diff --git a/core/boot.js b/core/boot.js
index 0ba9675290..3ac48828ae 100644
--- a/core/boot.js
+++ b/core/boot.js
@@ -69,9 +69,9 @@ async function initDatabase({config, logging}) {
  * @param {object} options.ghostServer
  * @param {object} options.config
  * @param {object} options.bootLogger
- * @param {boolean} options.withFrontend
+ * @param {boolean} options.frontend
  */
-async function initCore({ghostServer, config, bootLogger, withFrontend}) {
+async function initCore({ghostServer, config, bootLogger, frontend}) {
     debug('Begin: initCore');
 
     // URL Utils is a bit slow, put it here so the timing is visible separate from models
@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@ async function initCore({ghostServer, config, bootLogger, withFrontend}) {
         onFinished: () => {
             bootLogger.log('URL Service Ready');
         },
-        urlCache: !withFrontend // hacky parameter to make the cache initialization kick in as we can't initialize labs before the boot
+        urlCache: !frontend // hacky parameter to make the cache initialization kick in as we can't initialize labs before the boot
     });
     debug('End: Url Service');
 
@@ -162,8 +162,8 @@ async function initFrontend() {
  * What we want is to be able to optionally load various components and mount them
  * So eventually this function should go away
  * @param {Object} options
- * @param {Boolean} options.withBackend
- * @param {Boolean} options.withFrontend
+ * @param {Boolean} options.backend
+ * @param {Boolean} options.frontend
  */
 async function initExpressApps(options) {
     debug('Begin: initExpressApps');
@@ -302,7 +302,7 @@ async function initBackgroundServices({config}) {
 
  * @returns {Promise<object>} ghostServer
  */
-async function bootGhost({withBackend = true, withFrontend = true} = {}) {
+async function bootGhost({backend = true, frontend = true} = {}) {
     // Metrics
     const startTime = Date.now();
     debug('Begin Boot');
@@ -352,7 +352,7 @@ async function bootGhost({withBackend = true, withFrontend = true} = {}) {
         debug('Begin: load server + minimal app');
         const rootApp = require('./app');
 
-        if (withBackend) {
+        if (backend) {
             const GhostServer = require('./server/ghost-server');
             ghostServer = new GhostServer({url: config.getSiteUrl()});
             await ghostServer.start(rootApp);
@@ -368,15 +368,15 @@ async function bootGhost({withBackend = true, withFrontend = true} = {}) {
 
         // Step 4 - Load Ghost with all its services
         debug('Begin: Load Ghost Services & Apps');
-        await initCore({ghostServer, config, bootLogger, withFrontend});
+        await initCore({ghostServer, config, bootLogger, frontend});
 
-        if (withFrontend) {
+        if (frontend) {
             await initServicesForFrontend();
             await initFrontend();
         }
-        const ghostApp = await initExpressApps({withFrontend, withBackend});
+        const ghostApp = await initExpressApps({frontend, backend});
 
-        if (withFrontend) {
+        if (frontend) {
             await initDynamicRouting();
         }
 
diff --git a/core/server/web/parent/app.js b/core/server/web/parent/app.js
index 587ebe1fab..67ead46fc6 100644
--- a/core/server/web/parent/app.js
+++ b/core/server/web/parent/app.js
@@ -8,10 +8,10 @@ const vhost = require('@tryghost/vhost-middleware');
 /**
  * @param {Object} options
  * @param {Boolean} [options.start]
- * @param {Boolean} [options.withBackend]
- * @param {Boolean} [options.withFrontend]
+ * @param {Boolean} [options.backend]
+ * @param {Boolean} [options.frontend]
  */
-module.exports = function setupParentApp({start, withFrontend = true, withBackend = true}) {
+module.exports = function setupParentApp({start, frontend = true, backend = true}) {
     debug('ParentApp setup start');
     const parentApp = express('parent');
 
@@ -32,13 +32,13 @@ module.exports = function setupParentApp({start, withFrontend = true, withBacken
 
     // Mount the express apps on the parentApp
 
-    if (withBackend) {
+    if (backend) {
         debug('Mounting bakcend: ADMIN + API');
         const backendApp = require('./backend')();
         parentApp.use(vhost(config.getBackendMountPath(), backendApp));
     }
 
