineno>\d+):(?P<op_>assert):'
                     ' *(?P<message>.*)'
                 '|' '(?P<op__>benched)'
-                    ' (?P<m>[^\s]+)'
+                    ' (?P<probe>[^\s]+)'
                     ' (?P<n>\d+)'
                     '(?:'
                         '(?:'
@@ -1185,7 +1185,7 @@ def run_stage(name, runner, bench_ids, stdout_, trace_, output_, **args):
                         if args.get('keep_going'):
                             proc.kill()
                     elif op == 'benched':
-                        m_ = m.group('m')
+                        probe_ = m.group('probe')
                         n_ = int(m.group('n'))
                         # parse measurements
                         def dat(v):
@@ -1214,7 +1214,7 @@ def run_stage(name, runner, bench_ids, stdout_, trace_, output_, **args):
                                     'suite': last_suite,
                                     'case': last_case,
                                     **last_defines,
-                                    'm': m_,
+                                    'probe': probe_,
                                     'n': n_,
                                     'bench_reads': reads_,
                                     'bench_progs': progs_,
@@ -1401,7 +1401,7 @@ def run(runner, bench_ids=[], **args):
         output = BenchOutput(args['output'],
                 ['suite', 'case'],
                 # defines go here
-                ['m', 'n',
+                ['probe', 'n',
                     'bench_reads',
                     'bench_progs',
                     'bench_erases',