diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index c1ed2f6093131bafc994356b38d15452a9446d8c..afcb6d4d015479efc019638d2039170df80d47db 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -59,16 +59,16 @@ This repo hosts:
 
 ## Examples
 
-- code coverage percentage: ![coverage](https://img.shields.io/badge/coverage-80%25-yellowgreen.svg?maxAge=2592000)
-- stable release version: ![version](https://img.shields.io/badge/version-1.2.3-blue.svg?maxAge=2592000)
-- package manager release: ![gem](https://img.shields.io/badge/gem-2.2.0-blue.svg?maxAge=2592000)
-- status of third-party dependencies: ![dependencies](https://img.shields.io/badge/dependencies-out%20of%20date-orange.svg?maxAge=2592000)
-- static code analysis grade: ![codacy](https://img.shields.io/badge/codacy-B-green.svg?maxAge=2592000)
-- [SemVer](https://semver.org/) version observance: ![semver](https://img.shields.io/badge/semver-2.0.0-blue.svg?maxAge=2592000)
-- amount of [Liberapay](https://liberapay.com/) donations per week: ![receives](https://img.shields.io/badge/receives-2.00%20USD%2Fweek-yellow.svg?maxAge=2592000)
-- Python package downloads: ![downloads](https://img.shields.io/badge/downloads-13k%2Fmonth-brightgreen.svg?maxAge=2592000)
-- Chrome Web Store extension rating: ![rating](https://img.shields.io/badge/rating-★★★★☆-brightgreen.svg?maxAge=2592000)
-- [Uptime Robot](https://uptimerobot.com) percentage: ![uptime](https://img.shields.io/badge/uptime-100%25-brightgreen.svg?maxAge=2592000)
+- code coverage percentage: ![coverage](https://img.shields.io/badge/coverage-80%25-yellowgreen.svg?cacheSeconds=2592000)
+- stable release version: ![version](https://img.shields.io/badge/version-1.2.3-blue.svg?cacheSeconds=2592000)
+- package manager release: ![gem](https://img.shields.io/badge/gem-2.2.0-blue.svg?cacheSeconds=2592000)
+- status of third-party dependencies: ![dependencies](https://img.shields.io/badge/dependencies-out%20of%20date-orange.svg?cacheSeconds=2592000)
+- static code analysis grade: ![codacy](https://img.shields.io/badge/codacy-B-green.svg?cacheSeconds=2592000)
+- [SemVer](https://semver.org/) version observance: ![semver](https://img.shields.io/badge/semver-2.0.0-blue.svg?cacheSeconds=2592000)
+- amount of [Liberapay](https://liberapay.com/) donations per week: ![receives](https://img.shields.io/badge/receives-2.00%20USD%2Fweek-yellow.svg?cacheSeconds=2592000)
+- Python package downloads: ![downloads](https://img.shields.io/badge/downloads-13k%2Fmonth-brightgreen.svg?cacheSeconds=2592000)
+- Chrome Web Store extension rating: ![rating](https://img.shields.io/badge/rating-★★★★☆-brightgreen.svg?cacheSeconds=2592000)
+- [Uptime Robot](https://uptimerobot.com) percentage: ![uptime](https://img.shields.io/badge/uptime-100%25-brightgreen.svg?cacheSeconds=2592000)
 
 [Make your own badges!][custom badges]
 (Quick example: `https://img.shields.io/badge/left-right-f39f37.svg`)
diff --git a/core/badge-urls/make-badge-url.js b/core/badge-urls/make-badge-url.js
index f6e891ac3fa44b18d7f3c282cf2201abc7c7e13a..7dd9a3a85cdd1a823839d4d8291e297ee72631f2 100644
--- a/core/badge-urls/make-badge-url.js
+++ b/core/badge-urls/make-badge-url.js
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ function badgeUrlFromPath({
   const outExt = format.length ? `.${format}` : ''
 
