diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 2f4fcfd..a4892de 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ There is an official Docker image: https://hub.docker.com/r/bitsbeats/drone-tree
 
 ## Limitations
 
-Currently supports 
+Currently supports
 
 * Github
 * Gitlab
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ Currently supports
 - `PLUGIN_DEBUG`: Set this to `true` to enable debug messages.
 - `PLUGIN_ADDRESS`: Listen address for the plugins webserver. Defaults to `:3000`.
 - `PLUGIN_SECRET`: Shared secret with drone. You can generate the token using `openssl rand -hex 16`.
-- `PLUGIN_WHITELIST_FILE`: (Optional) Path to regex pattern file. Matches the repo slug(s) against a list of regex patterns. Defaults to `""`, match everything
+- `PLUGIN_ALLOW_LIST_FILE`: (Optional) Path to regex pattern file. Matches the repo slug(s) against a list of regex patterns. Defaults to `""`, match everything.
 
 Backend specific options
 
@@ -83,10 +83,10 @@ services:
 
 Edit the Secrets (`***`), `<SECRET>` and `<GITHUB_TOKEN>` to your needs. `<SECRET>` is used between Drone and drone-tree-config.
 
-#### Whitelisting repos with regex matching:
+#### Enable repos via regex matching:
 
-By default this plugin matches against ALL repo slugs. If you want to enable the plugin for specific repos only, turn on
-regex matching by specifying a `PLUGIN_WHITELIST_FILE`.
+By default, this plugin matches against ALL repo slugs. If you want to enable the plugin for specific repos only, turn on
+regex matching by specifying a `PLUGIN_ALLOW_LIST_FILE`.
 
 * Regex match rules must comply with [re2][3] syntax.
 * Each line is a single rule.
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ Updated docker-compose:
       - PLUGIN_FALLBACK=true
       - PLUGIN_SECRET=<SECRET>
       - GITHUB_TOKEN=<GITHUB_TOKEN>
-      - PLUGIN_WHITELIST_FILE=/drone-tree-config-matchfile
+      - PLUGIN_ALLOW_LIST_FILE=/drone-tree-config-matchfile
     restart: always
     volumes:
       - /var/lib/drone/drone-tree-config-matchfile:/drone-tree-config-matchfile
diff --git a/cmd/drone-tree-config/main.go b/cmd/drone-tree-config/main.go
index f110227..06d8bd1 100644
--- a/cmd/drone-tree-config/main.go
+++ b/cmd/drone-tree-config/main.go
@@ -12,11 +12,11 @@ import (
 
 type (
 	spec struct {
+		AllowListFile       string `envconfig:"PLUGIN_ALLOW_LIST_FILE"`
 		Concat              bool   `envconfig:"PLUGIN_CONCAT"`
 		MaxDepth            int    `envconfig:"PLUGIN_MAXDEPTH" default:"2"`
 		Fallback            bool   `envconfig:"PLUGIN_FALLBACK"`
 		Debug               bool   `envconfig:"PLUGIN_DEBUG"`
-		WhitelistFile       string `envconfig:"PLUGIN_WHITELIST_FILE"`
 		Address             string `envconfig:"PLUGIN_ADDRESS" default:":3000"`
 		Secret              string `envconfig:"PLUGIN_SECRET"`
 		Server              string `envconfig:"SERVER" default:"https://api.github.com"`
@@ -26,6 +26,8 @@ type (
 		BitBucketAuthServer string `envconfig:"BITBUCKET_AUTH_SERVER"`
 		BitBucketClient     string `envconfig:"BITBUCKET_CLIENT"`
 		BitBucketSecret     string `envconfig:"BITBUCKET_SECRET"`
+		// Deprecated: Use AllowListFile instead.
+		WhitelistFile string `envconfig:"PLUGIN_WHITELIST_FILE"`
 	}
 )
 
