diff --git a/src/conf/Makefile.inc.am b/src/conf/Makefile.inc.am
index d2ff8be8fd..6eb64db9de 100644
--- a/src/conf/Makefile.inc.am
+++ b/src/conf/Makefile.inc.am
@@ -31,8 +31,8 @@ DOMAIN_CONF_SOURCES = \
 	conf/virconftypes.h \
 	conf/virdomainobjlist.c \
 	conf/virdomainobjlist.h \
-	conf/virdomainsnapshotobj.c \
-	conf/virdomainsnapshotobj.h \
+	conf/virdomainmomentobjlist.c \
+	conf/virdomainmomentobjlist.h \
 	conf/virdomainsnapshotobjlist.c \
 	conf/virdomainsnapshotobjlist.h \
 	$(NULL)
diff --git a/src/conf/virdomainsnapshotobj.c b/src/conf/virdomainmomentobjlist.c
similarity index 91%
rename from src/conf/virdomainsnapshotobj.c
rename to src/conf/virdomainmomentobjlist.c
index d4f5f60d0c..209f92493a 100644
--- a/src/conf/virdomainsnapshotobj.c
+++ b/src/conf/virdomainmomentobjlist.c
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * virdomainsnapshotobj.c: handle snapshot objects
+ * virdomainmomentobjlist.c: handle snapshot/checkpoint objects
  *                  (derived from snapshot_conf.c)
  *
  * Copyright (C) 2006-2019 Red Hat, Inc.
@@ -23,15 +23,15 @@
 #include <config.h>
 
 #include "internal.h"
-#include "virdomainsnapshotobj.h"
-#include "snapshot_conf.h"
-#include "virdomainsnapshotobjlist.h"
+#include "virdomainmomentobjlist.h"
 #include "virlog.h"
 #include "virerror.h"
+#include "virstring.h"
+#include "moment_conf.h"
 
-#define VIR_FROM_THIS VIR_FROM_DOMAIN_SNAPSHOT
+#define VIR_FROM_THIS VIR_FROM_DOMAIN
 
-VIR_LOG_INIT("conf.virdomainsnapshotobj");
+VIR_LOG_INIT("conf.virdomainmomentobjlist");
 
 /* Run iter(data) on all direct children of moment, while ignoring all
  * other entries in moments.  Return the number of children
@@ -68,8 +68,8 @@ virDomainMomentActOnDescendant(void *payload,
 
     (curr->iter)(payload, name, curr->data);
     curr->number += 1 + virDomainMomentForEachDescendant(obj,
-                                                           curr->iter,
-                                                           curr->data);
+                                                         curr->iter,
+                                                         curr->data);
     return 0;
 }
 
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@ virDomainMomentDropParent(virDomainMomentObjPtr moment)
     curr = moment->parent->first_child;
     while (curr != moment) {
         if (!curr) {
-            VIR_WARN("inconsistent snapshot relations");
+            VIR_WARN("inconsistent moment relations");
             return;
         }
         prev = curr;
diff --git a/src/conf/virdomainsnapshotobj.h b/src/conf/virdomainmomentobjlist.h
similarity index 72%
rename from src/conf/virdomainsnapshotobj.h
rename to src/conf/virdomainmomentobjlist.h
index b18df0eebb..dceb55fca2 100644
--- a/src/conf/virdomainsnapshotobj.h
+++ b/src/conf/virdomainmomentobjlist.h
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * virdomainsnapshotobj.h: handle snapshot objects
+ * virdomainmomentobjlist.h: handle a tree of moment objects
  *                  (derived from snapshot_conf.h)
  *
  * Copyright (C) 2006-2019 Red Hat, Inc.
@@ -20,25 +20,33 @@
  * <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
  */
 
-#ifndef LIBVIRT_VIRDOMAINSNAPSHOTOBJ_H
-# define LIBVIRT_VIRDOMAINSNAPSHOTOBJ_H
+#ifndef LIBVIRT_VIRDOMAINMOMENTOBJLIST_H
+# define LIBVIRT_VIRDOMAINMOMENTOBJLIST_H
 
 # include "internal.h"
 # include "virconftypes.h"
 # include "virhash.h"
 
+/* Struct that allows tracing hierarchical relationships between
+ * multiple virDomainMoment objects. The opaque type
+ * virDomainMomentObjList then maintains both a hash of these structs
+ * (for quick lookup by name) and a metaroot (which is the parent of
+ * all user-visible roots), so that all other objects always have a
+ * valid parent object; the tree structure is currently maintained via
+ * a linked list. */
 struct _virDomainMomentObj {
+    /* Public field */
     virDomainMomentDefPtr def; /* non-NULL except for metaroot */
 
+    /* Private fields, use accessors instead */
     virDomainMomentObjPtr parent; /* non-NULL except for metaroot, before
-                                     virDomainSnapshotUpdateRelations, or
+                                     virDomainMomentUpdateRelations, or
                                      after virDomainMomentDropParent */
     virDomainMomentObjPtr sibling; /* NULL if last child of parent */
     size_t nchildren;
     virDomainMomentObjPtr first_child; /* NULL if no children */
 };
 
-
 int virDomainMomentForEachChild(virDomainMomentObjPtr moment,
                                 virHashIterator iter,
                                 void *data);
@@ -52,4 +60,4 @@ void virDomainMomentMoveChildren(virDomainMomentObjPtr from,
 void virDomainMomentSetParent(virDomainMomentObjPtr moment,
                               virDomainMomentObjPtr parent);
 
-#endif /* LIBVIRT_VIRDOMAINSNAPSHOTOBJ_H */
+#endif /* LIBVIRT_VIRDOMAINMOMENTOBJLIST_H */
diff --git a/src/conf/virdomainsnapshotobjlist.h b/src/conf/virdomainsnapshotobjlist.h
index e504e40465..7398a5c331 100644
--- a/src/conf/virdomainsnapshotobjlist.h
+++ b/src/conf/virdomainsnapshotobjlist.h
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@
 # define LIBVIRT_VIRDOMAINSNAPSHOTOBJLIST_H
 
 # include "internal.h"
-# include "virdomainsnapshotobj.h"
+# include "virdomainmomentobjlist.h"
 # include "virbuffer.h"
 
 /* Filter that returns true if a given moment matches the filter flags */
diff --git a/src/libvirt_private.syms b/src/libvirt_private.syms
index eef215bc31..bf5625fbf4 100644
--- a/src/libvirt_private.syms
+++ b/src/libvirt_private.syms
@@ -960,6 +960,15 @@ virChrdevFree;
 virChrdevOpen;
 
 
+# conf/virdomainmomentobjlist.h
+virDomainMomentDropChildren;
+virDomainMomentDropParent;
+virDomainMomentForEachChild;
+virDomainMomentForEachDescendant;
+virDomainMomentMoveChildren;
+virDomainMomentSetParent;
+
+
 # conf/virdomainobjlist.h
 virDomainObjListAdd;
 virDomainObjListCollect;
@@ -979,15 +988,6 @@ virDomainObjListRemoveLocked;
 virDomainObjListRename;
 
 
-# conf/virdomainsnapshotobj.h
-virDomainMomentDropChildren;
-virDomainMomentDropParent;
-virDomainMomentForEachChild;
-virDomainMomentForEachDescendant;
-virDomainMomentMoveChildren;
-virDomainMomentSetParent;
-
-
 # conf/virdomainsnapshotobjlist.h
 virDomainListSnapshots;
 virDomainSnapshotAssignDef;