diff --git a/IPython/html/base/zmqhandlers.py b/IPython/html/base/zmqhandlers.py
index 18f68b470..c3f335f01 100644
--- a/IPython/html/base/zmqhandlers.py
+++ b/IPython/html/base/zmqhandlers.py
@@ -58,8 +58,8 @@ def serialize_binary_message(msg):
     return b''.join(buffers)
 
 
-def unserialize_binary_message(bmsg):
-    """unserialize a message from a binary blog
+def deserialize_binary_message(bmsg):
+    """deserialize a message from a binary blog
 
     Header:
 
@@ -133,13 +133,13 @@ class ZMQStreamHandler(websocket.WebSocketHandler):
     def _reserialize_reply(self, msg_list):
         """Reserialize a reply message using JSON.
 
-        This takes the msg list from the ZMQ socket, unserializes it using
+        This takes the msg list from the ZMQ socket, deserializes it using
         self.session and then serializes the result using JSON. This method
         should be used by self._on_zmq_reply to build messages that can
         be sent back to the browser.
         """
         idents, msg_list = self.session.feed_identities(msg_list)
-        msg = self.session.unserialize(msg_list)
+        msg = self.session.deserialize(msg_list)
         try:
             msg['header'].pop('date')
         except KeyError:
diff --git a/IPython/html/services/kernels/handlers.py b/IPython/html/services/kernels/handlers.py
index 7d89ad6c7..dbfd5fe3f 100644
--- a/IPython/html/services/kernels/handlers.py
+++ b/IPython/html/services/kernels/handlers.py
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ class ZMQChannelHandler(AuthenticatedZMQStreamHandler):
         """
         idents,msg = self.session.feed_identities(msg)
         try:
-            msg = self.session.unserialize(msg)
+            msg = self.session.deserialize(msg)
         except:
             self.log.error("Bad kernel_info reply", exc_info=True)
             self._request_kernel_info()
diff --git a/IPython/html/static/services/kernels/js/kernel.js b/IPython/html/static/services/kernels/js/kernel.js
index 1ee905330..e8db4a619 100644
--- a/IPython/html/static/services/kernels/js/kernel.js
+++ b/IPython/html/static/services/kernels/js/kernel.js
@@ -846,8 +846,9 @@ define([
         }
     };
 
-    Kernel.prototype._unserialize_binary_message = function(blob, callback) {
-        // unserialize the binary message format
+
+    Kernel.prototype._deserialize_binary_message = function(blob, callback) {
+        // deserialize the binary message format
         // callback will be called with a message whose buffers attribute
         // will be an array of DataViews.
         var reader = new FileReader();
@@ -880,14 +881,14 @@ define([
     };
 
 
-    Kernel.prototype._unserialize_msg = function (e, callback) {
-        // unserialze a message and pass the unpacked message object to callback
+    Kernel.prototype._deserialize_msg = function (e, callback) {
+        // deserialze a message and pass the unpacked message object to callback
         if (typeof e.data === "string") {
             // text JSON message
             callback($.parseJSON(e.data));
         } else {
             // binary message
-            this._unserialize_binary_message(e.data, callback);
+            this._deserialize_binary_message(e.data, callback);
         }
     };
 
@@ -895,7 +896,7 @@ define([
      * @function _handle_shell_reply
      */
     Kernel.prototype._handle_shell_reply = function (e) {
-        this._unserialize_msg(e, $.proxy(this._finish_shell_reply, this));
+        this._deserialize_msg(e, $.proxy(this._finish_shell_reply, this));
     };
 
     Kernel.prototype._finish_shell_reply = function (reply) {
@@ -1026,7 +1027,7 @@ define([
      * @function _handle_iopub_message
      */
     Kernel.prototype._handle_iopub_message = function (e) {
-        this._unserialize_msg(e, $.proxy(this._finish_iopub_message, this));
+        this._deserialize_msg(e, $.proxy(this._finish_iopub_message, this));
     };
 
 
@@ -1041,7 +1042,7 @@ define([
      * @function _handle_input_request
      */
     Kernel.prototype._handle_input_request = function (e) {
-        this._unserialize_msg(e, $.proxy(this._finish_input_request, this));
+        this._deserialize_msg(e, $.proxy(this._finish_input_request, this));
     };