diff --git a/src/Surface.zig b/src/Surface.zig
index 554c3b01c..0ed6cdc1d 100644
--- a/src/Surface.zig
+++ b/src/Surface.zig
@@ -460,7 +460,7 @@ pub fn init(
             .padding = padding,
             .full_config = config,
             .config = try termio.Termio.DerivedConfig.init(alloc, config),
-            .reader = .{ .exec = io_exec },
+            .backend = .{ .exec = io_exec },
             .writer = io_writer,
             .renderer_state = &self.renderer_state,
             .renderer_wakeup = render_thread.wakeup,
diff --git a/src/termio.zig b/src/termio.zig
index a780786ae..299fdae49 100644
--- a/src/termio.zig
+++ b/src/termio.zig
@@ -5,15 +5,15 @@
 const stream_handler = @import("termio/stream_handler.zig");
 
 pub usingnamespace @import("termio/message.zig");
-pub const reader = @import("termio/reader.zig");
+pub const backend = @import("termio/backend.zig");
 pub const writer = @import("termio/writer.zig");
 pub const Exec = @import("termio/Exec.zig");
 pub const Options = @import("termio/Options.zig");
 pub const Termio = @import("termio/Termio.zig");
 pub const Thread = @import("termio/Thread.zig");
+pub const Backend = backend.Backend;
 pub const DerivedConfig = Termio.DerivedConfig;
 pub const Mailbox = writer.Mailbox;
-pub const Reader = reader.Reader;
 pub const StreamHandler = stream_handler.StreamHandler;
 pub const Writer = writer.Writer;
 
diff --git a/src/termio/Exec.zig b/src/termio/Exec.zig
index b0c8cf14f..f6f41f9ea 100644
--- a/src/termio/Exec.zig
+++ b/src/termio/Exec.zig
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ const windows = internal_os.windows;
 
 const log = std.log.scoped(.io_exec);
 
-/// The subprocess state for our exec reader.
+/// The subprocess state for our exec backend.
 subprocess: Subprocess,
 
 /// Initialize the exec state. This will NOT start it, this only sets
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ pub fn deinit(self: *Exec) void {
     self.subprocess.deinit();
 }
 
-/// Call to initialize the terminal state as necessary for this reader.
+/// Call to initialize the terminal state as necessary for this backend.
 /// This is called before any termio begins. This should not be called
 /// after termio begins because it may put the internal terminal state
 /// into a bad state.
@@ -121,8 +121,8 @@ pub fn threadEnter(
     );
     read_thread.setName("io-reader") catch {};
 
-    // Setup our threadata reader state to be our own
-    td.reader = .{ .exec = .{
+    // Setup our threadata backend state to be our own
+    td.backend = .{ .exec = .{
         .start = process_start,
         .abnormal_runtime_threshold_ms = io.config.abnormal_runtime_threshold_ms,
         .wait_after_command = io.config.wait_after_command,
@@ -136,7 +136,7 @@ pub fn threadEnter(
     // Start our process watcher
     process.wait(
         td.loop,
-        &td.reader.exec.process_wait_c,
+        &td.backend.exec.process_wait_c,
         termio.Termio.ThreadData,
         td,
         processExit,
@@ -144,8 +144,8 @@ pub fn threadEnter(
 }
 
 pub fn threadExit(self: *Exec, td: *termio.Termio.ThreadData) void {
-    assert(td.reader == .exec);
-    const exec = &td.reader.exec;
+    assert(td.backend == .exec);
+    const exec = &td.backend.exec;
 
     if (exec.exited) self.subprocess.externalExit();
     self.subprocess.stop();
@@ -282,8 +282,8 @@ fn processExit(
     const exit_code = r catch unreachable;
 
     const td = td_.?;
-    assert(td.reader == .exec);
-    const execdata = &td.reader.exec;
+    assert(td.backend == .exec);
+    const execdata = &td.backend.exec;
     execdata.exited = true;
 
     // Determine how long the process was running for.
@@ -366,7 +366,7 @@ pub fn queueWrite(
     linefeed: bool,
 ) !void {
     _ = self;
-    const exec = &td.reader.exec;
+    const exec = &td.backend.exec;
 
