diff --git a/docs/COMMAND_LINE.MD b/docs/COMMAND_LINE.MD
index f8ea921..4f2104c 100644
--- a/docs/COMMAND_LINE.MD
+++ b/docs/COMMAND_LINE.MD
@@ -11,7 +11,8 @@
 --light-mode         Don't allocate RandomX dataset, saves 2GB of RAM
 --loglevel           Verbosity of the log, integer number between 0 and 6
 --data-dir           Path to store general p2pool files (log, cache, peer data, etc.), default is current directory
---config             Name of p2pool sidechain's config file (don't use it unless you want to mine to a different p2pool chain)
+--config             Deprecated, will be removed in the next version. Use --sidechain-config instead
+--sidechain-config   Name of the p2pool sidechain parameters file (only use it if you run your own sidechain)
 --data-api           Path to the p2pool JSON data (use it in tandem with an external web-server). Not affected by --data-dir setting!
 --local-api          Enable /local/ path in api path for Stratum Server and built-in miner statistics
 --stratum-api        An alias for --local-api
diff --git a/config.json b/sidechain_config.json
similarity index 100%
rename from config.json
rename to sidechain_config.json
diff --git a/src/main.cpp b/src/main.cpp
index 0953fb5..c2e82dd 100644
--- a/src/main.cpp
+++ b/src/main.cpp
@@ -49,7 +49,8 @@ void p2pool_usage()
 		"--light-mode         Don't allocate RandomX dataset, saves 2GB of RAM\n"
 		"--loglevel           Verbosity of the log, integer number between 0 and %d\n"
 		"--data-dir           Path to store general p2pool files (log, cache, peer data, etc.), default is current directory\n"
-		"--config             Name of the p2pool config file\n"
+		"--config             Deprecated, will be removed in the next version. Use --sidechain-config instead\n"
+		"--sidechain-config   Name of the p2pool sidechain parameters file (only use it if you run your own sidechain)\n"
 		"--data-api           Path to the p2pool JSON data (use it in tandem with an external web-server). Not affected by --data-dir setting!\n"
 		"--local-api          Enable /local/ path in api path for Stratum Server and built-in miner statistics\n"
 		"--stratum-api        An alias for --local-api\n"
diff --git a/src/params.cpp b/src/params.cpp
index 12e2746..c6b6791 100644
--- a/src/params.cpp
+++ b/src/params.cpp
@@ -102,7 +102,13 @@ Params::Params(int argc, char* const argv[])
 		}
 
 		if ((strcmp(argv[i], "--config") == 0) && (i + 1 < argc)) {
-			m_config = argv[++i];
+			LOGWARN(0, "--config command line parameter is deprecated and will be removed in the next version. Use --sidechain-config instead");
+			m_sidechainConfig = argv[++i];
+			ok = true;
+		}
+
+		if ((strcmp(argv[i], "--sidechain-config") == 0) && (i + 1 < argc)) {
+			m_sidechainConfig = argv[++i];
 			ok = true;
 		}
 
diff --git a/src/params.h b/src/params.h
index 93bc851..2d8c6a7 100644
--- a/src/params.h
+++ b/src/params.h
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ struct Params
 	std::string m_stratumAddresses;
 	std::string m_p2pAddresses;
 	std::string m_p2pPeerList;
-	std::string m_config;
+	std::string m_sidechainConfig;
 	std::string m_apiPath;
 	bool m_localStats = false;
 	bool m_blockCache = true;
diff --git a/src/side_chain.cpp b/src/side_chain.cpp
index 57b6c7b..5b16d75 100644
--- a/src/side_chain.cpp
+++ b/src/side_chain.cpp
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ SideChain::SideChain(p2pool* pool, NetworkType type, const char* pool_name)
 
 	LOGINFO(1, log::LightCyan() << "network type  = " << type);
 
-	if (m_pool && !load_config(m_pool->params().m_config)) {
+	if (m_pool && !load_config(m_pool->params().m_sidechainConfig)) {
 		PANIC_STOP();
 	}