diff --git a/client/api/src/backend.rs b/client/api/src/backend.rs
index 166e47417564d..c3e56e7f8b216 100644
--- a/client/api/src/backend.rs
+++ b/client/api/src/backend.rs
@@ -169,8 +169,8 @@ pub trait BlockImportOperation<Block: BlockT> {
 	fn mark_head(&mut self, id: BlockId<Block>) -> sp_blockchain::Result<()>;
 }
 
-/// trait for performing operations on the backend
-pub trait ClientBackend<Block: BlockT, B: Backend<Block>> {
+/// Interface for performing operations on the backend.
+pub trait LockImportRun<Block: BlockT, B: Backend<Block>> {
 	/// Lock the import lock, and run operations inside.
 	fn lock_import_and_run<R, Err, F>(&self, f: F) -> Result<R, Err>
 		where
diff --git a/client/finality-grandpa/src/lib.rs b/client/finality-grandpa/src/lib.rs
index 49188277a7737..887d30a70cdc0 100644
--- a/client/finality-grandpa/src/lib.rs
+++ b/client/finality-grandpa/src/lib.rs
@@ -56,7 +56,10 @@ use futures::prelude::*;
 use futures::StreamExt;
 use log::{debug, info};
 use futures::channel::mpsc;
-use sc_client_api::{ClientBackend, BlockchainEvents, CallExecutor, backend::{AuxStore, Backend}, ExecutionStrategy, Finalizer, TransactionFor};
+use sc_client_api::{
+	LockImportRun, BlockchainEvents, CallExecutor,
+	backend::{AuxStore, Backend}, ExecutionStrategy, Finalizer, TransactionFor,
+};
 use sp_blockchain::{HeaderBackend, Error as ClientError, HeaderMetadata};
 use sc_client::Client;
 use parity_scale_codec::{Decode, Encode};
@@ -259,8 +262,9 @@ impl<Block: BlockT, Client> BlockStatus<Block> for Arc<Client> where
 
 /// A trait that includes all the client functionalities grandpa requires.
 /// Ideally this would be a trait alias, we're not there yet.
+/// tracking issue https://github.com/rust-lang/rust/issues/41517
 pub trait ClientForGrandpa<Block, BE>:
-	ClientBackend<Block, BE> + Finalizer<Block, BE> + AuxStore
+	LockImportRun<Block, BE> + Finalizer<Block, BE> + AuxStore
 	+ HeaderMetadata<Block, Error = sp_blockchain::Error> + HeaderBackend<Block>
 	+ BlockchainEvents<Block> + ProvideRuntimeApi<Block>
 	+ BlockImport<Block, Transaction = TransactionFor<BE, Block>, Error = sp_consensus::Error>
@@ -273,7 +277,7 @@ impl<Block, BE, T> ClientForGrandpa<Block, BE> for T
 	where
 		BE: Backend<Block>,
 		Block: BlockT,
-		T: ClientBackend<Block, BE> + Finalizer<Block, BE> + AuxStore
+		T: LockImportRun<Block, BE> + Finalizer<Block, BE> + AuxStore
 			+ HeaderMetadata<Block, Error = sp_blockchain::Error> + HeaderBackend<Block>
 			+ BlockchainEvents<Block> + ProvideRuntimeApi<Block>
 			+ BlockImport<Block, Transaction = TransactionFor<BE, Block>, Error = sp_consensus::Error>,
diff --git a/client/finality-grandpa/src/tests.rs b/client/finality-grandpa/src/tests.rs
index df7204f8ce109..23c7ec9ba8777 100644
--- a/client/finality-grandpa/src/tests.rs
+++ b/client/finality-grandpa/src/tests.rs
@@ -18,7 +18,10 @@
 
 use super::*;
 use environment::HasVoted;
-use sc_network_test::{Block, Hash, TestNetFactory, BlockImportAdapter, Peer, PeersClient, PassThroughVerifier, PeersFullClient};
+use sc_network_test::{
+	Block, Hash, TestNetFactory, BlockImportAdapter, Peer,
+	PeersClient, PassThroughVerifier, PeersFullClient,
+};
 use sc_network::config::{ProtocolConfig, Roles, BoxFinalityProofRequestBuilder};
 use parking_lot::Mutex;
 use futures_timer::Delay;
diff --git a/client/src/client.rs b/client/src/client.rs
index 37dec491f1295..babbaaf7ef74d 100644
--- a/client/src/client.rs
+++ b/client/src/client.rs
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ pub use sc_client_api::{
 	backend::{
 		self, BlockImportOperation, PrunableStateChangesTrieStorage,
 		ClientImportOperation, Finalizer, ImportSummary, NewBlockState,
-		ClientBackend, changes_tries_state_at_block,
+		LockImportRun, changes_tries_state_at_block,
 	},
 	client::{
 		ImportNotifications, FinalityNotification, FinalityNotifications, BlockImportNotification,
@@ -218,7 +218,7 @@ impl<B, E, Block, RA> BlockOf for Client<B, E, Block, RA> where
 	type Type = Block;
 }
 
-impl<B, E, Block, RA> ClientBackend<Block, B> for Client<B, E, Block, RA>
+impl<B, E, Block, RA> LockImportRun<Block, B> for Client<B, E, Block, RA>
 	where
 		B: backend::Backend<Block>,
 		E: CallExecutor<Block>,
@@ -258,7 +258,7 @@ impl<B, E, Block, RA> ClientBackend<Block, B> for Client<B, E, Block, RA>
 	}
 }
 
-impl<B, E, Block, RA> ClientBackend<Block, B> for &Client<B, E, Block, RA>
+impl<B, E, Block, RA> LockImportRun<Block, B> for &Client<B, E, Block, RA>
 	where
 		Block: BlockT,
 		B: backend::Backend<Block>,
diff --git a/client/src/lib.rs b/client/src/lib.rs
index a661f45166341..1d279cabad499 100644
--- a/client/src/lib.rs
+++ b/client/src/lib.rs
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@ pub use crate::{
 	client::{
 		new_with_backend,
 		new_in_mem,
-		BlockBody, ImportNotifications, FinalityNotifications, BlockchainEvents, ClientBackend,
+		BlockBody, ImportNotifications, FinalityNotifications, BlockchainEvents, LockImportRun,
 		BlockImportNotification, Client, ClientInfo, ExecutionStrategies, FinalityNotification,
 		LongestChain, BlockOf, ProvideUncles, BadBlocks, ForkBlocks, apply_aux,
 	},