     // If our process is exited then we send our surface a message
     // about it but we don't queue any more writes.
diff --git a/src/termio/Options.zig b/src/termio/Options.zig
index 19de39756..f45e7439a 100644
--- a/src/termio/Options.zig
+++ b/src/termio/Options.zig
@@ -25,8 +25,8 @@ full_config: *const Config,
 /// The derived configuration for this termio implementation.
 config: termio.Termio.DerivedConfig,
 
-/// The reader for the terminal.
-reader: termio.Reader,
+/// The backend for termio that implements where reads/writes are sourced.
+backend: termio.Backend,
 
 /// The writer for the terminal. This is how messages are delivered.
 /// If you're using termio.Thread this MUST be "mailbox".
diff --git a/src/termio/Termio.zig b/src/termio/Termio.zig
index 02e8f28d4..7c48d5ff7 100644
--- a/src/termio/Termio.zig
+++ b/src/termio/Termio.zig
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ const log = std.log.scoped(.io_exec);
 alloc: Allocator,
 
 /// This is the implementation responsible for io.
-reader: termio.Reader,
+backend: termio.Backend,
 
 /// The derived configuration for this termio implementation.
 config: DerivedConfig,
@@ -168,9 +168,9 @@ pub fn init(self: *Termio, alloc: Allocator, opts: termio.Options) !void {
     // Set our default cursor style
     term.screen.cursor.cursor_style = opts.config.cursor_style;
 
-    // Setup our reader.
-    var reader = opts.reader;
-    reader.initTerminal(&term);
+    // Setup our backend.
+    var backend = opts.backend;
+    backend.initTerminal(&term);
 
     // Setup our terminal size in pixels for certain requests.
     const screen_size = opts.screen_size.subPadding(opts.padding);
@@ -216,7 +216,7 @@ pub fn init(self: *Termio, alloc: Allocator, opts: termio.Options) !void {
         .renderer_mailbox = opts.renderer_mailbox,
         .surface_mailbox = opts.surface_mailbox,
         .grid_size = opts.grid_size,
-        .reader = opts.reader,
+        .backend = opts.backend,
         .writer = opts.writer,
         .terminal_stream = .{
             .handler = handler,
@@ -232,7 +232,7 @@ pub fn init(self: *Termio, alloc: Allocator, opts: termio.Options) !void {
 }
 
 pub fn deinit(self: *Termio) void {
-    self.reader.deinit();
+    self.backend.deinit();
     self.terminal.deinit(self.alloc);
     self.config.deinit();
     self.writer.deinit(self.alloc);
@@ -258,15 +258,15 @@ pub fn threadEnter(self: *Termio, thread: *termio.Thread, data: *ThreadData) !vo
         .writer = &self.writer,
 
         // Placeholder until setup below
-        .reader = .{ .manual = {} },
+        .backend = .{ .manual = {} },
     };
 
-    // Setup our reader
-    try self.reader.threadEnter(alloc, self, data);
+    // Setup our backend
+    try self.backend.threadEnter(alloc, self, data);
 }
 
 pub fn threadExit(self: *Termio, data: *ThreadData) void {
-    self.reader.threadExit(data);
+    self.backend.threadExit(data);
 }
 
 /// Send a message using the writer. Depending on the writer type in
@@ -300,7 +300,7 @@ pub inline fn queueWrite(
     data: []const u8,
     linefeed: bool,
 ) !void {
-    try self.reader.queueWrite(self.alloc, td, data, linefeed);
+    try self.backend.queueWrite(self.alloc, td, data, linefeed);
 }
 
 /// Update the configuration.
@@ -320,7 +320,7 @@ pub fn changeConfig(self: *Termio, td: *ThreadData, config: *DerivedConfig) !voi
     // renderer mutex so this is safe to do despite being executed
     // from another thread.
     self.terminal_stream.handler.changeConfig(&self.config);
-    td.reader.changeConfig(&self.config);
+    td.backend.changeConfig(&self.config);
 
