diff --git a/runtime/src/accounts_db.rs b/runtime/src/accounts_db.rs
index ad9157b817..da82cc4c86 100644
--- a/runtime/src/accounts_db.rs
+++ b/runtime/src/accounts_db.rs
@@ -2000,7 +2000,7 @@ impl AccountsDb {
         timings: &mut CleanKeyTimings,
     ) -> Vec<Pubkey> {
         let mut dirty_store_processing_time = Measure::start("dirty_store_processing");
-        let max_slot = max_clean_root.unwrap_or_else(|| self.accounts_index.max_root());
+        let max_slot = max_clean_root.unwrap_or_else(|| self.accounts_index.max_root_inclusive());
         let mut dirty_stores = Vec::with_capacity(self.dirty_stores.len());
         self.dirty_stores.retain(|(slot, _store_id), store| {
             if *slot > max_slot {
diff --git a/runtime/src/accounts_index.rs b/runtime/src/accounts_index.rs
index 74eb53436d..6832c32e9e 100644
--- a/runtime/src/accounts_index.rs
+++ b/runtime/src/accounts_index.rs
@@ -615,7 +615,7 @@ impl RollingBitField {
 #[derive(Debug)]
 pub struct RootsTracker {
     roots: RollingBitField,
-    max_root: Slot,
+    max_root_inclusive: Slot,
     uncleaned_roots: HashSet<Slot>,
     previous_uncleaned_roots: HashSet<Slot>,
 }
@@ -633,7 +633,7 @@ impl RootsTracker {
     pub fn new(max_width: u64) -> Self {
         Self {
             roots: RollingBitField::new(max_width),
-            max_root: 0,
+            max_root_inclusive: 0,
             uncleaned_roots: HashSet::new(),
             previous_uncleaned_roots: HashSet::new(),
         }
@@ -958,10 +958,10 @@ impl<T: IndexValue> AccountsIndex<T> {
             // the `ongoing_scan_roots` lock is held,
             // make sure inverse doesn't happen to avoid
             // deadlock
-            let max_root = self.max_root();
-            *w_ongoing_scan_roots.entry(max_root).or_default() += 1;
+            let max_root_inclusive = self.max_root_inclusive();
+            *w_ongoing_scan_roots.entry(max_root_inclusive).or_default() += 1;
 
-            max_root
+            max_root_inclusive
         };
 
         // First we show that for any bank `B` that is a descendant of
@@ -1793,7 +1793,7 @@ impl<T: IndexValue> AccountsIndex<T> {
         let roots_tracker = &self.roots_tracker.read().unwrap();
         let newest_root_in_slot_list =
             Self::get_newest_root_in_slot_list(&roots_tracker.roots, slot_list, max_clean_root);
-        let max_clean_root = max_clean_root.unwrap_or(roots_tracker.max_root);
+        let max_clean_root = max_clean_root.unwrap_or(roots_tracker.max_root_inclusive);
 
         slot_list.retain(|(slot, value)| {
             let should_purge =
@@ -1874,8 +1874,8 @@ impl<T: IndexValue> AccountsIndex<T> {
             w_roots_tracker.uncleaned_roots.insert(slot);
         }
         // `AccountsDb::flush_accounts_cache()` relies on roots being added in order
-        assert!(slot >= w_roots_tracker.max_root);
-        w_roots_tracker.max_root = slot;
+        assert!(slot >= w_roots_tracker.max_root_inclusive);
+        w_roots_tracker.max_root_inclusive = slot;
     }
 
     pub fn add_uncleaned_roots<I>(&self, roots: I)
@@ -1886,8 +1886,8 @@ impl<T: IndexValue> AccountsIndex<T> {
         w_roots_tracker.uncleaned_roots.extend(roots);
     }
 
-    pub fn max_root(&self) -> Slot {
-        self.roots_tracker.read().unwrap().max_root
+    pub fn max_root_inclusive(&self) -> Slot {
+        self.roots_tracker.read().unwrap().max_root_inclusive
     }
 
     /// Remove the slot when the storage for the slot is freed