diff --git a/datasette/app.py b/datasette/app.py
index d95ec2bf5a..0227f6276b 100644
--- a/datasette/app.py
+++ b/datasette/app.py
@@ -459,7 +459,7 @@ async def _refresh_schemas(self):
         current_schema_versions = {
             row["database_name"]: row["schema_version"]
             for row in await internal_db.execute(
-                "select database_name, schema_version from core_databases"
+                "select database_name, schema_version from catalog_databases"
             )
         }
         for database_name, db in self.databases.items():
@@ -474,7 +474,7 @@ async def _refresh_schemas(self):
                 values = [database_name, db.is_memory, schema_version]
             await internal_db.execute_write(
                 """
-                INSERT OR REPLACE INTO core_databases (database_name, path, is_memory, schema_version)
+                INSERT OR REPLACE INTO catalog_databases (database_name, path, is_memory, schema_version)
                 VALUES {}
             """.format(
                     placeholders
diff --git a/datasette/utils/internal_db.py b/datasette/utils/internal_db.py
index 215695ca08..2e5ac53bd2 100644
--- a/datasette/utils/internal_db.py
+++ b/datasette/utils/internal_db.py
@@ -5,13 +5,13 @@
 async def init_internal_db(db):
     create_tables_sql = textwrap.dedent(
         """
-    CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS core_databases (
+    CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS catalog_databases (
         database_name TEXT PRIMARY KEY,
         path TEXT,
         is_memory INTEGER,
         schema_version INTEGER
     );
-    CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS core_tables (
+    CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS catalog_tables (
         database_name TEXT,
         table_name TEXT,
         rootpage INTEGER,
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ async def init_internal_db(db):
         PRIMARY KEY (database_name, table_name),
         FOREIGN KEY (database_name) REFERENCES databases(database_name)
     );
-    CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS core_columns (
+    CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS catalog_columns (
         database_name TEXT,
         table_name TEXT,
         cid INTEGER,
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ async def init_internal_db(db):
         FOREIGN KEY (database_name) REFERENCES databases(database_name),
         FOREIGN KEY (database_name, table_name) REFERENCES tables(database_name, table_name)
     );
-    CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS core_indexes (
+    CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS catalog_indexes (
         database_name TEXT,
         table_name TEXT,
         seq INTEGER,
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ async def init_internal_db(db):
         FOREIGN KEY (database_name) REFERENCES databases(database_name),
         FOREIGN KEY (database_name, table_name) REFERENCES tables(database_name, table_name)
     );
-    CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS core_foreign_keys (
+    CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS catalog_foreign_keys (
         database_name TEXT,
         table_name TEXT,
         id INTEGER,
@@ -69,15 +69,17 @@ async def populate_schema_tables(internal_db, db):
     database_name = db.name
 
     def delete_everything(conn):
-        conn.execute("DELETE FROM core_tables WHERE database_name = ?", [database_name])
         conn.execute(
-            "DELETE FROM core_columns WHERE database_name = ?", [database_name]
+            "DELETE FROM catalog_tables WHERE database_name = ?", [database_name]
         )
         conn.execute(
-            "DELETE FROM core_foreign_keys WHERE database_name = ?", [database_name]
+            "DELETE FROM catalog_columns WHERE database_name = ?", [database_name]
         )
         conn.execute(
-            "DELETE FROM core_indexes WHERE database_name = ?", [database_name]
+            "DELETE FROM catalog_foreign_keys WHERE database_name = ?", [database_name]
+        )
+        conn.execute(
+            "DELETE FROM catalog_indexes WHERE database_name = ?", [database_name]
         )
 
     await internal_db.execute_write_fn(delete_everything)
@@ -137,14 +139,14 @@ def collect_info(conn):
 
