diff --git a/py/farm_ng/core/event_service_recorder.py b/py/farm_ng/core/event_service_recorder.py
index 31eec166..e525678a 100644
--- a/py/farm_ng/core/event_service_recorder.py
+++ b/py/farm_ng/core/event_service_recorder.py
@@ -65,13 +65,14 @@ def __init__(
         self,
         service_name: str,
         config_list: EventServiceConfigList,
-        header_msgs: list[tuple[event_pb2.Event, bytes]] | None = None,
+        header_events: list[tuple[event_pb2.Event, bytes]] | None = None,
     ) -> None:
         """Initializes the service.
 
         Args:
             service_name (str): the name of the service.
             config_list (EventServiceConfigList): the configuration data structure.
+            header_events (list[tuple[event_pb2.Event, bytes]], optional): the initial list header events.
         """
         self.service_name: str = service_name
         self.config_list: EventServiceConfigList = config_list
@@ -102,12 +103,12 @@ def __init__(
             maxsize=self.QUEUE_MAX_SIZE,
         )
         self.header_deque: deque[tuple[event_pb2.Event, bytes]] = deque()
-        if header_msgs is not None:
-            for event, payload in header_msgs:
-                self.add_header_msg(event, payload)
+        if header_events is not None:
+            for event, payload in header_events:
+                self.add_header_event(event, payload)
 
-    def add_header_msg(self, event: event_pb2.Event, payload: bytes) -> None:
-        """Add a header message to the header_deque.
+    def add_header_event(self, event: event_pb2.Event, payload: bytes) -> None:
+        """Add a header event to the header_deque.
 
         Args:
             event: Event to add.
@@ -148,16 +149,16 @@ async def record(
             file_base,
             extension,
             max_file_mb,
-            header_msgs=list(self.header_deque),
+            header_events=list(self.header_deque),
         ) as writer:
             self.header_deque.clear()
             event: event_pb2.Event
             payload: bytes
             while True:
-                # Add any header messages added during recording
+                # Add any header events added during recording
                 while self.header_deque:
                     event, payload = self.header_deque.popleft()
-                    writer.add_header_msg(event, payload, write=True)
+                    writer.add_header_event(event, payload, write=True)
                 # await a new event and payload, and write it to the file
                 event, payload = await self.record_queue.get()
                 event.timestamps.append(
@@ -176,13 +177,13 @@ async def subscribe(
         Args:
             client (EventClient): the client to subscribe to.
             subscription (SubscribeRequest): the subscription request.
-            header_uris (list[str]): the list of URIs (as strings) to consider as header messages.
+            header_uris (list[str]): the list of URIs (as strings) to consider as header events.
         """
         event: event_pb2.Event
         payload: bytes
         async for event, payload in client.subscribe(subscription, decode=False):
             if uri_to_string(event.uri) in header_uris:
-                # Handle header messages - typically these will be metadata or calibrations
+                # Handle header events - typically these will be metadata or calibrations
                 self.header_deque.append((event, payload))
             try:
                 self.record_queue.put_nowait((event, payload))
@@ -311,8 +312,8 @@ def __init__(self, event_service: EventServiceGrpc) -> None:
         # the recorder task
         self._recorder_task: asyncio.Task | None = None
 
-        # For tracking header messages (e.g. metadata, calibrations) to be logged in the recordings
-        self.header_msgs: dict[str, tuple[event_pb2.Event, bytes]] = {}
+        # For tracking header events (e.g. metadata, calibrations) to be logged in the recordings
+        self.header_events: dict[str, tuple[event_pb2.Event, bytes]] = {}
 
