diff --git a/lib/messages.js b/lib/messages.js
index 320be67..81e10d2 100644
--- a/lib/messages.js
+++ b/lib/messages.js
@@ -454,11 +454,11 @@ var error = exports.error = {
 
   /**
    * Convert error type to a human-readable string.
-   * @param {number} fatal - Type of the error
+   * @param {number} type - Type of the error
    * @return {string}
    */
-  type2str: function(fatal) {
-    switch (fatal) {
+  type2str: function(type) {
+    switch (type) {
       case error.WARNING: return "warning";
       case error.ERROR: return "error";
       case error.FATAL: return "fatal";
@@ -466,12 +466,9 @@ var error = exports.error = {
     }
   },
 
-  // XXX(Kagami): Rename `fatal` field to `type`? `fatal` used in spec
-  // but it's rather unintuitive.
-
   /**
    * @typedef {Object} DecodeResult
-   * @property {number} fatal - Type of the error
+   * @property {number} type - Type of the error
    * @property {number} banTime - The other node informs that it will
    * not accept further connections for this number of seconds
    * @property {?Buffer} vector -
@@ -500,8 +497,8 @@ var error = exports.error = {
    */
   decodePayload: function(buf) {
     assert(buf.length >= 4, "Buffer is too small");
-    var decodedFatal = structs.var_int.decode(buf);
-    var decodedBanTime = structs.var_int.decode(decodedFatal.rest);
+    var decodedType = structs.var_int.decode(buf);
+    var decodedBanTime = structs.var_int.decode(decodedType.rest);
 
     var decodedVectorLength = structs.var_int.decode(decodedBanTime.rest);
     // NOTE(Kagami): Inventory vector should be only 32-byte in size but
@@ -518,13 +515,13 @@ var error = exports.error = {
 
     var decodedErrorText = structs.var_str.decode(rest);
     var length = (
-      decodedFatal.length +
+      decodedType.length +
       decodedBanTime.length +
       decodedVectorLength.length + vectorLength +
       decodedErrorText.length
     );
     return {
-      fatal: decodedFatal.value,
+      type: decodedType.value,
       banTime: decodedBanTime.value,
       vector: vector,
       errorText: decodedErrorText.str,
@@ -536,7 +533,7 @@ var error = exports.error = {
   /**
    * Encode `error` message.
    * @param {Object} opts - Error options
-   * @param {number=} opts.fatal - Type of the error
+   * @param {number=} opts.type - Type of the error
    * ([warning]{@link module:bitmessage/messages.error.WARNING} by
    * default)
    * @param {number=} opts.banTime - Inform the other node, that you
@@ -558,12 +555,12 @@ var error = exports.error = {
    * The same as [encode]{@link module:bitmessage/messages.error.encode}.
    */
   encodePayload: function(opts) {
-    var fatal = opts.fatal || error.WARNING;
+    var type = opts.type || error.WARNING;
     var banTime = opts.banTime || 0;
     // TODO(Kagami): Validate vector length.
     var vector = opts.vector || new Buffer(0);
     return Buffer.concat([
-      structs.var_int.encode(fatal),
+      structs.var_int.encode(type),
       structs.var_int.encode(banTime),
       structs.var_int.encode(vector.length),
       vector,
diff --git a/tests/unit.js b/tests/unit.js
index 3f1c7e1..769397c 100644
--- a/tests/unit.js
+++ b/tests/unit.js
@@ -599,26 +599,26 @@ describe("Message types", function() {
       var encoded = error.encode({errorText: "test"});
       expect(message.decode(encoded).command).to.equal("error");
       var res = error.decode(encoded);
-      expect(res.fatal).to.equal(0);
+      expect(res.type).to.equal(0);
       expect(res.banTime).to.equal(0);
       expect(res.vector).to.not.exist;
       expect(res.errorText).to.equal("test");
       expect(res.length).to.equal(8);
-      expect(error.type2str(res.fatal)).to.equal("warning");
+      expect(error.type2str(res.type)).to.equal("warning");
 
       var vector = inv_vect.encode(Buffer("test"));
       var res = error.decode(error.encode({
-        fatal: error.FATAL,
+        type: error.FATAL,
         banTime: 120,
         vector: vector,
         errorText: "fatal error",
       }));
-      expect(res.fatal).to.equal(2);
+      expect(res.type).to.equal(2);
       expect(res.banTime).to.equal(120);
       expect(bufferEqual(res.vector, vector)).to.be.true;
       expect(res.errorText).to.equal("fatal error");
       expect(res.length).to.equal(47);
-      expect(error.type2str(res.fatal)).to.equal("fatal");
+      expect(error.type2str(res.type)).to.equal("fatal");
     });
   });
 });