diff --git a/arctic/store/version_store.py b/arctic/store/version_store.py
index 9dee1469..64fc19b6 100644
--- a/arctic/store/version_store.py
+++ b/arctic/store/version_store.py
@@ -70,6 +70,7 @@ def _last_version_seqnum(self, symbol):
         last_seq = self._version_nums.find_one({'symbol': symbol})
         return last_seq['version'] if last_seq else 0
 
+    # new index named because of 127 char restriction on fully qualified index names
     @mongo_retry
     def _ensure_index(self):
         collection = self._collection
@@ -79,7 +80,9 @@ def _ensure_index(self):
                                          background=True)
         collection.versions.create_index([('symbol', pymongo.ASCENDING), ('version', pymongo.DESCENDING)], unique=True,
                                          background=True)
-        collection.versions.create_index([('symbol', pymongo.ASCENDING), ('version', pymongo.DESCENDING), ('metadata.deleted', pymongo.ASCENDING)],
+        collection.versions.create_index([('symbol', pymongo.ASCENDING), ('version', pymongo.DESCENDING),
+                                          ('metadata.deleted', pymongo.ASCENDING)],
+                                         name='versionstore_idx',
                                          background=True)
         collection.version_nums.create_index('symbol', unique=True, background=True)
         for th in _TYPE_HANDLERS:
diff --git a/tests/integration/test_arctic.py b/tests/integration/test_arctic.py
index 05c02b01..11987a16 100644
--- a/tests/integration/test_arctic.py
+++ b/tests/integration/test_arctic.py
@@ -122,7 +122,7 @@ def test_indexes(arctic):
                                                           u'ns': u'arctic.library.versions',
                                                           u'unique': True,
                                                           u'v': index_version},
-                                 u'symbol_1_version_-1_metadata.deleted_1': {u'background': True,
+                                 u'versionstore_idx': {u'background': True,
                                                                              u'key': [(u'symbol', 1), (u'version', -1), (u'metadata.deleted', 1)],
                                                                              u'ns': u'arctic.library.versions',
                                                                              u'v': index_version}}
diff --git a/tests/unit/store/test_version_store.py b/tests/unit/store/test_version_store.py
index 9d2f34fb..75092e9e 100644
--- a/tests/unit/store/test_version_store.py
+++ b/tests/unit/store/test_version_store.py
@@ -187,7 +187,7 @@ def test_ensure_index():
     assert vs._collection.versions.create_index.call_args_list == [
         call([('symbol', 1), ('_id', -1)], background=True),
         call([('symbol', 1), ('version', -1)], unique=True, background=True),
-        call([('symbol', 1), ('version', -1), ('metadata.deleted', 1)], background=True),
+        call([('symbol', 1), ('version', -1), ('metadata.deleted', 1)], background=True, name='versionstore_idx'),
     ]
     assert vs._collection.version_nums.create_index.call_args_list == [call('symbol', unique=True, background=True)]
     th._ensure_index.assert_called_once_with(vs._collection)