--- a/scripts/image/imfinfo.m
+++ b/scripts/image/imfinfo.m
@@ -120,5 +120,5 @@
   elseif (nargin > 1 && ! ischar (varargin{2}))
     error ("imfinfo: EXT must be a string");
   endif
-  info = imageIO (@core_imfinfo, "info", varargin, varargin{:});
+  info = imageIO (@__imfinfo__, "info", varargin, varargin{:});
 endfunction

--- a/scripts/image/imformats.m
+++ b/scripts/image/imformats.m
@@ -241,9 +241,9 @@
   endfor
 
   ## the default info, read, and write functions
-  [formats.info ] = deal (@core_imfinfo);
-  [formats.read ] = deal (@core_imread);
-  [formats.write] = deal (@core_imwrite);
+  [formats.info ] = deal (@__imfinfo__);
+  [formats.read ] = deal (@__imread__);
+  [formats.write] = deal (@__imwrite__);
 
   ## fills rest of format information by checking with GraphicsMagick
   formats = __magick_formats__ (formats);
@@ -270,7 +270,7 @@
 function bool = isa_magick (coder, filename)
   bool = false;
   try
-    info = core_imfinfo (filename);
+    info = __imfinfo__ (filename);
     bool = strcmp (coder, info.Format);
   end_try_catch
 endfunction

--- a/scripts/image/imread.m
+++ b/scripts/image/imread.m
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@
     filename{2} = varargin{2};
   endif
 
-  [varargout{1:nargout}] = imageIO (@core_imread, "read", filename, varargin{:});
+  [varargout{1:nargout}] = imageIO (@__imread__, "read", filename, varargin{:});
 endfunction
 
 %!testif HAVE_MAGICK

--- a/scripts/image/imwrite.m
+++ b/scripts/image/imwrite.m
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@
     endif
     warning ("imwrite: unlisted image format %s (see imformats). Trying to save anyway.",
              ext);
-    core_imwrite (varargin{:});
+    __imwrite__ (varargin{:});
   else
     fmt.write (varargin{:});
   endif

--- a/scripts/image/module.mk
+++ b/scripts/image/module.mk
@@ -1,9 +1,9 @@
 FCN_FILE_DIRS += image
 
 image_PRIVATE_FCN_FILES = \
-  image/private/core_imfinfo.m \
-  image/private/core_imread.m \
-  image/private/core_imwrite.m \
+  image/private/__imfinfo__.m \
+  image/private/__imread__.m \
+  image/private/__imwrite__.m \
   image/private/imageIO.m \
   image/private/imwrite_filename.m \
   image/private/ind2x.m

rename from scripts/image/private/core_imfinfo.m
rename to scripts/image/private/__imfinfo__.m
--- a/scripts/image/private/core_imfinfo.m
+++ b/scripts/image/private/__imfinfo__.m
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@
 
 ## Author: Soren Hauberg <hauberg@gmail.com>
 
-function info = core_imfinfo (filename, ext)
+function info = __imfinfo__ (filename, ext)
 
   if (nargin < 1 || nargin > 2)
     print_usage ("imfinfo");

rename from scripts/image/private/core_imread.m
rename to scripts/image/private/__imread__.m
--- a/scripts/image/private/core_imread.m
+++ b/scripts/image/private/__imread__.m
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@
 ## Author: Stefan van der Walt <stefan@sun.ac.za>
 ## Author: Andy Adler
 
-function varargout = core_imread (filename, varargin)
+function varargout = __imread__ (filename, varargin)
 
   if (nargin < 1)
     print_usage ("imread");

rename from scripts/image/private/core_imwrite.m
rename to scripts/image/private/__imwrite__.m
--- a/scripts/image/private/core_imwrite.m
+++ b/scripts/image/private/__imwrite__.m
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@
 ## configured to. It is also needed so that imformats can create a
 ## function handle for it.
 
-function core_imwrite (img, varargin)
+function __imwrite__ (img, varargin)
 
   if (nargin < 2 || ! (isnumeric (img) || islogical (img)))
     print_usage ("imwrite");

--- a/scripts/image/private/imwrite_filename.m
+++ b/scripts/image/private/imwrite_filename.m
@@ -18,9 +18,9 @@
 
 ## The input check for imwrite needs to be done twice, once when imwrite
 ## is called the first time to find where the filename is, and a second
-## time by core_imwrite after imformats decides what function to use.
+## time by __imwrite__ after imformats decides what function to use.
 ## Because a user can, and is encouraged to, get a function handle to
-## core_imwrite, the input check is also done there.
+## __imwrite__, the input check is also done there.
 ## In addition, the input check for imwrite is not that straightforward
 ## in order to support the multiple ways the function can be called,
 ## and interpretations of Matlab documentation.