   const outQueryString = queryString.stringify({
-    maxAge: longCache ? '2592000' : undefined,
+    cacheSeconds: longCache ? '2592000' : undefined,
     style,
     ...queryParams,
   })
diff --git a/core/badge-urls/make-badge-url.spec.js b/core/badge-urls/make-badge-url.spec.js
index 55931b9436c92c361bce668f0d40a91b3bcfc893..1d0f183cff31f30098251c9db03c2bdd933a5164 100644
--- a/core/badge-urls/make-badge-url.spec.js
+++ b/core/badge-urls/make-badge-url.spec.js
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ describe('Badge URL generation functions', function() {
       style: 'flat-square',
       longCache: true,
     }).expect(
-      'http://example.com/npm/v/gh-badges.svg?maxAge=2592000&style=flat-square'
+      'http://example.com/npm/v/gh-badges.svg?cacheSeconds=2592000&style=flat-square'
     )
   })
 
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ describe('Badge URL generation functions', function() {
       style: 'flat-square',
       longCache: true,
     }).expect(
-      'http://example.com/npm/v/gh-badges.svg?maxAge=2592000&style=flat-square'
+      'http://example.com/npm/v/gh-badges.svg?cacheSeconds=2592000&style=flat-square'
     )
   })
 
diff --git a/core/base-service/cache-headers.js b/core/base-service/cache-headers.js
index 99697464c88ddb640ee533d3c1342f75a442d0bb..eace49007970b3071b62fdf57f4d789e87532b09 100644
--- a/core/base-service/cache-headers.js
+++ b/core/base-service/cache-headers.js
@@ -7,23 +7,25 @@ const coalesce = require('./coalesce')
 const serverStartTimeGMTString = new Date().toGMTString()
 const serverStartTimestamp = Date.now()
 
+const isOptionalNonNegativeInteger = Joi.number()
+  .integer()
+  .min(0)
+
 const queryParamSchema = Joi.object({
-  // Not using nonNegativeInteger because it's not required.
-  maxAge: Joi.number()
-    .integer()
-    .min(0),
+  cacheSeconds: isOptionalNonNegativeInteger,
+  maxAge: isOptionalNonNegativeInteger,
 })
+  .oxor('cacheSeconds', 'maxAge')
   .unknown(true)
   .required()
 
 function overrideCacheLengthFromQueryParams(queryParams) {
   try {
-    const { maxAge: overrideCacheLength } = Joi.attempt(
-      queryParams,
-      queryParamSchema,
-      { allowUnknown: true }
-    )
-    return overrideCacheLength
+    const {
+      cacheSeconds: overrideCacheLength,
+      maxAge: legacyOverrideCacheLength,
+    } = Joi.attempt(queryParams, queryParamSchema)
+    return coalesce(overrideCacheLength, legacyOverrideCacheLength)
   } catch (e) {
     return undefined
   }
diff --git a/core/base-service/cache-headers.spec.js b/core/base-service/cache-headers.spec.js
index a2806065a21a73759207e10a20bd29c7875720b4..ebe4e61df5d53a858ca559ae9a6752099774911d 100644
--- a/core/base-service/cache-headers.spec.js
+++ b/core/base-service/cache-headers.spec.js
@@ -33,32 +33,44 @@ describe('Cache header functions', function() {
       given({
         cacheHeaderConfig,
         serviceDefaultCacheLengthSeconds: 900,
-        queryParams: { maxAge: 1000 },
+        queryParams: { cacheSeconds: 1000 },
       }).expect(1000)
       given({
         cacheHeaderConfig,
         serviceDefaultCacheLengthSeconds: 900,
-        queryParams: { maxAge: 1000, other: 'here', maybe: 'bogus' },
+        queryParams: { cacheSeconds: 1000, other: 'here', maybe: 'bogus' },
       }).expect(1000)
       given({
         cacheHeaderConfig,
         serviceDefaultCacheLengthSeconds: 900,
-        queryParams: { maxAge: 400 },
+        queryParams: { cacheSeconds: 400 },
+      }).expect(900)
+      given({
+        cacheHeaderConfig,
+        serviceDefaultCacheLengthSeconds: 900,
+        queryParams: { cacheSeconds: '-1000' },
       }).expect(900)
       given({
         cacheHeaderConfig,
         serviceDefaultCacheLengthSeconds: 900,
-        queryParams: { maxAge: '-1000' },
+        queryParams: { cacheSeconds: '' },
       }).expect(900)
       given({
         cacheHeaderConfig,
         serviceDefaultCacheLengthSeconds: 900,
-        queryParams: { maxAge: '' },
+        queryParams: { cacheSeconds: 'not a number' },
       }).expect(900)
       given({
         cacheHeaderConfig,
         serviceDefaultCacheLengthSeconds: 900,
-        queryParams: { maxAge: 'not a number' },
+        // Legacy name.
+        queryParams: { maxAge: 1000 },
+      }).expect(1000)
+      given({
+        cacheHeaderConfig,
+        serviceDefaultCacheLengthSeconds: 900,
+        // Both legacy and new name provided -> both ignored.
+        queryParams: { maxAge: 1000, cacheSeconds: 1000 },
       }).expect(900)
       given({
         cacheHeaderConfig,
@@ -79,12 +91,12 @@ describe('Cache header functions', function() {
       given({
         cacheHeaderConfig,
         serviceOverrideCacheLengthSeconds: 800,
-        queryParams: { maxAge: 500 },
+        queryParams: { cacheSeconds: 500 },
       }).expect(800)
       given({
         cacheHeaderConfig,
         serviceOverrideCacheLengthSeconds: 900,
-        queryParams: { maxAge: 800 },
+        queryParams: { cacheSeconds: 800 },
       }).expect(900)
     })
   })
@@ -154,7 +166,7 @@ describe('Cache header functions', function() {
       setCacheHeaders({
         cacheHeaderConfig: { defaultCacheLengthSeconds: 1234 },
         serviceDefaultCacheLengthSeconds: 567,
-        queryParams: { maxAge: 999999 },
+        queryParams: { cacheSeconds: 999999 },
         res,
       })
 
