diff --git a/pkg/api/conversion.go b/pkg/api/conversion.go
index 6e18834ba52..39dfb653d88 100644
--- a/pkg/api/conversion.go
+++ b/pkg/api/conversion.go
@@ -61,6 +61,23 @@ func init() {
 			}
 			return nil
 		},
+
+		// MinionList.Items had a wrong name in v1beta1
+		func(in *MinionList, out *v1beta1.MinionList) error {
+			Convert(&in.JSONBase, &out.JSONBase)
+			Convert(&in.Items, &out.Items)
+			out.Minions = out.Items
+			return nil
+		},
+		func(in *v1beta1.MinionList, out *MinionList) error {
+			Convert(&in.JSONBase, &out.JSONBase)
+			if len(in.Items) == 0 {
+				Convert(&in.Minions, &out.Items)
+			} else {
+				Convert(&in.Items, &out.Items)
+			}
+			return nil
+		},
 	)
 
 }
diff --git a/pkg/api/conversion_test.go b/pkg/api/conversion_test.go
index bcfebe8470f..11e2e71868e 100644
--- a/pkg/api/conversion_test.go
+++ b/pkg/api/conversion_test.go
@@ -110,3 +110,82 @@ func TestVolumeMountConversionToNew(t *testing.T) {
 		}
 	}
 }
+
+func TestMinionListConversionToNew(t *testing.T) {
+	oldMinion := func(id string) v1beta1.Minion {
+		return v1beta1.Minion{JSONBase: v1beta1.JSONBase{ID: id}}
+	}
+	newMinion := func(id string) Minion {
+		return Minion{JSONBase: JSONBase{ID: id}}
+	}
+	oldMinions := []v1beta1.Minion{
+		oldMinion("foo"),
+		oldMinion("bar"),
+	}
+	newMinions := []Minion{
+		newMinion("foo"),
+		newMinion("bar"),
+	}
+
+	table := []struct {
+		oldML *v1beta1.MinionList
+		newML *MinionList
+	}{
+		{
+			oldML: &v1beta1.MinionList{Items: oldMinions},
+			newML: &MinionList{Items: newMinions},
+		}, {
+			oldML: &v1beta1.MinionList{Minions: oldMinions},
+			newML: &MinionList{Items: newMinions},
+		}, {
+			oldML: &v1beta1.MinionList{
+				Items:   oldMinions,
+				Minions: []v1beta1.Minion{oldMinion("baz")},
+			},
+			newML: &MinionList{Items: newMinions},
+		},
+	}
+
+	for _, item := range table {
+		got := &MinionList{}
+		err := Convert(item.oldML, got)
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Errorf("Unexpected error: %v", err)
+		}
+		if e, a := item.newML, got; !reflect.DeepEqual(e, a) {
+			t.Errorf("Expected: %#v, got %#v", e, a)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+func TestMinionListConversionToOld(t *testing.T) {
+	oldMinion := func(id string) v1beta1.Minion {
+		return v1beta1.Minion{JSONBase: v1beta1.JSONBase{ID: id}}
+	}
+	newMinion := func(id string) Minion {
+		return Minion{JSONBase: JSONBase{ID: id}}
+	}
+	oldMinions := []v1beta1.Minion{
+		oldMinion("foo"),
+		oldMinion("bar"),
+	}
+	newMinions := []Minion{
+		newMinion("foo"),
+		newMinion("bar"),
+	}
+
+	newML := &MinionList{Items: newMinions}
+	oldML := &v1beta1.MinionList{
+		Items:   oldMinions,
+		Minions: oldMinions,
+	}
+
+	got := &v1beta1.MinionList{}
+	err := Convert(newML, got)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Errorf("Unexpected error: %v", err)
+	}
+	if e, a := oldML, got; !reflect.DeepEqual(e, a) {
+		t.Errorf("Expected: %#v, got %#v", e, a)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/pkg/api/types.go b/pkg/api/types.go
index 9e3f61845e9..646c006150b 100644
--- a/pkg/api/types.go
+++ b/pkg/api/types.go
@@ -339,7 +339,7 @@ type Minion struct {
 // MinionList is a list of minions.
 type MinionList struct {
 	JSONBase `json:",inline" yaml:",inline"`
-	Items    []Minion `json:"minions,omitempty" yaml:"minions,omitempty"`
+	Items    []Minion `json:"items,omitempty" yaml:"items,omitempty"`
 }
 
 // Binding is written by a scheduler to cause a pod to be bound to a host.
diff --git a/pkg/api/v1beta1/types.go b/pkg/api/v1beta1/types.go
index 74468ce3961..007dbb502b4 100644
--- a/pkg/api/v1beta1/types.go
+++ b/pkg/api/v1beta1/types.go
@@ -349,7 +349,10 @@ type Minion struct {
 // MinionList is a list of minions.
 type MinionList struct {
 	JSONBase `json:",inline" yaml:",inline"`
-	Items    []Minion `json:"minions,omitempty" yaml:"minions,omitempty"`
+	// DEPRECATED: the below Minions is due to a naming mistake and
+	// will be replaced with Items in the future.
+	Minions []Minion `json:"minions,omitempty" yaml:"minions,omitempty"`
+	Items   []Minion `json:"items,omitempty" yaml:"items,omitempty"`
 }
 
 // Binding is written by a scheduler to cause a pod to be bound to a host.