diff --git a/tests/test_spawning.py b/tests/test_spawning.py
index d61282f5..4bc0504e 100644
--- a/tests/test_spawning.py
+++ b/tests/test_spawning.py
@@ -204,23 +204,23 @@ def test_loglevel_propagated_to_subactor(
     assert 'yoyoyo' in captured.err
 
 
-def test_start_actor_can_skip_parent_main_replay(
+def test_start_actor_can_skip_parent_main_inheritance(
     start_method,
     reg_addr,
     monkeypatch,
 ):
     if start_method != 'trio':
         pytest.skip(
-            'parent main replay opt-out only affects the trio spawn backend'
+            'parent main inheritance opt-out only affects the trio spawn backend'
         )
     from tractor.spawn import _mp_fixup_main
 
     monkeypatch.setattr(
         _mp_fixup_main,
         '_mp_figure_out_main',
-        lambda replay_parent_main=True: (
+        lambda inherit_parent_main=True: (
             {'init_main_from_name': __name__}
-            if replay_parent_main
+            if inherit_parent_main
             else {}
         ),
     )
@@ -238,7 +238,7 @@ def test_start_actor_can_skip_parent_main_replay(
             isolated = await an.run_in_actor(
                 get_main_mod_name,
                 name='isolated-parent-main',
-                replay_parent_main=False,
+                inherit_parent_main=False,
             )
 
             assert await replaying.result() == '__mp_main__'
diff --git a/tractor/runtime/_runtime.py b/tractor/runtime/_runtime.py
index a9ae0f54..17119ffd 100644
--- a/tractor/runtime/_runtime.py
+++ b/tractor/runtime/_runtime.py
@@ -244,7 +244,7 @@ class Actor:
         loglevel: str|None = None,
         registry_addrs: list[Address]|None = None,
         spawn_method: str|None = None,
-        replay_parent_main: bool = True,
+        inherit_parent_main: bool = True,
 
         arbiter_addr: UnwrappedAddress|None = None,
 
@@ -269,7 +269,7 @@ class Actor:
         # retrieve and store parent `__main__` data which
         # will be passed to children
         self._parent_main_data = _mp_fixup_main._mp_figure_out_main(
-            replay_parent_main,
+            inherit_parent_main,
         )
 
         # TODO? only add this when `is_debug_mode() == True` no?
@@ -1024,6 +1024,11 @@ class Actor:
                 )
 
                 self._parent_main_data = spawnspec._parent_main_data
+                # XXX QUESTION(s)^^^
+                # -[ ] already set in `.__init__()` right, but how is
+                #      it diff from this blatant parent copy?
+                #    -[ ] do we need/want the .__init__() value in
+                #       just the root case orr?
 
             return (
                 chan,
diff --git a/tractor/runtime/_supervise.py b/tractor/runtime/_supervise.py
index 9645c982..3e7fa63c 100644
--- a/tractor/runtime/_supervise.py
+++ b/tractor/runtime/_supervise.py
@@ -194,7 +194,7 @@ class ActorNursery:
         loglevel: str|None = None,  # set log level per subactor
         debug_mode: bool|None = None,
         infect_asyncio: bool = False,
-        replay_parent_main: bool = True,
+        inherit_parent_main: bool = True,
 
         # TODO: ideally we can rm this once we no longer have
         # a `._ria_nursery` since the dependent APIs have been
@@ -207,7 +207,7 @@ class ActorNursery:
         Start a (daemon) actor: an process that has no designated
         "main task" besides the runtime.
 
-        Pass ``replay_parent_main=False`` to keep this child on its own
+        Pass ``inherit_parent_main=False`` to keep this child on its own
         bootstrap module instead of re-running the parent's ``__main__``
         during startup.
 
@@ -247,7 +247,7 @@ class ActorNursery:
             # modules allowed to invoked funcs from
             enable_modules=enable_modules,
             loglevel=loglevel,
-            replay_parent_main=replay_parent_main,
+            inherit_parent_main=inherit_parent_main,
 
             # verbatim relay this actor's registrar addresses
             registry_addrs=current_actor().registry_addrs,
@@ -295,7 +295,7 @@ class ActorNursery:
         enable_modules: list[str] | None = None,
         loglevel: str | None = None,  # set log level per subactor
         infect_asyncio: bool = False,
-        replay_parent_main: bool = True,
+        inherit_parent_main: bool = True,
         proc_kwargs: dict[str, any] = {},
 
         **kwargs,  # explicit args to ``fn``
@@ -327,7 +327,7 @@ class ActorNursery:
             # use the run_in_actor nursery
             nursery=self._ria_nursery,
             infect_asyncio=infect_asyncio,
-            replay_parent_main=replay_parent_main,
+            inherit_parent_main=inherit_parent_main,
             proc_kwargs=proc_kwargs
         )
 
diff --git a/tractor/spawn/_mp_fixup_main.py b/tractor/spawn/_mp_fixup_main.py
index 0189e6de..7cf6bf15 100644
--- a/tractor/spawn/_mp_fixup_main.py
+++ b/tractor/spawn/_mp_fixup_main.py
@@ -34,13 +34,13 @@ ORIGINAL_DIR = os.path.abspath(os.getcwd())
 
 
 def _mp_figure_out_main(
-    replay_parent_main: bool = True,
+    inherit_parent_main: bool = True,
 ) -> dict[str, str]:
     """Taken from ``multiprocessing.spawn.get_preparation_data()``.
 
     Retrieve parent actor `__main__` module data.
     """
-    if not replay_parent_main:
+    if not inherit_parent_main:
         return {}
 
     d = {}