diff --git a/call.go b/call.go
index 7f1345b2..d7ceeb2c 100644
--- a/call.go
+++ b/call.go
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ func recvResponse(ctx context.Context, dopts dialOptions, t transport.ClientTran
 		}
 	}
 	if inPayload != nil && err == io.EOF && stream.StatusCode() == codes.OK {
-		// TODO in the current implementation, inTrailer may be handled before inStats in some cases.
+		// TODO in the current implementation, inTrailer may be handled before inPayload in some cases.
 		// Fix the order if necessary.
 		stats.Handle(ctx, inPayload)
 	}
diff --git a/rpc_util.go b/rpc_util.go
index 909aba2b..06b8ee00 100644
--- a/rpc_util.go
+++ b/rpc_util.go
@@ -257,7 +257,7 @@ func (p *parser) recvMsg(maxMsgSize int) (pf payloadFormat, msg []byte, err erro
 
 // encode serializes msg and prepends the message header. If msg is nil, it
 // generates the message header of 0 message length.
-func encode(c Codec, msg interface{}, cp Compressor, cbuf *bytes.Buffer, outStats *stats.OutPayload) ([]byte, error) {
+func encode(c Codec, msg interface{}, cp Compressor, cbuf *bytes.Buffer, outPayload *stats.OutPayload) ([]byte, error) {
 	var (
 		b      []byte
 		length uint
@@ -269,10 +269,10 @@ func encode(c Codec, msg interface{}, cp Compressor, cbuf *bytes.Buffer, outStat
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, err
 		}
-		if outStats != nil {
-			outStats.Payload = msg
-			outStats.Data = b
-			outStats.Length = len(b)
+		if outPayload != nil {
+			outPayload.Payload = msg
+			outPayload.Data = b
+			outPayload.Length = len(b)
 		}
 		if cp != nil {
 			if err := cp.Do(cbuf, b); err != nil {
@@ -304,8 +304,8 @@ func encode(c Codec, msg interface{}, cp Compressor, cbuf *bytes.Buffer, outStat
 	// Copy encoded msg to buf
 	copy(buf[5:], b)
 
-	if outStats != nil {
-		outStats.WireLength = len(buf)
+	if outPayload != nil {
+		outPayload.WireLength = len(buf)
 	}
 
 	return buf, nil
@@ -324,14 +324,14 @@ func checkRecvPayload(pf payloadFormat, recvCompress string, dc Decompressor) er
 	return nil
 }
 
-func recv(p *parser, c Codec, s *transport.Stream, dc Decompressor, m interface{}, maxMsgSize int, inStats *stats.InPayload) error {
+func recv(p *parser, c Codec, s *transport.Stream, dc Decompressor, m interface{}, maxMsgSize int, inPayload *stats.InPayload) error {
 	pf, d, err := p.recvMsg(maxMsgSize)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-	if inStats != nil {
-		inStats.RecvTime = time.Now()
-		inStats.WireLength = len(d)
+	if inPayload != nil {
+		inPayload.RecvTime = time.Now()
+		inPayload.WireLength = len(d)
 	}
 	if err := checkRecvPayload(pf, s.RecvCompress(), dc); err != nil {
 		return err
@@ -350,10 +350,10 @@ func recv(p *parser, c Codec, s *transport.Stream, dc Decompressor, m interface{
 	if err := c.Unmarshal(d, m); err != nil {
 		return Errorf(codes.Internal, "grpc: failed to unmarshal the received message %v", err)
 	}
-	if inStats != nil {
-		inStats.Payload = m
-		inStats.Data = d
-		inStats.Length = len(d)
+	if inPayload != nil {
+		inPayload.Payload = m
+		inPayload.Data = d
+		inPayload.Length = len(d)
 	}
 	return nil
 }
diff --git a/server.go b/server.go
index 3c4eb067..67f898f2 100644
--- a/server.go
+++ b/server.go
@@ -620,9 +620,9 @@ func (s *Server) processUnaryRPC(t transport.ServerTransport, stream *transport.
 	p := &parser{r: stream}
 	for {
 		pf, req, err := p.recvMsg(s.opts.maxMsgSize)
-		var inStats *stats.InPayload
+		var inPayload *stats.InPayload
 		if stats.On() {
-			inStats = &stats.InPayload{
+			inPayload = &stats.InPayload{
 
