diff --git a/libtorrent/dht_flood.py b/libtorrent/dht_flood.py
index 84169a59..1e37208a 100755
--- a/libtorrent/dht_flood.py
+++ b/libtorrent/dht_flood.py
@@ -60,9 +60,9 @@ query = 'get_peers'
 
 print 'test random info-hashes'
 for i in xrange(1, 30000):
-	send_dht_message({'a': {'id': node_id, 'info_hash': random_key()}, 'q': query, 'z': 'q', 't': '%d' % i})
+	send_dht_message({'x': {'id': node_id, 'info_hash': random_key()}, 'q': query, 'z': 'q', 't': '%d' % i})
 
 print 'test random peer-ids'
 for i in xrange(1, 30000):
-	send_dht_message({'a': {'id': random_key(), 'info_hash': random_key()}, 'q': query, 'z': 'q', 't': '%d' % i})
+	send_dht_message({'x': {'id': random_key(), 'info_hash': random_key()}, 'q': query, 'z': 'q', 't': '%d' % i})
 
diff --git a/libtorrent/src/kademlia/find_data.cpp b/libtorrent/src/kademlia/find_data.cpp
index 024cb5e6..5a2f6087 100644
--- a/libtorrent/src/kademlia/find_data.cpp
+++ b/libtorrent/src/kademlia/find_data.cpp
@@ -207,7 +207,7 @@ bool find_data::invoke(observer_ptr o)
 	entry e;
 	e["z"] = "q";
 	e["q"] = "get_peers";
-	entry& a = e["a"];
+	entry& a = e["x"];
 	a["info_hash"] = m_target.to_string();
 	if (m_noseeds) a["noseed"] = 1;
 	return m_node.m_rpc.invoke(e, o->target_ep(), o);
diff --git a/libtorrent/src/kademlia/node.cpp b/libtorrent/src/kademlia/node.cpp
index f66901d9..2226feee 100644
--- a/libtorrent/src/kademlia/node.cpp
+++ b/libtorrent/src/kademlia/node.cpp
@@ -283,7 +283,7 @@ namespace
 			entry e;
 			e["z"] = "q";
 			e["q"] = "announce_peer";
-			entry& a = e["a"];
+			entry& a = e["x"];
 			a["info_hash"] = ih.to_string();
 			a["port"] = listen_port;
 			a["token"] = i->second;
@@ -608,7 +608,7 @@ void node_impl::incoming_request(msg const& m, entry& e)
 
 	key_desc_t top_desc[] = {
 		{"q", lazy_entry::string_t, 0, 0},
-		{"a", lazy_entry::dict_t, 0, key_desc_t::parse_children},
+		{"x", lazy_entry::dict_t, 0, key_desc_t::parse_children},
 			{"id", lazy_entry::string_t, 20, key_desc_t::last_child},
 	};
 
diff --git a/libtorrent/src/kademlia/refresh.cpp b/libtorrent/src/kademlia/refresh.cpp
index 4b9b05e8..33a50bb4 100644
--- a/libtorrent/src/kademlia/refresh.cpp
+++ b/libtorrent/src/kademlia/refresh.cpp
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ bool refresh::invoke(observer_ptr o)
 	entry e;
 	e["z"] = "q";
 	e["q"] = "find_node";
-	entry& a = e["a"];
+	entry& a = e["x"];
 	a["target"] = target().to_string();
 	return m_node.m_rpc.invoke(e, o->target_ep(), o);
 }
diff --git a/libtorrent/src/kademlia/rpc_manager.cpp b/libtorrent/src/kademlia/rpc_manager.cpp
index 491870d8..66132217 100644
--- a/libtorrent/src/kademlia/rpc_manager.cpp
+++ b/libtorrent/src/kademlia/rpc_manager.cpp
@@ -466,7 +466,7 @@ bool rpc_manager::invoke(entry& e, udp::endpoint target_addr
 	if (m_destructing) return false;
 
 	e["z"] = "q";
-	entry& a = e["a"];
+	entry& a = e["x"];
 	add_our_id(a);
 
 	std::string transaction_id;
diff --git a/libtorrent/test/test_dht.cpp b/libtorrent/test/test_dht.cpp
index 43100f37..3fbde690 100644
--- a/libtorrent/test/test_dht.cpp
+++ b/libtorrent/test/test_dht.cpp
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ void send_dht_msg(node_impl& node, char const* msg, udp::endpoint const& ep
 	e["q"] = msg;
 	e["t"] = t;
 	e["z"] = "q";
-	entry::dictionary_type& a = e["a"].dict();
+	entry::dictionary_type& a = e["x"].dict();
 	a["id"] = generate_next().to_string();
 	if (info_hash) a["info_hash"] = std::string(info_hash, 20);
 	if (name) a["n"] = name;