diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 339fcfe2c..5f51c49b3 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ tools/grib_repair
 tools/grib_set
 tools/grib_to_netcdf
 tools/mars_request
-tools/parser
+tools/codes_parser
 tools/xref
 tools/grib1to2
 tools/bufr_compare
diff --git a/definitions/installDefinitions.sh b/definitions/installDefinitions.sh
index 87145cfed..be3b36533 100755
--- a/definitions/installDefinitions.sh
+++ b/definitions/installDefinitions.sh
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ fi
 echo checking definition files compatibility...
 for file in `find . -name '*.def' -print`
 do
-  ${grib_api_bin}/parser $file 
+  ${grib_api_bin}/codes_parser $file 
 done
 if [ $? != 0 ]
 then
diff --git a/tests/definitions.sh b/tests/definitions.sh
index 7ac37f300..8929780d9 100755
--- a/tests/definitions.sh
+++ b/tests/definitions.sh
@@ -17,6 +17,6 @@ REDIRECT=/dev/null
 
 for file in `find $ECCODES_DEFINITION_PATH -name '*.def' -print`
 do
-  ${tools_dir}parser $file > $REDIRECT
+  ${tools_dir}codes_parser $file > $REDIRECT
 done
 
diff --git a/tools/CMakeLists.txt b/tools/CMakeLists.txt
index 1a31effea..c4c5a3fff 100644
--- a/tools/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/tools/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ list( APPEND grib_tools_bins
              codes_info codes_count
              grib_histogram grib_filter grib_ls grib_dump grib_merge
              grib2ppm grib_set grib_get grib_get_data grib_copy
-             grib_compare parser grib_index_build
+             grib_compare codes_parser grib_index_build
              bufr_filter bufr_ls bufr_dump bufr_set bufr_get
              bufr_copy bufr_compare bufr_index_build
              gts_copy gts_dump gts_filter gts_ls
diff --git a/tools/Makefile.am b/tools/Makefile.am
index 1fe172a55..e60533468 100644
--- a/tools/Makefile.am
+++ b/tools/Makefile.am
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ dist_bin_SCRIPTS = bufr_compare_dir
 bin_PROGRAMS = grib_histogram big2gribex \
                codes_info codes_count grib_filter grib_ls grib_dump grib_merge \
                grib2ppm grib_set grib_get grib_get_data grib_copy grib_repair \
-               grib_compare grib_list_keys parser grib_count grib_index_build grib1to2 \
+               grib_compare grib_list_keys codes_parser grib_count grib_index_build grib1to2 \
                gg_sub_area_check grib_to_netcdf grib_to_json \
                bufr_count bufr_filter bufr_ls bufr_dump bufr_set bufr_get \
                bufr_copy bufr_compare bufr_index_build \
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ grib_count_SOURCES            =  codes_count.c
 bufr_count_SOURCES            =  codes_count.c
 codes_count_SOURCES           =  codes_count.c
 grib_histogram_SOURCES        =  grib_histogram.c
-parser_SOURCES                =  parser.c
+codes_parser_SOURCES          =  codes_parser.c
 grib_list_keys_SOURCES        =  list_keys.c
 all_keys_SOURCES              =  all_keys.c
 grib2ppm_SOURCES              =  grib2ppm.c
diff --git a/tools/parser.c b/tools/codes_parser.c
similarity index 100%
rename from tools/parser.c
rename to tools/codes_parser.c