     # public methods
 
@@ -338,7 +339,7 @@ async def start_recording(
         self._recorder = EventServiceRecorder(
             config_name or "record_default",
             config_list,
-            list(self.header_msgs.values()),
+            list(self.header_events.values()),
         )
         self._recorder_task = asyncio.create_task(
             self._recorder.subscribe_and_record(file_base=file_base),
@@ -417,16 +418,16 @@ async def _request_reply_handler(
                 payload_to_protobuf(request.event, request.payload),
             )
             self._event_service.logger.info("with uri:\n%s", request.event.uri)
-            self.add_header_msg(request.event, request.payload)
+            self.add_header_event(request.event, request.payload)
         elif cmd == "/clear_headers":
             self._event_service.logger.info("/clear_headers")
-            self.header_msgs.clear()
+            self.header_events.clear()
             if self._recorder is not None:
                 self._recorder.header_deque.clear()
         return Empty()
 
-    def add_header_msg(self, event: event_pb2.Event, payload: bytes) -> None:
-        """Adds a header message to the header_msgs list.
+    def add_header_event(self, event: event_pb2.Event, payload: bytes) -> None:
+        """Adds a header event to the header_events list.
         If this is a duplicate (per URI), it will replace the existing message.
 
         Args:
@@ -439,7 +440,7 @@ def add_header_msg(self, event: event_pb2.Event, payload: bytes) -> None:
         if not isinstance(payload, bytes):
             error_msg = f"header payload must be bytes, not {type(payload)}"
             raise TypeError(error_msg)
-        self.header_msgs[uri_to_string(event.uri)] = (event, payload)
+        self.header_events[uri_to_string(event.uri)] = (event, payload)
         if self._recorder is not None:
             self._recorder.header_deque.append((event, payload))
 
diff --git a/py/farm_ng/core/events_file_writer.py b/py/farm_ng/core/events_file_writer.py
index 019b8a3d..682eaa4e 100644
--- a/py/farm_ng/core/events_file_writer.py
+++ b/py/farm_ng/core/events_file_writer.py
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ def __init__(
         file_base: str | Path,
         extension: str = ".bin",
         max_file_mb: int = 0,
-        header_msgs: list[tuple[Event, bytes]] | None = None,
+        header_events: list[tuple[Event, bytes]] | None = None,
     ) -> None:
         """Create a new EventsFileWriter.
 
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ def __init__(
             file_base: Path to and base of file name (without extension) where the events file will be logged.
             extension: Extension of the file to be logged. E.g., '.bin' or '.log'
             max_file_mb: Maximum log size in MB. Logging will roll over to new file when reached. Ignored if <= 0.
-            header_msgs: Tuples of events & payloads to include in every split of the log file
+            header_events: Tuples of events & payloads to include in every split of the log file
         """
         if isinstance(file_base, str):
             file_base = Path(file_base)
@@ -82,9 +82,9 @@ def __init__(
         self._max_file_length = int(max(0, max_file_mb) * 1e6)
         self._file_idx: int = 0
 
-        self._header_msgs: dict[str, tuple[Event, bytes]] = {}
-        for (event, payload) in header_msgs or []:
-            self.add_header_msg(event, payload)
+        self._header_events: dict[str, tuple[Event, bytes]] = {}
+        for (event, payload) in header_events or []:
+            self.add_header_event(event, payload)
 
     def __enter__(self) -> EventsFileWriter:
         """Open the file for writing and return self."""
@@ -142,24 +142,29 @@ def _increment_file_idx(self) -> None:
         self._file_idx += 1
 
     @property
-    def header_msgs(self) -> dict[str, tuple[Event, bytes]]:
-        """Return the list of header messages.
+    def header_events(self) -> dict[str, tuple[Event, bytes]]:
+        """Return the dictionary of header events.
 
         Returns:
-            dict[str, tuple[Event, bytes]]: Dictionary of header messages.
+            dict[str, tuple[Event, bytes]]: Dictionary of header events and payloads.
                 key: string representation of the uri
                 value: tuple of event and payload
         """
-        return self._header_msgs
+        return self._header_events
 
-    def add_header_msg(self, event: Event, payload: bytes, write: bool = False) -> None:
-        """Add a header message, and optionally writes it to the file.
+    def add_header_event(
+        self,
+        event: Event,
+        payload: bytes,
+        write: bool = False,
+    ) -> None:
+        """Add a header event, and optionally writes it to the file.
 
