diff --git a/cli/bench/deno_http_native.js b/cli/bench/deno_http_native.js
index fa779be211..57c19b4b9e 100644
--- a/cli/bench/deno_http_native.js
+++ b/cli/bench/deno_http_native.js
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ const body = Deno.core.encode("Hello World");
 
 for await (const conn of listener) {
   (async () => {
-    const requests = Deno.startHttp(conn);
+    const requests = Deno.serveHttp(conn);
     for await (const { respondWith } of requests) {
       respondWith(new Response(body));
     }
diff --git a/cli/dts/lib.deno.unstable.d.ts b/cli/dts/lib.deno.unstable.d.ts
index 9dbe6817f1..91e6825b01 100644
--- a/cli/dts/lib.deno.unstable.d.ts
+++ b/cli/dts/lib.deno.unstable.d.ts
@@ -1211,18 +1211,20 @@ declare namespace Deno {
 
   /** **UNSTABLE**: new API, yet to be vetted.
    *
-   * Parse HTTP requests from the given connection
+   * Services HTTP requests given a TCP or TLS socket.
    *
    * ```ts
-   * const httpConn = await Deno.startHttp(conn);
-   * const { request, respondWith } = await httpConn.next();
-   * respondWith(new Response("Hello World"));
+   * const httpConn = Deno.serveHttp(conn);
+   * const e = await httpConn.nextRequest();
+   * if (e) {
+   *   e.respondWith(new Response("Hello World"));
+   * }
    * ```
    *
-   * If `httpConn.next()` encounters an error or returns `done == true` then
-   * the underlying HttpConn resource is closed automatically.
+   * If `httpConn.nextRequest()` encounters an error or returns `null`
+   * then the underlying HttpConn resource is closed automatically.
    */
-  export function startHttp(conn: Conn): HttpConn;
+  export function serveHttp(conn: Conn): HttpConn;
 }
 
 declare function fetch(
diff --git a/cli/tests/unit/http_test.ts b/cli/tests/unit/http_test.ts
index fc85301426..77af953e9c 100644
--- a/cli/tests/unit/http_test.ts
+++ b/cli/tests/unit/http_test.ts
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ unitTest({ perms: { net: true } }, async function httpServerBasic() {
   const promise = (async () => {
     const listener = Deno.listen({ port: 4501 });
     for await (const conn of listener) {
-      const httpConn = Deno.startHttp(conn);
+      const httpConn = Deno.serveHttp(conn);
       for await (const { request, respondWith } of httpConn) {
         assertEquals(await request.text(), "");
         respondWith(new Response("Hello World"));
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ unitTest(
     const promise = (async () => {
       const listener = Deno.listen({ port: 4501 });
       const conn = await listener.accept();
-      const httpConn = Deno.startHttp(conn);
+      const httpConn = Deno.serveHttp(conn);
       const evt = await httpConn.nextRequest();
       assert(evt);
       const { request, respondWith } = evt;
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ unitTest(
     const promise = (async () => {
       const listener = Deno.listen({ port: 4501 });
       const conn = await listener.accept();
-      const httpConn = Deno.startHttp(conn);
+      const httpConn = Deno.serveHttp(conn);
       const evt = await httpConn.nextRequest();
       assert(evt);
       const { request, respondWith } = evt;
@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@ unitTest({ perms: { net: true } }, async function httpServerStreamDuplex() {
   const promise = (async () => {
     const listener = Deno.listen({ port: 4501 });
     const conn = await listener.accept();
-    const httpConn = Deno.startHttp(conn);
+    const httpConn = Deno.serveHttp(conn);
     const evt = await httpConn.nextRequest();
     assert(evt);
     const { request, respondWith } = evt;
@@ -136,7 +136,7 @@ unitTest({ perms: { net: true } }, async function httpServerStreamDuplex() {
 unitTest({ perms: { net: true } }, async function httpServerClose() {
   const listener = Deno.listen({ port: 4501 });
   const client = await Deno.connect({ port: 4501 });
-  const httpConn = Deno.startHttp(await listener.accept());
+  const httpConn = Deno.serveHttp(await listener.accept());
   client.close();
   const evt = await httpConn.nextRequest();
   assertEquals(evt, null);
@@ -147,7 +147,7 @@ unitTest({ perms: { net: true } }, async function httpServerClose() {
 unitTest({ perms: { net: true } }, async function httpServerInvalidMethod() {
   const listener = Deno.listen({ port: 4501 });
   const client = await Deno.connect({ port: 4501 });
-  const httpConn = Deno.startHttp(await listener.accept());
+  const httpConn = Deno.serveHttp(await listener.accept());
   await client.write(new Uint8Array([1, 2, 3]));
   await assertThrowsAsync(
     async () => {
@@ -175,7 +175,7 @@ unitTest(
         keyFile: "cli/tests/tls/localhost.key",
       });
       const conn = await listener.accept();
-      const httpConn = Deno.startHttp(conn);
+      const httpConn = Deno.serveHttp(conn);
       const evt = await httpConn.nextRequest();
       assert(evt);
       const { request, respondWith } = evt;
diff --git a/runtime/js/40_http.js b/runtime/js/40_http.js
index cfb015edd7..dd6c99a2d8 100644
--- a/runtime/js/40_http.js
+++ b/runtime/js/40_http.js
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@
     return entries;
   }
 
-  function startHttp(conn) {
+  function serveHttp(conn) {
     const rid = Deno.core.jsonOpSync("op_http_start", conn.rid);
     return new HttpConn(rid);
   }
@@ -205,6 +205,6 @@
   }
 
   window.__bootstrap.http = {
-    startHttp,
+    serveHttp,
   };
 })(this);
diff --git a/runtime/js/90_deno_ns.js b/runtime/js/90_deno_ns.js
index 84eb69ef06..c240d1ea28 100644
--- a/runtime/js/90_deno_ns.js
+++ b/runtime/js/90_deno_ns.js
@@ -120,7 +120,7 @@
     listen: __bootstrap.netUnstable.listen,
     connect: __bootstrap.netUnstable.connect,
     listenDatagram: __bootstrap.netUnstable.listenDatagram,
-    startHttp: __bootstrap.http.startHttp,
+    serveHttp: __bootstrap.http.serveHttp,
     startTls: __bootstrap.tls.startTls,
     fstatSync: __bootstrap.fs.fstatSync,
     fstat: __bootstrap.fs.fstat,