diff --git a/deployment/cinder/cinder-api-container-puppet.yaml b/deployment/cinder/cinder-api-container-puppet.yaml
index 1e8f98e8a6..afccc9dd63 100644
--- a/deployment/cinder/cinder-api-container-puppet.yaml
+++ b/deployment/cinder/cinder-api-container-puppet.yaml
@@ -58,6 +58,11 @@ parameters:
     default: tripleo
     description: The name of Cinder's default volume type.
     type: string
+    constraints:
+    - allowed_pattern: "[a-zA-Z0-9]+"
+      description: >
+        The default volume type must be at least 1 character and contain only
+        letters and numbers.
   CinderEnableDBPurge:
     default: true
     description: |
@@ -497,7 +502,7 @@ outputs:
             state: absent
           when:
             - step|int == 4
-        - name: Manage Cinder Volume Type
+        - name: Manage Cinder's default volume type
           become: true
           vars:
             default_volume_type: {get_param: CinderDefaultVolumeType}
@@ -510,6 +515,13 @@ outputs:
             if ! openstack volume type show "{{ default_volume_type }}"; then
                 openstack volume type create --public "{{ default_volume_type }}"
             fi
+            eval $(openstack volume type show __DEFAULT__ -f shell -c id -c description)
+            if [ -n "$id" ]; then
+                tripleo_descr="For internal use, '{{ default_volume_type }}' is the default volume type"
+                if [ "$description" != "$tripleo_descr" ]; then
+                    openstack volume type set $id --description "$tripleo_descr"
+                fi
+            fi
           args:
             executable: /bin/bash
           changed_when: false
diff --git a/releasenotes/notes/cinder-update-volume-type-description-5f81e2ff5ea8184a.yaml b/releasenotes/notes/cinder-update-volume-type-description-5f81e2ff5ea8184a.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b60d880f33
--- /dev/null
+++ b/releasenotes/notes/cinder-update-volume-type-description-5f81e2ff5ea8184a.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+---
+other:
+  - |
+    The description of cinder's own __DEFAULT__ volume type is updated to
+    indicate the actual default volume type is the one established by the
+    CinderDefaultVolumeType parameter.