diff --git a/cms/envs/common.py b/cms/envs/common.py
index 42d4d2a9c1..c04304ad7b 100644
--- a/cms/envs/common.py
+++ b/cms/envs/common.py
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ from lms.envs.common import (
     # indirectly accessed through the email opt-in API, which is
     # technically accessible through the CMS via legacy URLs.
     PROFILE_IMAGE_BACKEND, PROFILE_IMAGE_DEFAULT_FILENAME, PROFILE_IMAGE_DEFAULT_FILE_EXTENSION,
-    PROFILE_IMAGE_SECRET_KEY, PROFILE_IMAGE_MIN_BYTES, PROFILE_IMAGE_MAX_BYTES, PROFILE_IMAGE_SIZES_MAP,
+    PROFILE_IMAGE_HASH_SEED, PROFILE_IMAGE_MIN_BYTES, PROFILE_IMAGE_MAX_BYTES, PROFILE_IMAGE_SIZES_MAP,
     # The following setting is included as it is used to check whether to
     # display credit eligibility table on the CMS or not.
     COURSE_MODE_DEFAULTS, DEFAULT_COURSE_ABOUT_IMAGE_URL,
diff --git a/lms/envs/common.py b/lms/envs/common.py
index 2c6a3727af..514480309a 100644
--- a/lms/envs/common.py
+++ b/lms/envs/common.py
@@ -3322,11 +3322,10 @@ PROFILE_IMAGE_BACKEND = {
 }
 PROFILE_IMAGE_DEFAULT_FILENAME = 'images/profiles/default'
 PROFILE_IMAGE_DEFAULT_FILE_EXTENSION = 'png'
-# This secret key is used in generating unguessable URLs to users'
-# profile images.  Once it has been set, changing it will make the
-# platform unaware of current image URLs, resulting in reverting all
-# users' profile images to the default placeholder image.
-PROFILE_IMAGE_SECRET_KEY = 'placeholder secret key'
+# This key is used in generating unguessable URLs to users'
+# profile images. Once it has been set, changing it will make the
+# platform unaware of current image URLs.
+PROFILE_IMAGE_HASH_SEED = 'placeholder_secret_key'
 PROFILE_IMAGE_MAX_BYTES = 1024 * 1024
 PROFILE_IMAGE_MIN_BYTES = 100
 PROFILE_IMAGE_SIZES_MAP = {
diff --git a/lms/envs/production.py b/lms/envs/production.py
index e2ae804307..cfaa3d5184 100644
--- a/lms/envs/production.py
+++ b/lms/envs/production.py
@@ -888,7 +888,7 @@ MODULESTORE_FIELD_OVERRIDE_PROVIDERS += (
 
 # PROFILE IMAGE CONFIG
 PROFILE_IMAGE_BACKEND = ENV_TOKENS.get('PROFILE_IMAGE_BACKEND', PROFILE_IMAGE_BACKEND)
-PROFILE_IMAGE_SECRET_KEY = AUTH_TOKENS.get('PROFILE_IMAGE_SECRET_KEY', PROFILE_IMAGE_SECRET_KEY)
+PROFILE_IMAGE_HASH_SEED = AUTH_TOKENS.get('PROFILE_IMAGE_HASH_SEED', PROFILE_IMAGE_HASH_SEED)
 PROFILE_IMAGE_MAX_BYTES = ENV_TOKENS.get('PROFILE_IMAGE_MAX_BYTES', PROFILE_IMAGE_MAX_BYTES)
 PROFILE_IMAGE_MIN_BYTES = ENV_TOKENS.get('PROFILE_IMAGE_MIN_BYTES', PROFILE_IMAGE_MIN_BYTES)
 PROFILE_IMAGE_DEFAULT_FILENAME = 'images/profiles/default'
diff --git a/lms/envs/test.py b/lms/envs/test.py
index e0d6f624d5..af51f1c4e9 100644
--- a/lms/envs/test.py
+++ b/lms/envs/test.py
@@ -484,7 +484,7 @@ PROFILE_IMAGE_BACKEND = {
 }
 PROFILE_IMAGE_DEFAULT_FILENAME = 'default'
 PROFILE_IMAGE_DEFAULT_FILE_EXTENSION = 'png'
-PROFILE_IMAGE_SECRET_KEY = 'secret'
+PROFILE_IMAGE_HASH_SEED = 'secret'
 PROFILE_IMAGE_MAX_BYTES = 1024 * 1024
 PROFILE_IMAGE_MIN_BYTES = 100
 
diff --git a/openedx/core/djangoapps/user_api/accounts/image_helpers.py b/openedx/core/djangoapps/user_api/accounts/image_helpers.py
index c1fe1ace19..7b1e555074 100644
--- a/openedx/core/djangoapps/user_api/accounts/image_helpers.py
+++ b/openedx/core/djangoapps/user_api/accounts/image_helpers.py
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ def _make_profile_image_name(username):
     Returns the user-specific part of the image filename, based on a hash of
     the username.
     """
-    hash_input = settings.PROFILE_IMAGE_SECRET_KEY + username
+    hash_input = settings.PROFILE_IMAGE_HASH_SEED + username
     return hashlib.md5(hash_input.encode('utf-8')).hexdigest()