diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index abf7d47fe..bfd7dc369 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -310,19 +310,19 @@ omnibus manifest PROJECT -l warn
 
 This will output a JSON-formatted manifest containing the resolved version of every software definition.
 
-## Whitelisting Libraries
+## Allowing/Ignoring Libraries
 
-Sometimes a platform has libraries that need to be whitelisted so the healthcheck can pass. The whitelist found in the [healthcheck](https://github.com/chef/omnibus/blob/master/lib/omnibus/health_check.rb) code comprises the minimal required for successful builds on supported platforms.
+Sometimes a platform has libraries that need to be allowed so the healthcheck can pass. The allowlist found in the [healthcheck](https://github.com/chef/omnibus/blob/master/lib/omnibus/health_check.rb) code comprises the minimal required for successful builds on supported platforms.
 
-To add your own whitelisted library, simply add a regex to your software definition in your omnibus project as follows:
+To add your own allowed library, simply add a regex to your software definition in your omnibus project as follows:
 
 ```
-whitelist_file /libpcrecpp\.so\..+/
+allow_file /libpcrecpp\.so\..+/
 ```
 
-It is typically a good idea to add a conditional to whitelist based on the specific platform that requires it.
+It is typically a good idea to add a conditional to allowlist based on the specific platform that requires it.
 
-_Warning: You should only add libraries to the whitelist that are guaranteed to be on the system you install to; if a library comes from a non-default package you should instead build it into the package._
+_Warning: You should only add libraries to the allowlist that are guaranteed to be on the system you install to; if a library comes from a non-default package you should instead build it into the package._
 
 ## Changelog
 
diff --git a/lib/omnibus/health_check.rb b/lib/omnibus/health_check.rb
index eefa9fc4d..cc18afada 100644
--- a/lib/omnibus/health_check.rb
+++ b/lib/omnibus/health_check.rb
@@ -384,9 +384,9 @@ def hex
     #
     # @return [Array<String, Regexp>]
     #
-    def whitelist_files
+    def allow_files
       project.library.components.inject([]) do |array, component|
-        array += component.whitelist_files
+        array += component.allow_files
         array
       end
     end
@@ -446,7 +446,7 @@ def check_for_bad_library(bad_libs, current_library, name, linked)
         safe ||= true if reg.match(name)
       end
 
-      whitelist_files.each do |reg|
+      allow_files.each do |reg|
         safe ||= true if reg.match(current_library)
       end
 
diff --git a/lib/omnibus/software.rb b/lib/omnibus/software.rb
index aef6f747b..e123fce26 100644
--- a/lib/omnibus/software.rb
+++ b/lib/omnibus/software.rb
@@ -540,7 +540,7 @@ def version(val = NULL, &block)
     # Add a file to the healthcheck allowlist.
     #
     # @example
-    #   whitelist_file '/path/to/file'
+    #   allow_file '/path/to/file'
     #
     # @param [String, Regexp] file
     #   the name of a file to ignore in the healthcheck
@@ -548,12 +548,12 @@ def version(val = NULL, &block)
     # @return [Array<String>]
     #   the list of currently allowed files
     #
-    def whitelist_file(file)
+    def allow_file(file)
       file = Regexp.new(file) unless file.is_a?(Regexp)
-      whitelist_files << file
-      whitelist_files.dup
+      allow_files << file
+      allow_files.dup
     end
-    expose :whitelist_file
+    expose :allow_file
 
     #
     # The path relative to fetch_dir where relevant project files are
@@ -926,8 +926,8 @@ def dependencies
     #
     # @return [Array<String>]
     #
-    def whitelist_files
-      @whitelist_files ||= []
+    def allow_files
+      @allow_files ||= []
     end
 
     #
diff --git a/spec/unit/software_spec.rb b/spec/unit/software_spec.rb
index b544f449a..1a08c5b38 100644
--- a/spec/unit/software_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/unit/software_spec.rb
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ module Omnibus
     it_behaves_like "a cleanroom setter", :license_file, %{license_file 'LICENSES/artistic.txt'}
     it_behaves_like "a cleanroom setter", :skip_transitive_dependency_licensing, %{skip_transitive_dependency_licensing true}
     it_behaves_like "a cleanroom setter", :dependency_licenses, %{dependency_licenses [{license: "MIT"}]}
-    it_behaves_like "a cleanroom setter", :whitelist_file, %{whitelist_file '/opt/whatever'}
+    it_behaves_like "a cleanroom setter", :allow_file, %{allow_file '/opt/whatever'}
     it_behaves_like "a cleanroom setter", :relative_path, %{relative_path '/path/to/extracted'}
     it_behaves_like "a cleanroom setter", :build, %|build {}|
     it_behaves_like "a cleanroom getter", :project_dir
@@ -453,17 +453,17 @@ module Omnibus
       end
     end
 
-    describe "#whitelist_file" do
-      it "appends to the whitelist_files array" do
-        expect(subject.whitelist_files.size).to eq(0)
-        subject.whitelist_file(%r{foo/bar})
-        expect(subject.whitelist_files.size).to eq(1)
+    describe "#allow_file" do
+      it "appends to the allow_files array" do
+        expect(subject.allow_files.size).to eq(0)
+        subject.allow_file(%r{foo/bar})
+        expect(subject.allow_files.size).to eq(1)
       end
 
       it "converts Strings to Regexp instances" do
-        subject.whitelist_file "foo/bar"
-        expect(subject.whitelist_files.size).to eq(1)
-        expect(subject.whitelist_files.first).to be_kind_of(Regexp)
+        subject.allow_file "foo/bar"
+        expect(subject.allow_files.size).to eq(1)
+        expect(subject.allow_files.first).to be_kind_of(Regexp)
       end
     end