diff --git a/pkgs/clan-app/ui-2d/src/routes/clans/create.tsx b/pkgs/clan-app/ui-2d/src/routes/clans/create.tsx
index 67899a1f1..ea82a0e74 100644
--- a/pkgs/clan-app/ui-2d/src/routes/clans/create.tsx
+++ b/pkgs/clan-app/ui-2d/src/routes/clans/create.tsx
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ export const CreateClan = () => {
     }
 
     // Will generate a key if it doesn't exist, and add a user to the clan
-    const k = await callApi("keygen", {
+    const k = await callApi("create_secrets_user", {
       flake_dir: target_dir[0],
     }).promise;
 
diff --git a/pkgs/clan-app/ui/src/routes/clans/create.tsx b/pkgs/clan-app/ui/src/routes/clans/create.tsx
index 6a1b8fa39..92cac1f65 100644
--- a/pkgs/clan-app/ui/src/routes/clans/create.tsx
+++ b/pkgs/clan-app/ui/src/routes/clans/create.tsx
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ export const CreateClan = () => {
     }
 
     // Will generate a key if it doesn't exist, and add a user to the clan
-    const k = await callApi("keygen", {
+    const k = await callApi("create_secrets_user", {
       flake_dir: target_dir[0],
     }).promise;
 
diff --git a/pkgs/clan-cli/clan_cli/tests/test_vars.py b/pkgs/clan-cli/clan_cli/tests/test_vars.py
index 274dd38fc..fa084f6f1 100644
--- a/pkgs/clan-cli/clan_cli/tests/test_vars.py
+++ b/pkgs/clan-cli/clan_cli/tests/test_vars.py
@@ -900,7 +900,9 @@ def test_fails_when_files_are_left_from_other_backend(
 
 
 @pytest.mark.with_core
-def test_keygen(monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch, flake: ClanFlake) -> None:
+def test_create_sops_age_secrets(
+    monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch, flake: ClanFlake
+) -> None:
     monkeypatch.chdir(flake.path)
     cli.run(["vars", "keygen", "--flake", str(flake.path), "--user", "user"])
     # check public key exists
diff --git a/pkgs/clan-cli/clan_cli/vars/keygen.py b/pkgs/clan-cli/clan_cli/vars/keygen.py
index 4f1bdd931..9475a771f 100644
--- a/pkgs/clan-cli/clan_cli/vars/keygen.py
+++ b/pkgs/clan-cli/clan_cli/vars/keygen.py
@@ -13,11 +13,16 @@ log = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
 
 @API.register
-def keygen(flake_dir: Path, user: str | None = None, force: bool = False) -> None:
+def create_secrets_user(
+    flake_dir: Path, user: str | None = None, force: bool = False
+) -> None:
+    """
+    initialize sops keys for vars
+    """
     if user is None:
         user = os.getenv("USER", None)
         if not user:
-            msg = "No user provided and $USER is not set. Please provide a user via --user."
+            msg = "No user provided and environment variable: '$USER' is not set. Please provide an explizit username via argument"
             raise ClanError(msg)
     pub_keys = maybe_get_admin_public_keys()
     if not pub_keys:
@@ -34,7 +39,7 @@ def keygen(flake_dir: Path, user: str | None = None, force: bool = False) -> Non
 def _command(
     args: argparse.Namespace,
 ) -> None:
-    keygen(
+    create_secrets_user(
         flake_dir=args.flake.path,
         user=args.user,
         force=args.force,