diff --git a/src/or/circuitbuild.c b/src/or/circuitbuild.c
index 995978b57e..a83d43e8f8 100644
--- a/src/or/circuitbuild.c
+++ b/src/or/circuitbuild.c
@@ -3087,7 +3087,7 @@ bridges_retry_helper(int act)
 /** Do we know any descriptors for our bridges, and are they all
  * down? */
 int
-bridges_should_be_retried(void)
+bridges_known_but_down(void)
 {
   return bridges_retry_helper(0);
 }
diff --git a/src/or/circuituse.c b/src/or/circuituse.c
index ca1f4d333e..4289e0f62a 100644
--- a/src/or/circuituse.c
+++ b/src/or/circuituse.c
@@ -970,7 +970,7 @@ circuit_get_open_circ_or_launch(edge_connection_t *conn,
 
   if (!want_onehop && !router_have_minimum_dir_info()) {
     if (!connection_get_by_type(CONN_TYPE_DIR)) {
-      if (options->UseBridges && bridges_should_be_retried()) {
+      if (options->UseBridges && bridges_known_but_down()) {
         log_notice(LD_APP|LD_DIR,
                    "Application request when we're believed to be "
                    "offline. Optimistically trying known bridges again.");
diff --git a/src/or/or.h b/src/or/or.h
index f32fa4ea9f..ccae45efe6 100644
--- a/src/or/or.h
+++ b/src/or/or.h
@@ -2468,7 +2468,7 @@ void retry_bridge_descriptor_fetch_directly(char *digest);
 void fetch_bridge_descriptors(time_t now);
 void learned_bridge_descriptor(routerinfo_t *ri);
 int any_bridge_descriptors_known(void);
-int bridges_should_be_retried(void);
+int bridges_known_but_down(void);
 void bridges_retry_all(void);
 
 void entry_guards_free_all(void);