diff --git a/Pmodules/modulecmd.bash.in b/Pmodules/modulecmd.bash.in
index 71031c0..37dc83e 100644
--- a/Pmodules/modulecmd.bash.in
+++ b/Pmodules/modulecmd.bash.in
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ save_env() {
         [[ $1 == 'no' ]] && return 0
         local vars=( Version GroupDepths UsedReleases UseFlags UsedGroups )
         vars+=( PMODULES_DEFAULT_GROUPS ReleaseStages )
-        vars+=( PMODULES_DEFAULT_RELEASES )
+        vars+=( DefaultUsedReleaseStages )
 
 	local s=$(typeset -p ${vars[@]})
 	declare -g PMODULES_ENV=$( "${base64}" --wrap=0 <<< "$s" )
@@ -1371,7 +1371,7 @@ reset_used_groups() {
 
 reset_used_releases() {
 	declare -g  UsedReleases=''
-	for r in ${PMODULES_DEFAULT_RELEASES//:/ }; do
+	for r in ${DefaultUsedReleaseStages//:/ }; do
 		std::append_path UsedReleases "${r}"
 	done
         g_env_must_be_saved='yes'
diff --git a/Pmodules/profile.bash.in b/Pmodules/profile.bash.in
index aec73c1..851d5b8 100644
--- a/Pmodules/profile.bash.in
+++ b/Pmodules/profile.bash.in
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
 : ${PMODULES_DEFAULT_GROUPS:='Tools Programming'}
 
 # set releases which should be available after initialization
-: ${PMODULES_DEFAULT_RELEASES:='stable'}
+: ${DefaultUsedReleaseStages:='stable'}
 
 # set default version
 : ${PMODULES_VERSION:=@PMODULES_VERSION@}
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@
 #
 
 export	PMODULES_DEFAULT_GROUPS
-export	PMODULES_DEFAULT_RELEASES
+export	DefaultUsedReleaseStages
 export	PMODULES_VERSION
 
 declare -x PMODULES_MODULEFILES_DIR='modulefiles'
diff --git a/Pmodules/profile.csh.in b/Pmodules/profile.csh.in
index b5b5843..5baa5c4 100755
--- a/Pmodules/profile.csh.in
+++ b/Pmodules/profile.csh.in
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 #!/bin/tcsh
 
 setenv PMODULES_DEFAULT_GROUPS 'Tools Programming'
-setenv PMODULES_DEFAULT_RELEASES 'stable'
+setenv DefaultUsedReleaseStages 'stable'
 if ( ! $?PMODULES_VERSION ) then
 	setenv PMODULES_VERSION "@PMODULES_VERSION@"
 endif
diff --git a/Pmodules/profile.zsh.in b/Pmodules/profile.zsh.in
index 04b184e..b8bb938 100644
--- a/Pmodules/profile.zsh.in
+++ b/Pmodules/profile.zsh.in
@@ -8,11 +8,11 @@
 #
 
 declare -xa PMODULES_DEFAULT_GROUPS
-declare -xa PMODULES_DEFAULT_RELEASES
+declare -xa DefaultUsedReleaseStages
 declare -x  PMODULES_VERSION
 
 : ${PMODULES_DEFAULT_GROUPS:=(Tools Programming)}
-: ${PMODULES_DEFAULT_RELEASES:=(stable)}
+: ${DefaultUsedReleaseStages:=(stable)}
 : ${PMODULES_VERSION:=@PMODULES_VERSION@}
 
 #############################################################################
diff --git a/Pmodules/zsh b/Pmodules/zsh
index 1ef378c..2fda058 100644
--- a/Pmodules/zsh
+++ b/Pmodules/zsh
@@ -78,14 +78,14 @@ done
 # build initial list of used releases
 declare -x UsedReleases=''
 typeset -T UsedReleases usedreleases
-for r in ${PMODULES_DEFAULT_RELEASES[@]}; do
+for r in ${DefaultUsedReleaseStages[@]}; do
 	usedreleases=( "${r}" ${(m)usedreleases:#${r}} )
 done
 
-eval $(save_env UsedReleases PMODULES_DEFAULT_RELEASES PMODULES_DEFAULT_GROUPS ReleaseStages)
+eval $(save_env UsedReleases DefaultUsedReleaseStages PMODULES_DEFAULT_GROUPS ReleaseStages)
 
 unset UsedReleases
-unset PMODULES_DEFAULT_RELEASES
+unset DefaultUsedReleaseStages
 unset PMODULES_DEFAULT_GROUPS
 unset ReleaseStages
 
diff --git a/config/modbuild.conf.in b/config/modbuild.conf.in
index e943e79..5c28cd9 100644
--- a/config/modbuild.conf.in
+++ b/config/modbuild.conf.in
@@ -14,5 +14,5 @@ declare -x PMODULES_HOME="${PMODULES_ROOT}/Tools/Pmodules/${PMODULES_VERSION}"
 
 declare -x PMODULES_DEFAULT_GROUPS='Tools Programming'
 declare    ReleaseStages=':unstable:stable:deprecated:'
-declare -x PMODULES_DEFAULT_RELEASES='stable'
+declare    DefaultUsedReleaseStages='stable'