         NOTE: Writing to file will fail if the file is not open.
         Args:
             event: Event to write.
             payload: Payload to write.
-            write: If True, write the header message to the file. Defaults to False.
+            write: If True, write the header event to the file. Defaults to False.
         """
         if not isinstance(event, Event):
             error_msg = f"header event must be Event, not {type(event)}"
@@ -167,29 +172,29 @@ def add_header_msg(self, event: Event, payload: bytes, write: bool = False) -> N
         if not isinstance(payload, bytes):
             error_msg = f"header payload must be bytes, not {type(payload)}"
             raise TypeError(error_msg)
-        # Once a header message is written to the file, it cannot be changed
-        if uri_to_string(event.uri) not in self.header_msgs:
-            self._header_msgs[uri_to_string(event.uri)] = (event, payload)
+        # Once a header event is written to the file, it cannot be changed
+        if uri_to_string(event.uri) not in self.header_events:
+            self._header_events[uri_to_string(event.uri)] = (event, payload)
             if write:
                 self.write_event_payload(event, payload)
 
-    def write_header_msgs(self) -> None:
-        """Write the header messages to the file, without getting stuck in a loop
+    def write_header_events(self) -> None:
+        """Write the header events to the file, without getting stuck in a loop
         if the headers are larger than the max file size."""
         true_max_file_length = self.max_file_length
         self._max_file_length = 0
-        for (event, payload) in self.header_msgs.values():
+        for (event, payload) in self.header_events.values():
             self.write_event_payload(event, payload)
         self._max_file_length = true_max_file_length
         if self.max_file_length and self.file_length > self.max_file_length:
-            msg = f"Header messages are too large to fit in a file of size {self.max_file_length}"
+            msg = f"Header events are too large to fit in a file of size {self.max_file_length}"
             raise RuntimeError(msg)
 
     def open(self) -> bool:
         """Open the file for writing. Return True if successful."""
         self._file_stream = Path(self.file_name).open("wb")
         self._file_length = 0
-        self.write_header_msgs()
+        self.write_header_events()
         return self.is_open()
 
     def close(self) -> bool:
diff --git a/py/tests/test_events_file_writer.py b/py/tests/test_events_file_writer.py
index e88e61ca..643b185d 100644
--- a/py/tests/test_events_file_writer.py
+++ b/py/tests/test_events_file_writer.py
@@ -135,7 +135,7 @@ def test_headers(self, file_base: Path):
         approx_header_size: int = 0
         max_file_bytes: int = 10000
 
-        # Create the header messages
+        # Create the header events
         for i in range(header_count):
             message = Int32Value(value=i)
             event_payload: bytes = message.SerializeToString()
@@ -169,7 +169,7 @@ def test_headers(self, file_base: Path):
         with EventsFileWriter(
             file_base=file_base,
             max_file_mb=max_file_bytes * 1e-6,
-            header_msgs=headers,
+            header_events=headers,
         ) as opened_writer:
             assert opened_writer.file_idx == 0
             assert opened_writer.file_length == pytest.approx(
@@ -182,7 +182,7 @@ def test_headers(self, file_base: Path):
             with EventsFileWriter(
                 file_base=file_base,
                 max_file_mb=(approx_header_size / 2) * 1e-6,
-                header_msgs=headers,
+                header_events=headers,
             ) as opened_writer:
                 pass
 
@@ -191,7 +191,7 @@ def test_headers(self, file_base: Path):
         with EventsFileWriter(
             file_base=file_base,
             max_file_mb=max_file_bytes * 1e-6,
-            header_msgs=headers,
+            header_events=headers,
         ) as opened_writer:
             assert opened_writer.file_idx == 0
             assert opened_writer.file_length == pytest.approx(