diff --git a/osc/commandline.py b/osc/commandline.py
index 61bca331..96238e78 100755
--- a/osc/commandline.py
+++ b/osc/commandline.py
@@ -350,8 +350,8 @@ class Osc(cmdln.Cmdln):
 
     @cmdln.option('-m', '--message', metavar='TEXT',
                   help='specify message TEXT')
-    def do_mergereq(self, subcmd, opts, *args):
-        """${cmd_name}: Handle requests to merge two packages
+    def do_submitreq(self, subcmd, opts, *args):
+        """${cmd_name}: Handle requests to submit a package into another project
 
         For "create", the DESTPAC name is optional; the source packages' name
         will be used if DESTPAC is omitted.
@@ -365,11 +365,11 @@ class Osc(cmdln.Cmdln):
 
 
         usage: 
-            osc mergereq create [-m TEXT] SOURCEPRJ SOURCEPAC DESTPRJ [DESTPAC]
-            osc mergereq list PRJ [PKG]
-            osc mergereq show ID
-            osc mergereq refuse ID
-            osc mergereq accept ID
+            osc submitreq create [-m TEXT] SOURCEPRJ SOURCEPAC DESTPRJ [DESTPAC]
+            osc submitreq list PRJ [PKG]
+            osc submitreq show ID
+            osc submitreq refuse ID
+            osc submitreq accept ID
         ${cmd_option_list}
         """
 
@@ -377,7 +377,7 @@ class Osc(cmdln.Cmdln):
 
         cmds = ['create', 'list', 'show', 'refuse', 'accept']
         if not args or args[0] not in cmds:
-            print >>sys.stderr, 'Unknown mergereq action. Choose one of %s.' % ', '.join(cmds)
+            print >>sys.stderr, 'Unknown submitreq action. Choose one of %s.' % ', '.join(cmds)
             return 2
 
         cmd = args[0]
@@ -416,7 +416,7 @@ class Osc(cmdln.Cmdln):
 
         # create
         if cmd == 'create':
-            result = create_merge_request(conf.config['apiurl'], 
+            result = create_submit_request(conf.config['apiurl'], 
                                           src_project, src_package,
                                           dst_project, dst_package,
                                           opts.message)
@@ -425,14 +425,14 @@ class Osc(cmdln.Cmdln):
 
         # list
         elif cmd == 'list':
-            results = get_merge_request_list(conf.config['apiurl'], 
+            results = get_submit_request_list(conf.config['apiurl'], 
                                              project, package)
             for result in results:
                 print result.list_view()
 
         # show
         elif cmd == 'show':
-            r = get_merge_request(conf.config['apiurl'], reqid)
+            r = get_submit_request(conf.config['apiurl'], reqid)
             print r
             # fixme: will inevitably fail if the given target doesn't exist
             print pretty_diff(conf.config['apiurl'],
diff --git a/osc/core.py b/osc/core.py
index 2e908e3a..fef48076 100755
--- a/osc/core.py
+++ b/osc/core.py
@@ -643,8 +643,8 @@ rev: %s
         os.unlink(filename)
 
 
-class MergeReq:
-    """represent a merge request and holds its metadata
+class SubmitReq:
+    """represent a submit request and holds its metadata
        it has methods to read in metadata from xml,
        different views, ..."""
     def __init__(self):
@@ -663,10 +663,12 @@ class MergeReq:
     def read(self, root):
         self.reqid = root.get('id')
 
+        # FIXME: the xml is not yet adjusted, 'submit' is still called 'merge'
         n = root.find('merge').find('source')
         self.src_project = n.get('project')
         self.src_package = n.get('package')
 
+        # FIXME: the xml is not yet adjusted, 'submit' is still called 'merge'
         n = root.find('merge').find('target')
         self.dst_project = n.get('project')
         self.dst_package = n.get('package')
@@ -699,7 +701,7 @@ class MergeReq:
 
     def __str__(self):
         return """\
-Request to merge (id %s): 
+Request to submit (id %s): 
     %s/%s  ->  %s/%s
 
 Message:
@@ -1262,12 +1264,12 @@ def read_meta_from_spec(specfile, *args):
     return spec_data
 
 
-def create_merge_request(apiurl, 
+def create_submit_request(apiurl, 
                          src_project, src_package, 
                          dst_project, dst_package,
                          message):
 
-    r = MergeReq()
+    r = SubmitReq()
     r.src_project = src_project
     r.src_package = src_package
     r.dst_project = dst_project
@@ -1275,6 +1277,7 @@ def create_merge_request(apiurl,
     import cgi
     r.descr = cgi.escape(message)
 
+    # FIXME: merge is still called merge
     xml = """\
 <request type="merge">
     <merge>
@@ -1297,17 +1300,18 @@ def create_merge_request(apiurl,
     return root.get('id')
 
 
-def get_merge_request(apiurl, reqid):
+def get_submit_request(apiurl, reqid):
     u = makeurl(apiurl, ['request', reqid])
     f = http_GET(u)
     root = ET.parse(f).getroot()
 
-    r = MergeReq()
+    r = SubmitReq()
     r.read(root)
     return r
 
 
-def get_merge_request_list(apiurl, project, package):
+def get_submit_request_list(apiurl, project, package):
+    # FIXME: the api path is not yet renamed, still called "merge"
     match = 'merge/target/@project=\'%s\'' % quote_plus(project)
     if package:
         match += '%20and%20' + 'merge/target/@package=\'%s\'' % quote_plus(package)
@@ -1318,7 +1322,7 @@ def get_merge_request_list(apiurl, project, package):
 
     requests = []
     for root in collection.findall('request'):
-        r = MergeReq()
+        r = SubmitReq()
         r.read(root)
         if r.state not in ['declined', 'deleted']:
             requests.append(r)