diff --git a/ansible/group_vars/all.yml b/ansible/group_vars/all.yml
index e5f5c69a9a..d56a2775d6 100644
--- a/ansible/group_vars/all.yml
+++ b/ansible/group_vars/all.yml
@@ -730,7 +730,10 @@ gnocchi_metric_datadir_volume: "gnocchi"
 cinder_backend_ceph: "{{ enable_ceph }}"
 cinder_backend_vmwarevc_vmdk: "no"
 cinder_volume_group: "cinder-volumes"
+# DEPRECATED: Use 'cinder_target_helper' instead. This option will be removed
+# in the Train release.
 cinder_iscsi_helper: "tgtadm"
+cinder_target_helper: "{{ cinder_iscsi_helper }}"
 
 # Valid options are [ nfs, swift, ceph ]
 cinder_backup_driver: "ceph"
diff --git a/ansible/roles/cinder/defaults/main.yml b/ansible/roles/cinder/defaults/main.yml
index 482e72727a..2463d6801b 100644
--- a/ansible/roles/cinder/defaults/main.yml
+++ b/ansible/roles/cinder/defaults/main.yml
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ cinder_services:
       - "/run/:/run/:shared"
       - "cinder:/var/lib/cinder"
       - "{% if enable_iscsid | bool %}iscsi_info:/etc/iscsi{% endif %}"
-      - "{% if enable_cinder_backend_lvm | bool and cinder_iscsi_helper == 'lioadm' %}target_config:/etc/target{% endif %}"
+      - "{% if enable_cinder_backend_lvm | bool and cinder_target_helper == 'lioadm' %}target_config:/etc/target{% endif %}"
       - "kolla_logs:/var/log/kolla/"
       - "{{ kolla_dev_repos_directory ~ '/cinder/cinder:/var/lib/kolla/venv/lib/python2.7/site-packages/cinder' if cinder_dev_mode | bool else '' }}"
     dimensions: "{{ cinder_volume_dimensions }}"
diff --git a/ansible/roles/cinder/templates/cinder.conf.j2 b/ansible/roles/cinder/templates/cinder.conf.j2
index 11a5dbf3e2..e37646c355 100644
--- a/ansible/roles/cinder/templates/cinder.conf.j2
+++ b/ansible/roles/cinder/templates/cinder.conf.j2
@@ -115,8 +115,8 @@ lock_path = /var/lib/cinder/tmp
 volume_group = {{ cinder_volume_group }}
 volume_driver = cinder.volume.drivers.lvm.LVMVolumeDriver
 volume_backend_name = lvm-1
-iscsi_helper = {{ cinder_iscsi_helper }}
-iscsi_protocol = iscsi
+target_helper = {{ cinder_target_helper }}
+target_protocol = iscsi
 {% endif %}
 
 {% if enable_ceph | bool and cinder_backend_ceph | bool %}
diff --git a/ansible/roles/iscsi/defaults/main.yml b/ansible/roles/iscsi/defaults/main.yml
index 1ac0be4566..abf68e6c88 100644
--- a/ansible/roles/iscsi/defaults/main.yml
+++ b/ansible/roles/iscsi/defaults/main.yml
@@ -69,4 +69,4 @@ enable_iscsid_for_ironic: >-
 enable_tgtd: >-
   {{ enable_cinder | bool and
      enable_cinder_backend_lvm | bool and
-     cinder_iscsi_helper == "tgtadm" }}
+     cinder_target_helper == "tgtadm" }}
diff --git a/releasenotes/notes/deprecate-cinder-iscsi-helper-f736c9139e937381.yaml b/releasenotes/notes/deprecate-cinder-iscsi-helper-f736c9139e937381.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..fc8d23c8ca
--- /dev/null
+++ b/releasenotes/notes/deprecate-cinder-iscsi-helper-f736c9139e937381.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+---
+deprecations:
+  - |
+    The ``cinder_iscsi_helper`` variable has been renamed to
+    ``cinder_target_helper``. Use of ``cinder_iscsi_helper`` is deprecated, and
+    will be removed during or after the Train release.