diff --git a/rse/plugins/org.eclipse.rse.core/src/org/eclipse/rse/core/IRSEPreferenceNames.java b/rse/plugins/org.eclipse.rse.core/src/org/eclipse/rse/core/IRSEPreferenceNames.java
index 9d8bb365615..4ac5156ef48 100644
--- a/rse/plugins/org.eclipse.rse.core/src/org/eclipse/rse/core/IRSEPreferenceNames.java
+++ b/rse/plugins/org.eclipse.rse.core/src/org/eclipse/rse/core/IRSEPreferenceNames.java
@@ -13,33 +13,48 @@ package org.eclipse.rse.core;
 /**
  * These constants define the set of preference names that the RSE core uses.
  */
+
+/*
+ * Preference names that are API should be all capitals and have words separated
+ * by an underscore (that is, "public static final" style).
+ * Preferences that are not API should using "method name" style.
+ */
 public interface IRSEPreferenceNames {
+
 	/**
 	 * The key for the value that specifies that queries should be "deferred", that is, run
 	 * when needed and in the background, as nodes are asked for their children.
+	 * This value is not part of the API.
 	 */
 	public static final String USE_DEFERRED_QUERIES = "useDeferredQueries"; //$NON-NLS-1$
+
 	/**
 	 * The key for the default system type. Used when a system type is needed but not declared
 	 * when creating new connections (hosts) and for password determination.
+	 * This value is not part of the API.
 	 */
 	public static final String SYSTEMTYPE = "systemtype"; //$NON-NLS-1$
+
 	/**
 	 * The key for an hash table, encoded as a string, that contains user ids as values
 	 * keyed by some key - usually a system type, a connection name, or a combination of
 	 * a connection name and subsystem.
+	 * This value is not part of the API.
 	 */
 	public static final String USERIDPERKEY = "useridperkey"; //$NON-NLS-1$
+
 	/**
 	 * The key for the string containing the list of active user profiles in alphabetical order.
 	 * As profiles are activated, deactivated, or renamed this string must be modified.
+	 * This value is not part of the API.
 	 */
 	public static final String ACTIVEUSERPROFILES = "activeuserprofiles"; //$NON-NLS-1$
 	
 	/**
 	 * The key of the string containing the id of the default persistence provider.
-	 * Value is "defaultPersistenceProvider".
+	 * Value is "DEFAULT_PERSISTENCE_PROVIDER".
+	 * This value is part of the API and may be used to customize products.
 	 */
-	public static final String DEFAULT_PERSISTENCE_PROVIDER = "defaultPersistenceProvider"; //$NON-NLS-1$ 
+	public static final String DEFAULT_PERSISTENCE_PROVIDER = "DEFAULT_PERSISTENCE_PROVIDER"; //$NON-NLS-1$ 
 	
 }
diff --git a/rse/plugins/org.eclipse.rse.core/src/org/eclipse/rse/internal/core/RSEPreferenceInitializer.java b/rse/plugins/org.eclipse.rse.core/src/org/eclipse/rse/internal/core/RSEPreferenceInitializer.java
index f1db69ed9f3..423210a44cd 100644
--- a/rse/plugins/org.eclipse.rse.core/src/org/eclipse/rse/internal/core/RSEPreferenceInitializer.java
+++ b/rse/plugins/org.eclipse.rse.core/src/org/eclipse/rse/internal/core/RSEPreferenceInitializer.java
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ public class RSEPreferenceInitializer extends AbstractPreferenceInitializer {
 		
 		// the simple preferences
 		Preferences prefs = RSECorePlugin.getDefault().getPluginPreferences();
+		// The ID of the default persistence provider
 		prefs.setDefault(IRSEPreferenceNames.DEFAULT_PERSISTENCE_PROVIDER, "org.eclipse.rse.persistence.PropertyFileProvider"); //$NON-NLS-1$
 	}