diff --git a/src/component.ts b/src/component.ts
index e068892d..93ba534f 100644
--- a/src/component.ts
+++ b/src/component.ts
@@ -220,7 +220,7 @@ export class Component<
   }
 
   async mount(target: HTMLElement): Promise<void> {
-    const vnode = await this._start();
+    const vnode = await this._prepare();
     if (this.__widget__.isDestroyed) {
       // widget was destroyed before we get here...
       return;
@@ -367,7 +367,7 @@ export class Component<
       this.__widget__.vnode = patch(document.createElement(vnode.sel!), vnode);
     }
   }
-  async _start(): Promise<VNode> {
+  async _prepare(): Promise<VNode> {
     this.__widget__.renderProps = this.props;
     this.__widget__.renderPromise = this.willStart().then(() => {
       if (this.__widget__.isDestroyed) {
diff --git a/src/qweb.ts b/src/qweb.ts
index 1732ffae..e37d7d6a 100644
--- a/src/qweb.ts
+++ b/src/qweb.ts
@@ -1001,7 +1001,7 @@ const widgetDirective: Directive = {
       ctx.addLine(`context.refs[${ctx.formatExpression(ref)}] = w${widgetID};`);
     }
 
-    ctx.addLine(`def${defID} = w${widgetID}._start();`);
+    ctx.addLine(`def${defID} = w${widgetID}._prepare();`);
     ctx.closeIf();
     ctx.closeIf();
 
diff --git a/tests/__snapshots__/component.test.ts.snap b/tests/__snapshots__/component.test.ts.snap
index ffba6253..5286b445 100644
--- a/tests/__snapshots__/component.test.ts.snap
+++ b/tests/__snapshots__/component.test.ts.snap
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ exports[`composition sub widgets with some state rendered in a loop 1`] = `
             } else {
                 w7 = new context.widgets['ChildWidget'](owner, props7);
                 context.__widget__.cmap[key8] = w7.__widget__.id;
-                def6 = w7._start();
+                def6 = w7._prepare();
             }
         }
         if (isNew7) {
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ exports[`random stuff/miscellaneous snapshotting compiled code 1`] = `
         } else {
             w4 = new context.widgets['child'](owner, props4);
             context.__widget__.cmap[key5] = w4.__widget__.id;
-            def3 = w4._start();
+            def3 = w4._prepare();
         }
     }
     if (isNew4) {
@@ -141,7 +141,7 @@ exports[`random stuff/miscellaneous t-props should not be undefined (snapshottin
         } else {
             w4 = new context.widgets['child'](owner, props4);
             context.__widget__.cmap[4] = w4.__widget__.id;
-            def3 = w4._start();
+            def3 = w4._prepare();
         }
     }
     if (isNew4) {