diff --git a/core/base-service/legacy-request-handler.js b/core/base-service/legacy-request-handler.js
index f5e0903857c713e67f056a39b5d7a4a5e75b2197..ecfeb5218fb38c9f105b69004616b7a1b7883882 100644
--- a/core/base-service/legacy-request-handler.js
+++ b/core/base-service/legacy-request-handler.js
@@ -103,8 +103,8 @@ function handleRequest(cacheHeaderConfig, handlerOptions) {
     // by-badge basis). Then in turn that can be overridden by
     // `serviceOverrideCacheLengthSeconds` (which we expect to be used only in
     // the dynamic badge) but only if `serviceOverrideCacheLengthSeconds` is
-    // longer than `serviceDefaultCacheLengthSeconds` and then the `maxAge`
-    // query param can also override both of those but again only if `maxAge`
+    // longer than `serviceDefaultCacheLengthSeconds` and then the `cacheSeconds`
+    // query param can also override both of those but again only if `cacheSeconds`
     // is longer.
     //
     // When the legacy services have been rewritten, all the code in here
diff --git a/core/base-service/legacy-request-handler.spec.js b/core/base-service/legacy-request-handler.spec.js
index b1dbc5519515d650b634c5c793c25d34bc6ba0d4..5c465499c8833ff89e06b1cd7b9ad4ce386c7eda 100644
--- a/core/base-service/legacy-request-handler.spec.js
+++ b/core/base-service/legacy-request-handler.spec.js
@@ -264,9 +264,9 @@ describe('The request handler', function() {
         expect(res.headers.get('cache-control')).to.equal('max-age=300')
       })
 
-      it('should set the expires header to current time + maxAge', async function() {
+      it('should set the expires header to current time + cacheSeconds', async function() {
         register({ cacheHeaderConfig: { defaultCacheLengthSeconds: 0 } })
-        const res = await fetch(`${baseUrl}/testing/123.json?maxAge=3600`)
+        const res = await fetch(`${baseUrl}/testing/123.json?cacheSeconds=3600`)
         const expectedExpiry = new Date(
           +new Date(res.headers.get('date')) + 3600000
         ).toGMTString()
@@ -274,9 +274,9 @@ describe('The request handler', function() {
         expect(res.headers.get('cache-control')).to.equal('max-age=3600')
       })
 
