diff --git a/pantheon/src/main/java/tech/pegasys/pantheon/cli/PantheonCommand.java b/pantheon/src/main/java/tech/pegasys/pantheon/cli/PantheonCommand.java
index 86b2eb69fc..21bd6d2a39 100644
--- a/pantheon/src/main/java/tech/pegasys/pantheon/cli/PantheonCommand.java
+++ b/pantheon/src/main/java/tech/pegasys/pantheon/cli/PantheonCommand.java
@@ -463,10 +463,10 @@ public class PantheonCommand implements DefaultCommandValues, Runnable {
   private final Boolean permissionsAccountsEnabled = false;
 
   @Option(
-      names = {"--permissions-config-path"},
+      names = {"--permissions-config-file"},
       description =
           "Path to permissions config TOML file (default:  a file named \"permissions_config.toml\" in the Pantheon data folder)")
-  private String permissionsConfigPath = null;
+  private String permissionsConfigFile = null;
 
   @Option(
       names = {"--privacy-enabled"},
@@ -638,10 +638,10 @@ public class PantheonCommand implements DefaultCommandValues, Runnable {
     }
   }
 
-  private String getPermissionsConfigPath() {
+  private String getPermissionsConfigFile() {
 
-    return permissionsConfigPath != null
-        ? permissionsConfigPath
+    return permissionsConfigFile != null
+        ? permissionsConfigFile
         : dataDir().toAbsolutePath()
             + System.getProperty("file.separator")
             + DefaultCommandValues.PERMISSIONING_CONFIG_LOCATION;
@@ -763,7 +763,7 @@ public class PantheonCommand implements DefaultCommandValues, Runnable {
 
     final PermissioningConfiguration permissioningConfiguration =
         PermissioningConfigurationBuilder.permissioningConfigurationFromToml(
-            getPermissionsConfigPath(), permissionsNodesEnabled, permissionsAccountsEnabled);
+            getPermissionsConfigFile(), permissionsNodesEnabled, permissionsAccountsEnabled);
     return Optional.of(permissioningConfiguration);
   }
 
diff --git a/pantheon/src/test/java/tech/pegasys/pantheon/cli/PantheonCommandTest.java b/pantheon/src/test/java/tech/pegasys/pantheon/cli/PantheonCommandTest.java
index 9db9e7e501..e6b1de75bf 100644
--- a/pantheon/src/test/java/tech/pegasys/pantheon/cli/PantheonCommandTest.java
+++ b/pantheon/src/test/java/tech/pegasys/pantheon/cli/PantheonCommandTest.java
@@ -316,19 +316,19 @@ public class PantheonCommandTest extends CommandTestAbstract {
 
   @Test
   public void permissionsTomlPathWithoutOptionMustDisplayUsage() {
-    parseCommand("--permissions-config-path");
+    parseCommand("--permissions-config-file");
 
     verifyZeroInteractions(mockRunnerBuilder);
 
     assertThat(commandErrorOutput.toString())
-        .startsWith("Missing required parameter for option '--permissions-config-path'");
+        .startsWith("Missing required parameter for option '--permissions-config-file'");
     assertThat(commandOutput.toString()).isEmpty();
   }
 
   @Test
   public void permissionsEnabledWithNonexistentConfigFileMustError() {
     parseCommand(
-        "--permissions-accounts-enabled", "--permissions-config-path", "file-does-not-exist");
+        "--permissions-accounts-enabled", "--permissions-config-file", "file-does-not-exist");
 
     verifyZeroInteractions(mockRunnerBuilder);
 
@@ -344,7 +344,7 @@ public class PantheonCommandTest extends CommandTestAbstract {
     Files.write(permToml, Resources.toByteArray(configFile));
 
     parseCommand(
-        "--permissions-accounts-enabled", "--permissions-config-path", permToml.toString());
+        "--permissions-accounts-enabled", "--permissions-config-file", permToml.toString());
     PermissioningConfiguration permissioningConfiguration =
         PermissioningConfiguration.createDefault();
     permissioningConfiguration.setConfigurationFilePath(permToml.toString());
diff --git a/pantheon/src/test/resources/everything_config.toml b/pantheon/src/test/resources/everything_config.toml
index ceeb99e7ad..98cf494a01 100644
--- a/pantheon/src/test/resources/everything_config.toml
+++ b/pantheon/src/test/resources/everything_config.toml
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ min-gas-price="1"
 # Permissioning
 permissions-nodes-enabled=false
 permissions-accounts-enabled=false
-permissions-config-path="./permissions_config.toml"
+permissions-config-file="./permissions_config.toml"
 
 # Privacy
 privacy-url="http://127.0.0.1:8888"