@@ -50,6 +52,10 @@ func main() {
 	if spec.BitBucketAuthServer == "" {
 		spec.BitBucketAuthServer = spec.Server
 	}
+	// TODO :: Remove this check, once the deprecation is deleted
+	if spec.AllowListFile == "" && spec.WhitelistFile != "" {
+		spec.AllowListFile = spec.WhitelistFile
+	}
 
 	handler := config.Handler(
 		plugin.New(
@@ -57,7 +63,7 @@ func main() {
 			plugin.WithFallback(spec.Fallback),
 			plugin.WithMaxDepth(spec.MaxDepth),
 			plugin.WithServer(spec.Server),
-			plugin.WithWhitelistFile(spec.WhitelistFile),
+			plugin.WithAllowListFile(spec.AllowListFile),
 			plugin.WithBitBucketAuthServer(spec.BitBucketAuthServer),
 			plugin.WithBitBucketClient(spec.BitBucketClient),
 			plugin.WithBitBucketSecret(spec.BitBucketSecret),
diff --git a/plugin/whitelist.go b/plugin/allowlist.go
similarity index 86%
rename from plugin/whitelist.go
rename to plugin/allowlist.go
index 9250858..7ef8599 100644
--- a/plugin/whitelist.go
+++ b/plugin/allowlist.go
@@ -9,23 +9,23 @@ import (
 	"github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
 )
 
-// whitelisted determines if the plugin is enabled for the repo slug. decisions are made
+// allowlisted determines if the plugin is enabled for the repo slug. decisions are made
 // by considering the regex patterns in the regexFile.
 //
 // returns true (match) or false (no match). false means the repo slug should be bypassed
-func (p *Plugin) whitelisted(req *request) bool {
+func (p *Plugin) allowlisted(req *request) bool {
 	slug := req.Repo.Slug
 	noMatchMsg := fmt.Sprintf("%s no match: %s", req.UUID, slug)
 	matchMsg := fmt.Sprintf("%s match: %s", req.UUID, slug)
 
 	// requires a regex file
-	if p.whitelistFile == "" {
+	if p.allowListFile == "" {
 		// match
 		logrus.Info(matchMsg)
 		return true
 	}
 
-	buf, err := ioutil.ReadFile(p.whitelistFile)
+	buf, err := ioutil.ReadFile(p.allowListFile)
 	if err != nil {
 		// match
 		logrus.Warnf("%s regex file read error: %s", req.UUID, err)
diff --git a/plugin/options.go b/plugin/options.go
index 4428e80..92f43ab 100644
--- a/plugin/options.go
+++ b/plugin/options.go
@@ -71,8 +71,14 @@ func WithMaxDepth(maxDepth int) func(*Plugin) {
 }
 
 // WithWhitelistFile configures with repo slug regex match list file
-func WithWhitelistFile(whitelistFile string) func(*Plugin) {
+// Deprecated: Use WithAllowlistFile instead.
+func WithWhitelistFile(file string) func(*Plugin) {
+	return WithAllowListFile(file)
+}
+
+// WithAllowListFile configures with repo slug regex match list file
+func WithAllowListFile(file string) func(*Plugin) {
 	return func(p *Plugin) {
-		p.whitelistFile = whitelistFile
+		p.allowListFile = file
 	}
 }
diff --git a/plugin/plugin.go b/plugin/plugin.go
index aa0c8fa..df58abc 100644
--- a/plugin/plugin.go
+++ b/plugin/plugin.go
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ type (
 		concat        bool
 		fallback      bool
 		maxDepth      int
-		whitelistFile string
+		allowListFile string
 	}
 
 	droneConfig struct {
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ func (p *Plugin) Find(ctx context.Context, droneRequest *config.Request) (*drone
 	req := request{droneRequest, someUuid, client}
 
 	// make sure this plugin is enabled for the requested repo slug
-	if ok := p.whitelisted(&req); !ok {
+	if ok := p.allowlisted(&req); !ok {
 		// do the default behavior by returning nil, nil
 		return nil, nil
 	}
diff --git a/plugin/plugin_test.go b/plugin/plugin_test.go
index 1dd1c1a..2afa6ff 100644
--- a/plugin/plugin_test.go
+++ b/plugin/plugin_test.go
@@ -215,7 +215,7 @@ func TestMatchEnable(t *testing.T) {
 				WithGithubToken(mockToken),
 				WithFallback(true),
 				WithMaxDepth(2),
-				WithWhitelistFile(s.file),
+				WithAllowListFile(s.file),
 			)
 			droneConfig, err := plugin.Find(noContext, req)
 			if err != nil {