diff --git a/config-model-api/abi-spec.json b/config-model-api/abi-spec.json
index 01a4a997b17b..d238a6db66f4 100644
--- a/config-model-api/abi-spec.json
+++ b/config-model-api/abi-spec.json
@@ -1233,7 +1233,8 @@
       "abstract"
     ],
     "methods" : [
-      "public abstract void startDownload(java.lang.String, int, java.util.Set)"
+      "public void startDownload(java.lang.String, int, java.util.Set)",
+      "public abstract void triggerDownload(java.lang.String, int, java.util.Set)"
     ],
     "fields" : [ ]
   },
diff --git a/config-model-api/src/main/java/com/yahoo/config/model/api/FileDistribution.java b/config-model-api/src/main/java/com/yahoo/config/model/api/FileDistribution.java
index bb5dec35f209..fb3b058f9bfc 100644
--- a/config-model-api/src/main/java/com/yahoo/config/model/api/FileDistribution.java
+++ b/config-model-api/src/main/java/com/yahoo/config/model/api/FileDistribution.java
@@ -19,6 +19,19 @@ public interface FileDistribution {
      * @param port           port which should be used when notifying
      * @param fileReferences set of file references to start downloading
      */
-    void startDownload(String hostName, int port, Set<FileReference> fileReferences);
+    // TODO: Remove when 8.399 is oldest config model version in use
+    default void startDownload(String hostName, int port, Set<FileReference> fileReferences) {
+        triggerDownload(hostName, port, fileReferences);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Notifies client which file references to download. Used to trigger downloading early (while
+     * preparing application package).
+     *
+     * @param hostName       host which should be notified about file references to download
+     * @param port           port which should be used when notifying
+     * @param fileReferences set of file references for downloading
+     */
+    void triggerDownload(String hostName, int port, Set<FileReference> fileReferences);
 
 }
diff --git a/configserver/src/main/java/com/yahoo/vespa/config/server/filedistribution/FileDistributionImpl.java b/configserver/src/main/java/com/yahoo/vespa/config/server/filedistribution/FileDistributionImpl.java
index a9d7e4c736cb..54e26475ad2a 100644
--- a/configserver/src/main/java/com/yahoo/vespa/config/server/filedistribution/FileDistributionImpl.java
+++ b/configserver/src/main/java/com/yahoo/vespa/config/server/filedistribution/FileDistributionImpl.java
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ public FileDistributionImpl(Supervisor supervisor) {
      * @param fileReferences set of file references to start downloading
      */
     @Override
-    public void startDownload(String hostName, int port, Set<FileReference> fileReferences) {
+    public void triggerDownload(String hostName, int port, Set<FileReference> fileReferences) {
         Target target = supervisor.connect(new Spec(hostName, port));
         Request request = new Request("filedistribution.setFileReferencesToDownload");
         request.setContext(target);
diff --git a/configserver/src/main/java/com/yahoo/vespa/config/server/session/SessionPreparer.java b/configserver/src/main/java/com/yahoo/vespa/config/server/session/SessionPreparer.java
index e534821f2a73..ca0414c3e925 100644
--- a/configserver/src/main/java/com/yahoo/vespa/config/server/session/SessionPreparer.java
+++ b/configserver/src/main/java/com/yahoo/vespa/config/server/session/SessionPreparer.java
@@ -129,7 +129,8 @@ public SessionPreparer(ModelFactoryRegistry modelFactoryRegistry,
     ExecutorService getExecutor() { return executor; }
 
     /**
-     * Prepares a session (validates, builds model, writes to zookeeper and distributes files)
+     * Prepares a session (validates, builds model, trigger distribution of application package
+     * to other config servers, writes to zookeeper)
      *
      * @param hostValidator               host validator
      * @param logger                      for storing logs returned in response to client.
@@ -150,7 +151,7 @@ public PrepareResult prepare(HostValidator hostValidator, DeployLogger logger, P
             AllocatedHosts allocatedHosts = preparation.buildModels(now);
             preparation.makeResult(allocatedHosts);
             if ( ! params.isDryRun()) {
-                FileReference fileReference = preparation.startDistributionOfApplicationPackage();
+                FileReference fileReference = preparation.triggerDistributionOfApplicationPackage();
                 preparation.writeStateZK(fileReference);
                 preparation.writeEndpointCertificateMetadataZK();
                 preparation.writeContainerEndpointsZK();
@@ -243,7 +244,7 @@ void checkTimeout(String step) {
             }
         }
 
-        FileReference startDistributionOfApplicationPackage() {
+        FileReference triggerDistributionOfApplicationPackage() {
             FileReference fileReference = fileRegistry.addApplicationPackage();
             FileDistribution fileDistribution = fileDistributionFactory.createFileDistribution();
             log.log(Level.FINE, () -> "Ask other config servers to download application package for " +
@@ -251,7 +252,7 @@ FileReference startDistributionOfApplicationPackage() {
             ConfigServerSpec.fromConfig(configserverConfig)
                       .stream()
                       .filter(spec -> !spec.getHostName().equals(HostName.getLocalhost()))
-                      .forEach(spec -> fileDistribution.startDownload(spec.getHostName(), spec.getConfigServerPort(), Set.of(fileReference)));
+                      .forEach(spec -> fileDistribution.triggerDownload(spec.getHostName(), spec.getConfigServerPort(), Set.of(fileReference)));
 
             checkTimeout("startDistributionOfApplicationPackage");
             return fileReference;