-      it('should ignore maxAge if maxAge < defaultCacheLengthSeconds', async function() {
+      it('should ignore cacheSeconds when shorter than defaultCacheLengthSeconds', async function() {
         register({ cacheHeaderConfig: { defaultCacheLengthSeconds: 600 } })
-        const res = await fetch(`${baseUrl}/testing/123.json?maxAge=300`)
+        const res = await fetch(`${baseUrl}/testing/123.json?cacheSeconds=300`)
         const expectedExpiry = new Date(
           +new Date(res.headers.get('date')) + 600000
         ).toGMTString()
@@ -284,7 +284,7 @@ describe('The request handler', function() {
         expect(res.headers.get('cache-control')).to.equal('max-age=600')
       })
 
-      it('should set Cache-Control: no-cache, no-store, must-revalidate if maxAge=0', async function() {
+      it('should set Cache-Control: no-cache, no-store, must-revalidate if cache seconds is 0', async function() {
         register({ cacheHeaderConfig: { defaultCacheLengthSeconds: 0 } })
         const res = await fetch(`${baseUrl}/testing/123.json`)
         expect(res.headers.get('expires')).to.equal(res.headers.get('date'))
diff --git a/frontend/components/usage.js b/frontend/components/usage.js
index 321af3415127e69e1768347be829b0791f207ad5..d06d1422521bfd5a1efad70888d6e2b808908433 100644
--- a/frontend/components/usage.js
+++ b/frontend/components/usage.js
@@ -387,13 +387,14 @@ export default class Usage extends React.PureComponent {
             <QueryParam
               documentation={
                 <span>
-                  Set the HTTP cache lifetime in secs (rules are applied to
-                  infer a default value on a per-badge basis, any values
-                  specified below the default will be ignored)
+                  Set the HTTP cache lifetime (rules are applied to infer a
+                  default value on a per-badge basis, any values specified below
+                  the default will be ignored). The legacy name "maxAge" is also
+                  supported.
                 </span>
               }
-              key="maxAge"
-              snippet="?maxAge=3600"
+              key="cacheSeconds"
+              snippet="?cacheSeconds=3600"
             />
           </tbody>
         </QueryParamTable>
diff --git a/lib/badge-data.js b/lib/badge-data.js
index 3b4356f7fd6eec414a71cdf556225830b6b58933..ad8366456f5ecfbfe1a7922c940c77ebaab5979b 100644
--- a/lib/badge-data.js
+++ b/lib/badge-data.js
@@ -34,8 +34,9 @@ function makeLabel(defaultLabel, overrides) {
 //   - color and colorB
 //   - labelColor and colorA
 //   - maxAge
+//   - cacheSeconds
 //
-// Note: maxAge is handled by cache(), not this function.
+// Note: `maxAge` and `cacheSeconds` are handled by cache(), not this function.
 function makeBadgeData(defaultLabel, overrides) {
   const colorA = coalesce(overrides.labelColor, overrides.colorA)
   const colorB = coalesce(overrides.color, overrides.colorB)
diff --git a/services/endpoint/endpoint.tester.js b/services/endpoint/endpoint.tester.js
index 0612a58751ab9b107c1fafdadbb48cf93ea3f421..afe210cbf83161133e4ab293d9a874724db9751c 100644
--- a/services/endpoint/endpoint.tester.js
+++ b/services/endpoint/endpoint.tester.js
@@ -241,7 +241,7 @@ t.create('cacheSeconds')
   .expectHeader('cache-control', 'max-age=500')
 
 t.create('user can override service cacheSeconds')
-  .get('.json?url=https://example.com/badge&maxAge=1000')
+  .get('.json?url=https://example.com/badge&cacheSeconds=1000')
   .intercept(nock =>
     nock('https://example.com/')
       .get('/badge')
@@ -255,7 +255,7 @@ t.create('user can override service cacheSeconds')
   .expectHeader('cache-control', 'max-age=1000')
 
 t.create('user does not override longer service cacheSeconds')
-  .get('.json?url=https://example.com/badge&maxAge=450')
+  .get('.json?url=https://example.com/badge&cacheSeconds=450')
   .intercept(nock =>
     nock('https://example.com/')
       .get('/badge')