diff --git a/src/test/isolation/specparse.y b/src/test/isolation/specparse.y
index 8e314873b2..e04c059433 100644
--- a/src/test/isolation/specparse.y
+++ b/src/test/isolation/specparse.y
@@ -39,12 +39,12 @@ TestSpec		parseresult;			/* result of parsing is left here */
 %type <str>  opt_setup opt_teardown
 %type <str> setup
 %type <ptr_list> step_list session_list permutation_list opt_permutation_list
-%type <ptr_list> string_list
+%type <ptr_list> string_literal_list
 %type <session> session
 %type <step> step
 %type <permutation> permutation
 
-%token <str> sqlblock string
+%token <str> sqlblock string_literal
 %token PERMUTATION SESSION SETUP STEP TEARDOWN TEST
 
 %%
@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@ session_list:
 		;
 
 session:
-			SESSION string opt_setup step_list opt_teardown
+			SESSION string_literal opt_setup step_list opt_teardown
 			{
 				$$ = malloc(sizeof(Session));
 				$$->name = $2;
@@ -140,7 +140,7 @@ step_list:
 
 
 step:
-			STEP string sqlblock
+			STEP string_literal sqlblock
 			{
 				$$ = malloc(sizeof(Step));
 				$$->name = $2;
@@ -179,7 +179,7 @@ permutation_list:
 
 
 permutation:
-			PERMUTATION string_list
+			PERMUTATION string_literal_list
 			{
 				$$ = malloc(sizeof(Permutation));
 				$$->stepnames = (char **) $2.elements;
@@ -187,15 +187,15 @@ permutation:
 			}
 		;
 
-string_list:
-			string_list string
+string_literal_list:
+			string_literal_list string_literal
 			{
 				$$.elements = realloc($1.elements,
 									  ($1.nelements + 1) * sizeof(void *));
 				$$.elements[$1.nelements] = $2;
 				$$.nelements = $1.nelements + 1;
 			}
-			| string
+			| string_literal
 			{
 				$$.nelements = 1;
 				$$.elements = malloc(sizeof(void *));
diff --git a/src/test/isolation/specscanner.l b/src/test/isolation/specscanner.l
index 7cb4b5f80b..df592369e5 100644
--- a/src/test/isolation/specscanner.l
+++ b/src/test/isolation/specscanner.l
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ teardown		{ return(TEARDOWN); }
 					litbuf[litbufpos] = '\0';
 					yylval.str = strdup(litbuf);
 					BEGIN(INITIAL);
-					return(string);
+					return(string_literal);
 				}
 <qstr>.			{ addlitchar(yytext[0]); }
 <qstr>\n		{ yyerror("unexpected newline in quoted string"); }