diff --git a/examples/src/main/java/org/bitcoinj/examples/RestoreFromSeed.java b/examples/src/main/java/org/bitcoinj/examples/RestoreFromSeed.java
index 99d14799..106cf6cc 100644
--- a/examples/src/main/java/org/bitcoinj/examples/RestoreFromSeed.java
+++ b/examples/src/main/java/org/bitcoinj/examples/RestoreFromSeed.java
@@ -61,12 +61,12 @@ public class RestoreFromSeed {
         // Setting up the BlochChain, the BlocksStore and connecting to the network.
         SPVBlockStore chainStore = new SPVBlockStore(params, chainFile);
         BlockChain chain = new BlockChain(params, chainStore);
-        PeerGroup peers = new PeerGroup(params, chain);
-        peers.addPeerDiscovery(new DnsDiscovery(params));
+        PeerGroup peerGroup = new PeerGroup(params, chain);
+        peerGroup.addPeerDiscovery(new DnsDiscovery(params));
 
         // Now we need to hook the wallet up to the blockchain and the peers. This registers event listeners that notify our wallet about new transactions.
         chain.addWallet(wallet);
-        peers.addWallet(wallet);
+        peerGroup.addWallet(wallet);
 
         DownloadProgressTracker bListener = new DownloadProgressTracker() {
             @Override
@@ -76,8 +76,8 @@ public class RestoreFromSeed {
         };
 
         // Now we re-download the blockchain. This replays the chain into the wallet. Once this is completed our wallet should know of all its transactions and print the correct balance.
-        peers.start();
-        peers.startBlockChainDownload(bListener);
+        peerGroup.start();
+        peerGroup.startBlockChainDownload(bListener);
 
         bListener.await();
 
@@ -85,6 +85,6 @@ public class RestoreFromSeed {
         System.out.println(wallet.toString());
 
         // shutting down again
-        peers.stop();
+        peerGroup.stop();
     }
 }
diff --git a/tools/src/main/java/org/bitcoinj/tools/WalletTool.java b/tools/src/main/java/org/bitcoinj/tools/WalletTool.java
index bb611322..3228cf2c 100644
--- a/tools/src/main/java/org/bitcoinj/tools/WalletTool.java
+++ b/tools/src/main/java/org/bitcoinj/tools/WalletTool.java
@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@ public class WalletTool {
     private static File walletFile;
     private static BlockStore store;
     private static AbstractBlockChain chain;
-    private static PeerGroup peers;
+    private static PeerGroup peerGroup;
     private static Wallet wallet;
     private static File chainFileName;
     private static ValidationMode mode;
@@ -506,7 +506,7 @@ public class WalletTool {
 
     private static void rotate() throws BlockStoreException {
         setup();
-        peers.start();
+        peerGroup.start();
         // Set a key rotation time and possibly broadcast the resulting maintenance transactions.
         long rotationTimeSecs = Utils.currentTimeSeconds();
         if (options.has(dateFlag)) {
@@ -633,13 +633,13 @@ public class WalletTool {
             }
 
             setup();
-            peers.start();
+            peerGroup.start();
             // Wait for peers to connect, the tx to be sent to one of them and for it to be propagated across the
             // network. Once propagation is complete and we heard the transaction back from all our peers, it will
             // be committed to the wallet.
-            peers.broadcastTransaction(t).future().get();
+            peerGroup.broadcastTransaction(t).future().get();
             // Hack for regtest/single peer mode, as we're about to shut down and won't get an ACK from the remote end.
-            List<Peer> peerList = peers.getConnectedPeers();
+            List<Peer> peerList = peerGroup.getConnectedPeers();
             if (peerList.size() == 1)
                 peerList.get(0).ping().get();
         } catch (BlockStoreException e) {
@@ -750,13 +750,13 @@ public class WalletTool {
             }
 
             setup();
-            peers.start();
+            peerGroup.start();
             // Wait for peers to connect, the tx to be sent to one of them and for it to be propagated across the
             // network. Once propagation is complete and we heard the transaction back from all our peers, it will
             // be committed to the wallet.
-            peers.broadcastTransaction(req.tx).future().get();
+            peerGroup.broadcastTransaction(req.tx).future().get();
             // Hack for regtest/single peer mode, as we're about to shut down and won't get an ACK from the remote end.
-            List<Peer> peerList = peers.getConnectedPeers();
+            List<Peer> peerList = peerGroup.getConnectedPeers();
             if (peerList.size() == 1)
                 peerList.get(0).ping().get();
         } catch (BlockStoreException e) {
@@ -856,13 +856,13 @@ public class WalletTool {
             }
 