 				RecvTime: time.Now(),
 			}
@@ -670,8 +670,8 @@ func (s *Server) processUnaryRPC(t transport.ServerTransport, stream *transport.
 		statusCode := codes.OK
 		statusDesc := ""
 		df := func(v interface{}) error {
-			if inStats != nil {
-				inStats.WireLength = len(req)
+			if inPayload != nil {
+				inPayload.WireLength = len(req)
 			}
 			if pf == compressionMade {
 				var err error
@@ -692,11 +692,11 @@ func (s *Server) processUnaryRPC(t transport.ServerTransport, stream *transport.
 			if err := s.opts.codec.Unmarshal(req, v); err != nil {
 				return err
 			}
-			if inStats != nil {
-				inStats.Payload = v
-				inStats.Data = req
-				inStats.Length = len(req)
-				stats.Handle(stream.Context(), inStats)
+			if inPayload != nil {
+				inPayload.Payload = v
+				inPayload.Data = req
+				inPayload.Length = len(req)
+				stats.Handle(stream.Context(), inPayload)
 			}
 			if trInfo != nil {
 				trInfo.tr.LazyLog(&payload{sent: false, msg: v}, true)
diff --git a/stream.go b/stream.go
index c3838e0b..9a4bd232 100644
--- a/stream.go
+++ b/stream.go
@@ -382,13 +382,13 @@ func (cs *clientStream) RecvMsg(m interface{}) (err error) {
 			stats.Handle(cs.userCtx, end)
 		}
 	}()
-	var inStats *stats.InPayload
+	var inPayload *stats.InPayload
 	if stats.On() {
-		inStats = &stats.InPayload{
+		inPayload = &stats.InPayload{
 			Client: true,
 		}
 	}
-	err = recv(cs.p, cs.codec, cs.s, cs.dc, m, math.MaxInt32, inStats)
+	err = recv(cs.p, cs.codec, cs.s, cs.dc, m, math.MaxInt32, inPayload)
 	defer func() {
 		// err != nil indicates the termination of the stream.
 		if err != nil {
@@ -403,14 +403,14 @@ func (cs *clientStream) RecvMsg(m interface{}) (err error) {
 			}
 			cs.mu.Unlock()
 		}
-		if inStats != nil {
-			stats.Handle(cs.userCtx, inStats)
+		if inPayload != nil {
+			stats.Handle(cs.userCtx, inPayload)
 		}
 		if !cs.desc.ClientStreams || cs.desc.ServerStreams {
 			return
 		}
 		// Special handling for client streaming rpc.
-		// This recv expects EOF or errors, so we don't collect inStats.
+		// This recv expects EOF or errors, so we don't collect inPayload.
 		err = recv(cs.p, cs.codec, cs.s, cs.dc, m, math.MaxInt32, nil)
 		cs.closeTransportStream(err)
 		if err == nil {
@@ -606,11 +606,11 @@ func (ss *serverStream) RecvMsg(m interface{}) (err error) {
 			ss.mu.Unlock()
 		}
 	}()
-	var inStats *stats.InPayload
+	var inPayload *stats.InPayload
 	if stats.On() {
-		inStats = &stats.InPayload{}
+		inPayload = &stats.InPayload{}
 	}
-	if err := recv(ss.p, ss.codec, ss.s, ss.dc, m, ss.maxMsgSize, inStats); err != nil {
+	if err := recv(ss.p, ss.codec, ss.s, ss.dc, m, ss.maxMsgSize, inPayload); err != nil {
 		if err == io.EOF {
 			return err
 		}
@@ -619,8 +619,8 @@ func (ss *serverStream) RecvMsg(m interface{}) (err error) {
 		}
 		return toRPCErr(err)
 	}
-	if inStats != nil {
-		stats.Handle(ss.s.Context(), inStats)
+	if inPayload != nil {
+		stats.Handle(ss.s.Context(), inPayload)
 	}
 	return nil
 }