diff --git a/py/modio.c b/py/modio.c
index 96805d2911..423315081f 100644
--- a/py/modio.c
+++ b/py/modio.c
@@ -124,7 +124,7 @@ STATIC const mp_obj_type_t bufwriter_type = {
 #endif // MICROPY_PY_IO_BUFFEREDWRITER
 
 STATIC const mp_rom_map_elem_t mp_module_io_globals_table[] = {
-    { MP_ROM_QSTR(MP_QSTR___name__), MP_ROM_QSTR(MP_QSTR__io) },
+    { MP_ROM_QSTR(MP_QSTR___name__), MP_ROM_QSTR(MP_QSTR_uio) },
     // Note: mp_builtin_open_obj should be defined by port, it's not
     // part of the core.
     { MP_ROM_QSTR(MP_QSTR_open), MP_ROM_PTR(&mp_builtin_open_obj) },
@@ -147,7 +147,7 @@ STATIC MP_DEFINE_CONST_DICT(mp_module_io_globals, mp_module_io_globals_table);
 
 const mp_obj_module_t mp_module_io = {
     .base = { &mp_type_module },
-    .name = MP_QSTR__io,
+    .name = MP_QSTR_uio,
     .globals = (mp_obj_dict_t*)&mp_module_io_globals,
 };
 
diff --git a/py/objmodule.c b/py/objmodule.c
index e334935e4e..7d5ba4e734 100644
--- a/py/objmodule.c
+++ b/py/objmodule.c
@@ -137,7 +137,7 @@ STATIC const mp_rom_map_elem_t mp_builtin_module_table[] = {
     { MP_ROM_QSTR(MP_QSTR_array), MP_ROM_PTR(&mp_module_array) },
 #endif
 #if MICROPY_PY_IO
-    { MP_ROM_QSTR(MP_QSTR__io), MP_ROM_PTR(&mp_module_io) },
+    { MP_ROM_QSTR(MP_QSTR_uio), MP_ROM_PTR(&mp_module_io) },
 #endif
 #if MICROPY_PY_COLLECTIONS
     { MP_ROM_QSTR(MP_QSTR__collections), MP_ROM_PTR(&mp_module_collections) },