             setup();
-            peers.start();
+            peerGroup.start();
             // Wait for peers to connect, the tx to be sent to one of them and for it to be propagated across the
             // network. Once propagation is complete and we heard the transaction back from all our peers, it will
             // be committed to the wallet.
-            peers.broadcastTransaction(req.tx).future().get();
+            peerGroup.broadcastTransaction(req.tx).future().get();
             // Hack for regtest/single peer mode, as we're about to shut down and won't get an ACK from the remote end.
-            List<Peer> peerList = peers.getConnectedPeers();
+            List<Peer> peerList = peerGroup.getConnectedPeers();
             if (peerList.size() == 1)
                 peerList.get(0).ping().get();
         } catch (BlockStoreException e) {
@@ -959,13 +959,13 @@ public class WalletTool {
             }
 
             setup();
-            peers.start();
+            peerGroup.start();
             // Wait for peers to connect, the tx to be sent to one of them and for it to be propagated across the
             // network. Once propagation is complete and we heard the transaction back from all our peers, it will
             // be committed to the wallet.
-            peers.broadcastTransaction(req.tx).future().get();
+            peerGroup.broadcastTransaction(req.tx).future().get();
             // Hack for regtest/single peer mode, as we're about to shut down and won't get an ACK from the remote end.
-            List<Peer> peerList = peers.getConnectedPeers();
+            List<Peer> peerList = peerGroup.getConnectedPeers();
             if (peerList.size() == 1)
                 peerList.get(0).ping().get();
         } catch (BlockStoreException e) {
@@ -1073,8 +1073,8 @@ public class WalletTool {
             ListenableFuture<PaymentProtocol.Ack> future = session.sendPayment(ImmutableList.of(req.tx), null, null);
             if (future == null) {
                 // No payment_url for submission so, broadcast and wait.
-                peers.start();
-                peers.broadcastTransaction(req.tx).future().get();
+                peerGroup.start();
+                peerGroup.broadcastTransaction(req.tx).future().get();
             } else {
                 PaymentProtocol.Ack ack = future.get();
                 wallet.commitTx(req.tx);
@@ -1128,7 +1128,7 @@ public class WalletTool {
                 break;
 
             case BLOCK:
-                peers.addBlocksDownloadedEventListener(new BlocksDownloadedEventListener() {
+                peerGroup.addBlocksDownloadedEventListener(new BlocksDownloadedEventListener() {
                     @Override
                     public void onBlocksDownloaded(Peer peer, Block block, @Nullable FilteredBlock filteredBlock, int blocksLeft) {
                         // Check if we already ran. This can happen if a block being received triggers download of more
@@ -1154,8 +1154,8 @@ public class WalletTool {
                 break;
 
         }
-        if (!peers.isRunning())
-            peers.startAsync();
+        if (!peerGroup.isRunning())
+            peerGroup.startAsync();
         try {
             latch.await();
         } catch (InterruptedException e) {
@@ -1200,19 +1200,19 @@ public class WalletTool {
         }
         // This will ensure the wallet is saved when it changes.
         wallet.autosaveToFile(walletFile, 5, TimeUnit.SECONDS, null);
-        if (peers == null) {
-            peers = new PeerGroup(params, chain);
+        if (peerGroup == null) {
+            peerGroup = new PeerGroup(params, chain);
         }
-        peers.setUserAgent("WalletTool", "1.0");
+        peerGroup.setUserAgent("WalletTool", "1.0");
         if (params == RegTestParams.get())
-            peers.setMinBroadcastConnections(1);
-        peers.addWallet(wallet);
+            peerGroup.setMinBroadcastConnections(1);
+        peerGroup.addWallet(wallet);
         if (options.has("peers")) {
             String peersFlag = (String) options.valueOf("peers");
             String[] peerAddrs = peersFlag.split(",");
             for (String peer : peerAddrs) {
                 try {
-                    peers.addAddress(new PeerAddress(params, InetAddress.getByName(peer)));
+                    peerGroup.addAddress(new PeerAddress(params, InetAddress.getByName(peer)));
                 } catch (UnknownHostException e) {
                     System.err.println("Could not understand peer domain name/IP address: " + peer + ": " + e.getMessage());
                     System.exit(1);
@@ -1226,8 +1226,8 @@ public class WalletTool {
             setup();
             int startTransactions = wallet.getTransactions(true).size();
             DownloadProgressTracker listener = new DownloadProgressTracker();
-            peers.start();
-            peers.startBlockChainDownload(listener);
+            peerGroup.start();
+            peerGroup.startBlockChainDownload(listener);
             try {
                 listener.await();
             } catch (InterruptedException e) {
@@ -1246,9 +1246,9 @@ public class WalletTool {
 
     private static void shutdown() {
         try {
-            if (peers == null) return;  // setup() never called so nothing to do.
-            if (peers.isRunning())
-                peers.stop();
+            if (peerGroup == null) return;  // setup() never called so nothing to do.
+            if (peerGroup.isRunning())
+                peerGroup.stop();
             saveWallet(walletFile);
             store.close();
             wallet = null;