-    if (withFrontend) {
+    if (frontend) {
         debug('Mounting frontend: SITE + MEMBERS');
         const frontendApp = require('./frontend')({start});
         parentApp.use(vhost(config.getFrontendMountPath(), frontendApp));
diff --git a/test/e2e-api/admin/custom_theme_settings.test.js b/test/e2e-api/admin/custom_theme_settings.test.js
index 644e0bd3cd..3049e75e00 100644
--- a/test/e2e-api/admin/custom_theme_settings.test.js
+++ b/test/e2e-api/admin/custom_theme_settings.test.js
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ describe('Custom Theme Settings API', function () {
         // NOTE: needs force start to be able to reinitialize Ghost process with frontend services - custom-theme-settings, to be specific
         await localUtils.startGhost({
             forceStart: true,
-            withFrontend: true
+            frontend: true
         });
         request = supertest.agent(config.get('url'));
         await localUtils.doAuth(request, 'users:extra', 'custom_theme_settings');
diff --git a/test/e2e-api/admin/themes.test.js b/test/e2e-api/admin/themes.test.js
index 6c3092aa1c..aadf41a7cd 100644
--- a/test/e2e-api/admin/themes.test.js
+++ b/test/e2e-api/admin/themes.test.js
@@ -26,9 +26,12 @@ describe('Themes API', function () {
     };
 
     before(async function () {
+        // NOTE: this flag should not be here! the URL service re-initialization should be fixed instead
+        //       The reason why this init doesn't work without "forceStart" is because during the "restartModeGhostStart"
+        //       the routing.routerManager is never called with "start". That's why a full boot is needed
         await localUtils.startGhost({
-            forceStart: true, // NOTE: this flag should not be here! the URL service re-initialization should be fixe instead
-            withFrontend: true
+            forceStart: true,
+            frontend: true
         });
         ownerRequest = supertest.agent(config.get('url'));
         await localUtils.doAuth(ownerRequest);
diff --git a/test/e2e-api/admin/utils.js b/test/e2e-api/admin/utils.js
index b6626fad9a..2e2a61b689 100644
--- a/test/e2e-api/admin/utils.js
+++ b/test/e2e-api/admin/utils.js
@@ -211,8 +211,8 @@ module.exports = {
 
     async startGhost(overrides = {}) {
         const defaults = {
-            withBackend: true,
-            withFrontend: false
+            backend: true,
+            frontend: false
         };
 
         return await testUtils.startGhost(Object.assign(defaults, overrides));
diff --git a/test/e2e-api/content/utils.js b/test/e2e-api/content/utils.js
index 3cb25c2508..aefdeba282 100644
--- a/test/e2e-api/content/utils.js
+++ b/test/e2e-api/content/utils.js
@@ -99,8 +99,8 @@ module.exports = {
     },
     async startGhost(overrides = {}) {
         const defaults = {
-            withBackend: true,
-            withFrontend: false
+            backend: true,
+            frontend: false
         };
 
         return await testUtils.startGhost(Object.assign(defaults, overrides));
diff --git a/test/utils/e2e-utils.js b/test/utils/e2e-utils.js
index e81a26ed56..d936ffc7ce 100644
--- a/test/utils/e2e-utils.js
+++ b/test/utils/e2e-utils.js
@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@ const prepareContentFolder = (options) => {
 // - truncate database
 // - re-run default fixtures
 // - reload affected services
-const restartModeGhostStart = async ({withFrontend}) => {
+const restartModeGhostStart = async ({frontend}) => {
     debug('Reload Mode');
     // Teardown truncates all tables and also calls urlServiceUtils.reset();
     await dbUtils.teardown();
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ const restartModeGhostStart = async ({withFrontend}) => {
     await settingsService.init();
     debug('settings done');
 
-    if (withFrontend) {
+    if (frontend) {
         // Load the frontend-related components
         await routeSettingsService.init();
         await themeService.init();
@@ -119,9 +119,9 @@ const restartModeGhostStart = async ({withFrontend}) => {
     // Reload the URL service & wait for it to be ready again
     // @TODO: why/how is this different to urlService.resetGenerators?
     urlServiceUtils.reset();
-    urlServiceUtils.init({urlCache: !withFrontend});
+    urlServiceUtils.init({urlCache: !frontend});
 
-    if (withFrontend) {
+    if (frontend) {
         await urlServiceUtils.isFinished();
     }
 
@@ -133,8 +133,8 @@ const restartModeGhostStart = async ({withFrontend}) => {
     limits.init();
 };
 
-const bootGhost = async ({withBackend, withFrontend}) => {
-    ghostServer = await boot({withBackend, withFrontend});
+const bootGhost = async ({backend, frontend}) => {
+    ghostServer = await boot({backend, frontend});
 };
 
 // CASE: Ghost Server needs Starting
@@ -174,7 +174,7 @@ const freshModeGhostStart = async (options) => {
     await bootGhost(options);
 
     // Wait for the URL service to be ready, which happens after bootYou
-    if (options.withFrontend) {
+    if (options.frontend) {
         await urlServiceUtils.isFinished();
     }
 };
@@ -183,8 +183,8 @@ const startGhost = async (options) => {
     const startTime = Date.now();
     debug('Start Ghost');
     options = _.merge({
-        withBackend: true,
-        withFrontend: true,
+        backend: true,
+        frontend: true,
         redirectsFile: true,
         redirectsFileExt: '.json',
         forceStart: false,