     await internal_db.execute_write_many(
         """
-        INSERT INTO core_tables (database_name, table_name, rootpage, sql)
+        INSERT INTO catalog_tables (database_name, table_name, rootpage, sql)
         values (?, ?, ?, ?)
     """,
         tables_to_insert,
     )
     await internal_db.execute_write_many(
         """
-        INSERT INTO core_columns (
+        INSERT INTO catalog_columns (
             database_name, table_name, cid, name, type, "notnull", default_value, is_pk, hidden
         ) VALUES (
             :database_name, :table_name, :cid, :name, :type, :notnull, :default_value, :is_pk, :hidden
@@ -154,7 +156,7 @@ def collect_info(conn):
     )
     await internal_db.execute_write_many(
         """
-        INSERT INTO core_foreign_keys (
+        INSERT INTO catalog_foreign_keys (
             database_name, table_name, "id", seq, "table", "from", "to", on_update, on_delete, match
         ) VALUES (
             :database_name, :table_name, :id, :seq, :table, :from, :to, :on_update, :on_delete, :match
@@ -164,7 +166,7 @@ def collect_info(conn):
     )
     await internal_db.execute_write_many(
         """
-        INSERT INTO core_indexes (
+        INSERT INTO catalog_indexes (
             database_name, table_name, seq, name, "unique", origin, partial
         ) VALUES (
             :database_name, :table_name, :seq, :name, :unique, :origin, :partial
diff --git a/datasette/views/database.py b/datasette/views/database.py
index 4647bedcf8..9ba5ce9441 100644
--- a/datasette/views/database.py
+++ b/datasette/views/database.py
@@ -952,7 +952,7 @@ def create_table(conn):
 async def _table_columns(datasette, database_name):
     internal_db = datasette.get_internal_database()
     result = await internal_db.execute(
-        "select table_name, name from core_columns where database_name = ?",
+        "select table_name, name from catalog_columns where database_name = ?",
         [database_name],
     )
     table_columns = {}
diff --git a/docs/internals.rst b/docs/internals.rst
index 474e3328f5..743f59728b 100644
--- a/docs/internals.rst
+++ b/docs/internals.rst
@@ -1149,6 +1149,8 @@ Datasette's internal database
 
 Datasette maintains an "internal" SQLite database used for configuration, caching, and storage. Plugins can store configuration, settings, and other data inside this database. By default, Datasette will use a temporary in-memory SQLite database as the internal database, which is created at startup and destroyed at shutdown. Users of Datasette can optionally pass in a `--internal` flag to specify the path to a SQLite database to use as the internal database, which will persist internal data across Datasette instances.
 
+Datasette maintains tables called ``catalog_databases``, ``catalog_tables``, ``catalog_columns``, ``catalog_indexes``, ``catalog_foreign_keys`` with details of the attached databases and their schemas. These tables should not be considered a stable API - they may change between Datasette releases.
+
 The internal database is not exposed in the Datasette application by default, which means private data can safely be stored without worry of accidentally leaking information through the default Datasette interface and API. However, other plugins do have full read and write access to the internal database.
 
 Plugins can access this database by calling ``internal_db = datasette.get_internal_database()`` and then executing queries using the :ref:`Database API <internals_database>`.
diff --git a/tests/test_internal_db.py b/tests/test_internal_db.py
index 5276dc9946..b41cabb431 100644
--- a/tests/test_internal_db.py
+++ b/tests/test_internal_db.py
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ async def ensure_internal(ds_client):
 @pytest.mark.asyncio
 async def test_internal_databases(ds_client):
     internal_db = await ensure_internal(ds_client)
-    databases = await internal_db.execute("select * from core_databases")
+    databases = await internal_db.execute("select * from catalog_databases")
     assert len(databases) == 1
     assert databases.rows[0]["database_name"] == "fixtures"
 
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ async def test_internal_databases(ds_client):
 @pytest.mark.asyncio
 async def test_internal_tables(ds_client):
     internal_db = await ensure_internal(ds_client)
-    tables = await internal_db.execute("select * from core_tables")
+    tables = await internal_db.execute("select * from catalog_tables")
     assert len(tables) > 5
     table = tables.rows[0]
     assert set(table.keys()) == {"rootpage", "table_name", "database_name", "sql"}
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ async def test_internal_tables(ds_client):
 @pytest.mark.asyncio
 async def test_internal_indexes(ds_client):
     internal_db = await ensure_internal(ds_client)
-    indexes = await internal_db.execute("select * from core_indexes")
+    indexes = await internal_db.execute("select * from catalog_indexes")
     assert len(indexes) > 5
     index = indexes.rows[0]
     assert set(index.keys()) == {
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ async def test_internal_indexes(ds_client):
 @pytest.mark.asyncio
 async def test_internal_foreign_keys(ds_client):
     internal_db = await ensure_internal(ds_client)
-    foreign_keys = await internal_db.execute("select * from core_foreign_keys")
+    foreign_keys = await internal_db.execute("select * from catalog_foreign_keys")
     assert len(foreign_keys) > 5
     foreign_key = foreign_keys.rows[0]
     assert set(foreign_key.keys()) == {