diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 164145d8c011..687e4791e979 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-gRPC-Java - An RPC library and framework
+    gRPC-Java - An RPC library and framework
 ========================================
 
 gRPC-Java works with JDK 7. gRPC-Java clients are supported on Android API
diff --git a/api/src/main/java/io/grpc/MethodDescriptor.java b/api/src/main/java/io/grpc/MethodDescriptor.java
index a1712bbf9499..500755de8e4c 100644
--- a/api/src/main/java/io/grpc/MethodDescriptor.java
+++ b/api/src/main/java/io/grpc/MethodDescriptor.java
@@ -42,7 +42,6 @@ public final class MethodDescriptor<ReqT, RespT> {
   private final MethodType type;
   private final String fullMethodName;
   @Nullable private final String serviceName;
-  @Nullable private final String methodName;
   private final Marshaller<ReqT> requestMarshaller;
   private final Marshaller<RespT> responseMarshaller;
   private final @Nullable Object schemaDescriptor;
@@ -226,7 +225,6 @@ private MethodDescriptor(
     this.type = Preconditions.checkNotNull(type, "type");
     this.fullMethodName = Preconditions.checkNotNull(fullMethodName, "fullMethodName");
     this.serviceName = extractFullServiceName(fullMethodName);
-    this.methodName = extractMethodName(fullMethodName);
     this.requestMarshaller = Preconditions.checkNotNull(requestMarshaller, "requestMarshaller");
     this.responseMarshaller = Preconditions.checkNotNull(responseMarshaller, "responseMarshaller");
     this.schemaDescriptor = schemaDescriptor;
@@ -271,8 +269,8 @@ public String getServiceName() {
    */
   @Nullable
   @ExperimentalApi("https://github.com/grpc/grpc-java/issues/5635")
-  public String getMethodName() {
-    return methodName;
+  public String getBareMethodName() {
+    return extractBareMethodName(fullMethodName);
   }
 
   /**
@@ -418,7 +416,8 @@ public static String extractFullServiceName(String fullMethodName) {
    * @since 1.32.0
    */
   @Nullable
-  public static String extractMethodName(String fullMethodName) {
+  @ExperimentalApi("https://github.com/grpc/grpc-java/issues/5635")
+  public static String extractBareMethodName(String fullMethodName) {
     int index = checkNotNull(fullMethodName, "fullMethodName").lastIndexOf('/');
     if (index == -1) {
       return null;
diff --git a/api/src/test/java/io/grpc/MethodDescriptorTest.java b/api/src/test/java/io/grpc/MethodDescriptorTest.java
index 4fdf10778f7a..ec89976a0164 100644
--- a/api/src/test/java/io/grpc/MethodDescriptorTest.java
+++ b/api/src/test/java/io/grpc/MethodDescriptorTest.java
@@ -178,36 +178,36 @@ public void getServiceName_returnsNull() {
   }
 
   @Test
-  public void getMethodName_extractsMethod() {
+  public void getBareMethodName_extractsMethod() {
     Marshaller<Void> marshaller = TestMethodDescriptors.voidMarshaller();
     MethodDescriptor<?, ?> md = MethodDescriptor.newBuilder(marshaller, marshaller)
         .setType(MethodType.UNARY)
         .setFullMethodName("foo/bar")
         .build();
 
-    assertEquals("bar", md.getMethodName());
+    assertEquals("bar", md.getBareMethodName());
   }
 
   @Test
-  public void getMethodName_returnsNull() {
+  public void getBareMethodName_returnsNull() {
     Marshaller<Void> marshaller = TestMethodDescriptors.voidMarshaller();
     MethodDescriptor<?, ?> md = MethodDescriptor.newBuilder(marshaller, marshaller)
         .setType(MethodType.UNARY)
         .setFullMethodName("foo-bar")
         .build();
 
-    assertNull(md.getMethodName());
+    assertNull(md.getBareMethodName());
   }
 
   @Test
-  public void getMethodName_returnsEmptyStringWithMethodMissing() {
+  public void getBareMethodName_returnsEmptyStringWithMethodMissing() {
     Marshaller<Void> marshaller = TestMethodDescriptors.voidMarshaller();
     MethodDescriptor<?, ?> md = MethodDescriptor.newBuilder(marshaller, marshaller)
         .setType(MethodType.UNARY)
         .setFullMethodName("foo/")
         .build();
 
-    assertTrue(md.getMethodName().isEmpty());
+    assertTrue(md.getBareMethodName().isEmpty());
   }
 
   @Test