diff --git a/core/core.go b/core/core.go
index 24c6dc43d9239eae7737000c8965a563eb284b6b..5f91324f29a235cb61422600877f5e6514bd9791 100644
--- a/core/core.go
+++ b/core/core.go
@@ -118,8 +118,7 @@ func NewIpfsNode(cfg *config.Config, online bool) (*IpfsNode, error) {
 		// TODO(brian): perform this inside NewDHT factory method
 		dhtService.Handler = route // wire the handler to the service.
 
-		// TODO(brian): pass a context to bs for its async operations
-		exchangeSession = bitswap.NewSession(ctx, exchangeService, local, d, route)
+		exchangeSession = bitswap.NetMessageSession(ctx, exchangeService, local, d, route)
 
 		// TODO(brian): pass a context to initConnections
 		go initConnections(cfg, route)
diff --git a/exchange/bitswap/bitswap.go b/exchange/bitswap/bitswap.go
index 5b2a63a6cee999956383e7808408b6778cd549ae..c223addd08aafcb488224b262327fe482830b6be 100644
--- a/exchange/bitswap/bitswap.go
+++ b/exchange/bitswap/bitswap.go
@@ -24,10 +24,11 @@ type Routing interface {
 	Provide(key u.Key) error
 }
 
-// NewSession initializes a bitswap session.
-func NewSession(parent context.Context, s bsnet.NetworkService, p *peer.Peer, d ds.Datastore, directory Routing) exchange.Interface {
+// NetMessageSession initializes a BitSwap session that communicates over the
+// provided NetMessage service
+func NetMessageSession(parent context.Context, s bsnet.NetMessageService, p *peer.Peer, d ds.Datastore, directory Routing) exchange.Interface {
 
-	networkAdapter := bsnet.NewNetworkAdapter(s, nil)
+	networkAdapter := bsnet.NetMessageAdapter(s, nil)
 	bs := &bitswap{
 		blockstore:    blockstore.NewBlockstore(d),
 		notifications: notifications.New(),
@@ -44,7 +45,7 @@ func NewSession(parent context.Context, s bsnet.NetworkService, p *peer.Peer, d
 type bitswap struct {
 
 	// sender delivers messages on behalf of the session
-	sender bsnet.NetworkAdapter
+	sender bsnet.Adapter
 
 	// blockstore is the local database
 	// NB: ensure threadsafety
diff --git a/exchange/bitswap/network/interface.go b/exchange/bitswap/network/interface.go
index 7033983540b8a198949c90b15bbd023d225adc10..29bb0da3b59e325a27829d04e699854f0683f372 100644
--- a/exchange/bitswap/network/interface.go
+++ b/exchange/bitswap/network/interface.go
@@ -9,8 +9,8 @@ import (
 	peer "github.com/jbenet/go-ipfs/peer"
 )
 
-// NetworkAdapter mediates the exchange's communication with the network.
-type NetworkAdapter interface {
+// Adapter provides network connectivity for BitSwap sessions
+type Adapter interface {
 
 	// SendMessage sends a BitSwap message to a peer.
 	SendMessage(
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ type Receiver interface {
 }
 
 // TODO(brian): move this to go-ipfs/net package
-type NetworkService interface {
+type NetMessageService interface {
 	SendRequest(ctx context.Context, m netmsg.NetMessage) (netmsg.NetMessage, error)
 	SendMessage(ctx context.Context, m netmsg.NetMessage) error
 	SetHandler(netservice.Handler)
diff --git a/exchange/bitswap/network/network_adapter.go b/exchange/bitswap/network/net_message_adapter.go
similarity index 65%
rename from exchange/bitswap/network/network_adapter.go
rename to exchange/bitswap/network/net_message_adapter.go
index 8914101bc5e4c6287b9689564545d3d7c7c6205b..603317afb31380a6bbb824debdc33377975e623e 100644
--- a/exchange/bitswap/network/network_adapter.go
+++ b/exchange/bitswap/network/net_message_adapter.go
@@ -10,27 +10,27 @@ import (
 	peer "github.com/jbenet/go-ipfs/peer"
 )
 
-// NewSender wraps a network Service to perform translation between
-// BitSwapMessage and NetMessage formats. This allows the BitSwap session to
-// ignore these details.
-func NewNetworkAdapter(s NetworkService, r Receiver) NetworkAdapter {
-	adapter := networkAdapter{
-		networkService: s,
-		receiver:       r,
+// NetMessageAdapter wraps a NetMessage network service
+func NetMessageAdapter(s NetMessageService, r Receiver) Adapter {
+	adapter := impl{
+		nms:      s,
+		receiver: r,
 	}
 	s.SetHandler(&adapter)
 	return &adapter
 }
 
-// networkAdapter implements NetworkAdapter
-type networkAdapter struct {
-	networkService NetworkService
-	receiver       Receiver
+// implements an Adapter that integrates with a NetMessage network service
+type impl struct {
+	nms NetMessageService
+
+	// inbound messages from the network are forwarded to the receiver
+	receiver Receiver
 }
 
 // HandleMessage marshals and unmarshals net messages, forwarding them to the
 // BitSwapMessage receiver
-func (adapter *networkAdapter) HandleMessage(
+func (adapter *impl) HandleMessage(
 	ctx context.Context, incoming netmsg.NetMessage) (netmsg.NetMessage, error) {
 
 	if adapter.receiver == nil {
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ func (adapter *networkAdapter) HandleMessage(
 	return outgoing, nil
 }
 
-func (adapter *networkAdapter) SendMessage(
+func (adapter *impl) SendMessage(
 	ctx context.Context,
 	p *peer.Peer,
 	outgoing bsmsg.BitSwapMessage) error {
@@ -69,10 +69,10 @@ func (adapter *networkAdapter) SendMessage(
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-	return adapter.networkService.SendMessage(ctx, nmsg)
+	return adapter.nms.SendMessage(ctx, nmsg)
 }
 
-func (adapter *networkAdapter) SendRequest(
+func (adapter *impl) SendRequest(
 	ctx context.Context,
 	p *peer.Peer,
 	outgoing bsmsg.BitSwapMessage) (bsmsg.BitSwapMessage, error) {
@@ -81,13 +81,13 @@ func (adapter *networkAdapter) SendRequest(
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
-	incomingMsg, err := adapter.networkService.SendRequest(ctx, outgoingMsg)
+	incomingMsg, err := adapter.nms.SendRequest(ctx, outgoingMsg)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 	return bsmsg.FromNet(incomingMsg)
 }
 
-func (adapter *networkAdapter) SetDelegate(r Receiver) {
+func (adapter *impl) SetDelegate(r Receiver) {
 	adapter.receiver = r
 }