     // Update the configuration that we know about.
     //
@@ -363,7 +363,7 @@ pub fn resize(
 ) !void {
     // Update the size of our pty.
     const padded_size = screen_size.subPadding(padding);
-    try self.reader.resize(grid_size, padded_size);
+    try self.backend.resize(grid_size, padded_size);
 
     // Update our cached grid size
     self.grid_size = grid_size;
@@ -466,7 +466,7 @@ pub fn childExitedAbnormally(self: *Termio, exit_code: u32, runtime_ms: u64) !vo
     self.renderer_state.mutex.lock();
     defer self.renderer_state.mutex.unlock();
     const t = self.renderer_state.terminal;
-    try self.reader.childExitedAbnormally(self.alloc, t, exit_code, runtime_ms);
+    try self.backend.childExitedAbnormally(self.alloc, t, exit_code, runtime_ms);
 }
 
 /// Process output from the pty. This is the manual API that users can
@@ -550,12 +550,12 @@ pub const ThreadData = struct {
     /// Mailboxes for different threads
     surface_mailbox: apprt.surface.Mailbox,
 
-    /// Data associated with the reader implementation (i.e. pty/exec state)
-    reader: termio.reader.ThreadData,
+    /// Data associated with the backend implementation (i.e. pty/exec state)
+    backend: termio.backend.ThreadData,
     writer: *termio.Writer,
 
     pub fn deinit(self: *ThreadData) void {
-        self.reader.deinit(self.alloc);
+        self.backend.deinit(self.alloc);
         self.* = undefined;
     }
 };
diff --git a/src/termio/reader.zig b/src/termio/backend.zig
similarity index 89%
rename from src/termio/reader.zig
rename to src/termio/backend.zig
index de7536078..75342cbc7 100644
--- a/src/termio/reader.zig
+++ b/src/termio/backend.zig
@@ -34,19 +34,20 @@ pub const Config = union(Kind) {
     exec: termio.Exec.Config,
 };
 
-/// Reader implementations
-pub const Reader = union(Kind) {
+/// Backend implementations. A backend is responsible for owning the pty
+/// behavior and providing read/write capabilities.
+pub const Backend = union(Kind) {
     manual: void,
     exec: termio.Exec,
 
-    pub fn deinit(self: *Reader) void {
+    pub fn deinit(self: *Backend) void {
         switch (self.*) {
             .manual => {},
             .exec => |*exec| exec.deinit(),
         }
     }
 
-    pub fn initTerminal(self: *Reader, t: *terminal.Terminal) void {
+    pub fn initTerminal(self: *Backend, t: *terminal.Terminal) void {
         switch (self.*) {
             .manual => {},
             .exec => |*exec| exec.initTerminal(t),
@@ -54,7 +55,7 @@ pub const Reader = union(Kind) {
     }
 
     pub fn threadEnter(
-        self: *Reader,
+        self: *Backend,
         alloc: Allocator,
         io: *termio.Termio,
         td: *termio.Termio.ThreadData,
@@ -65,7 +66,7 @@ pub const Reader = union(Kind) {
         }
     }
 
-    pub fn threadExit(self: *Reader, td: *termio.Termio.ThreadData) void {
+    pub fn threadExit(self: *Backend, td: *termio.Termio.ThreadData) void {
         switch (self.*) {
             .manual => {},
             .exec => |*exec| exec.threadExit(td),
@@ -73,7 +74,7 @@ pub const Reader = union(Kind) {
     }
 
     pub fn resize(
-        self: *Reader,
+        self: *Backend,
         grid_size: renderer.GridSize,
         screen_size: renderer.ScreenSize,
     ) !void {
@@ -84,7 +85,7 @@ pub const Reader = union(Kind) {
     }
 
     pub fn queueWrite(
-        self: *Reader,
+        self: *Backend,
         alloc: Allocator,
         td: *termio.Termio.ThreadData,
         data: []const u8,
@@ -97,7 +98,7 @@ pub const Reader = union(Kind) {
     }
 
     pub fn childExitedAbnormally(
-        self: *Reader,
+        self: *Backend,
         gpa: Allocator,
         t: *terminal.Terminal,
         exit_code: u32,