diff --git a/pubs/commands/add_cmd.py b/pubs/commands/add_cmd.py
index 88091f6..b56927e 100644
--- a/pubs/commands/add_cmd.py
+++ b/pubs/commands/add_cmd.py
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@ def command(conf, args):
             ui.error('invalid bibfile {}.'.format(bibfile))
 
     # exclude bibtex fields if specified
-    utils.remove_bibtex_fields(bibentry, conf['main']['bibtex_field_excludes'])
+    utils.remove_bibtex_fields(bibentry, conf['main']['exclude_bibtex_fields'])
 
     # citekey
 
diff --git a/pubs/commands/edit_cmd.py b/pubs/commands/edit_cmd.py
index 591c2d1..3e52383 100644
--- a/pubs/commands/edit_cmd.py
+++ b/pubs/commands/edit_cmd.py
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ def command(conf, args):
                          "edited.".format(color.dye_out(citekey, 'citekey'))))
             else:
                 # exclude bibtex fields if specified
-                remove_bibtex_fields(content, conf['main']['bibtex_field_excludes'])
+                remove_bibtex_fields(content, conf['main']['exclude_bibtex_fields'])
 
                 new_paper = Paper.from_bibentry(content,
                                                 metadata=paper.metadata)
diff --git a/pubs/commands/export_cmd.py b/pubs/commands/export_cmd.py
index c3c3a89..9c3831b 100644
--- a/pubs/commands/export_cmd.py
+++ b/pubs/commands/export_cmd.py
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ def command(conf, args):
         bib[p.citekey] = p.bibdata
 
     # exclude bibtex fields if specified
-    remove_bibtex_fields(bib, conf['main']['bibtex_field_excludes'])
+    remove_bibtex_fields(bib, conf['main']['exclude_bibtex_fields'])
 
     exporter = endecoder.EnDecoder()
     bibdata_raw = exporter.encode_bibdata(bib, args.ignore_fields)
diff --git a/pubs/commands/import_cmd.py b/pubs/commands/import_cmd.py
index a33e467..775ae41 100644
--- a/pubs/commands/import_cmd.py
+++ b/pubs/commands/import_cmd.py
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ def parser(subparsers, conf):
     return parser
 
 
-def many_from_path(ui, bibpath, bibtex_field_excludes=[], ignore=False):
+def many_from_path(ui, bibpath, exclude_bibtex_fields=[], ignore=False):
     """Extract list of papers found in bibliographic files in path.
 
     The behavior is to:
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ def many_from_path(ui, bibpath, bibtex_field_excludes=[], ignore=False):
         try:
             bibentry = coder.decode_bibdata(read_text_file(filepath))
             # exclude bibtex fields if specified
-            remove_bibtex_fields(bibentry, bibtex_field_excludes)
+            remove_bibtex_fields(bibentry, exclude_bibtex_fields)
             biblist.append(bibentry)
         except coder.BibDecodingError:
             error = "Could not parse bibtex at {}.".format(filepath)
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ def command(conf, args):
     rp = repo.Repository(conf)
     # Extract papers from bib
     papers = many_from_path(ui, bibpath,
-        bibtex_field_excludes=conf['main']['bibtex_field_excludes'],
+        exclude_bibtex_fields=conf['main']['exclude_bibtex_fields'],
         ignore=args.ignore_malformed)
     keys = args.keys or papers.keys()
     for k in keys:
diff --git a/pubs/config/spec.py b/pubs/config/spec.py
index ee8579d..a323ada 100644
--- a/pubs/config/spec.py
+++ b/pubs/config/spec.py
@@ -35,8 +35,10 @@ max_authors = integer(default=3)
 # the full python stack is printed.
 debug = boolean(default=False)
 
-# which bibliographic fields to exclude from bibtex files.
-bibtex_field_excludes = force_list(default=list())
+# which bibliographic fields to exclude from bibtex files. By default, none.
+# Please note that excluding critical fields such as `title` or `author`
+# will break many commands of pubs.
+exclude_bibtex_fields = force_list(default=list())
 
 [formating]
 
diff --git a/tests/str_fixtures.py b/tests/str_fixtures.py
index 2e79f52..7dfd5b8 100644
--- a/tests/str_fixtures.py
+++ b/tests/str_fixtures.py
@@ -139,7 +139,7 @@ edit_cmd = "vim"
 debug = False
 
 # which bibliographic fields to exclude from bibtex files.
-bibtex_field_excludes = 
+exclude_bibtex_fields =
 
 [formating]
 
diff --git a/tests/test_usecase.py b/tests/test_usecase.py
index 20e8242..053543d 100644
--- a/tests/test_usecase.py
+++ b/tests/test_usecase.py
@@ -440,7 +440,7 @@ class TestAdd(URLContentTestCase):
     def test_add_excludes_bibtex_fields(self):
         self.execute_cmds(['pubs init'])
         config = conf.load_conf()
-        config['main']['bibtex_field_excludes'] = ['abstract', 'publisher']
+        config['main']['exclude_bibtex_fields'] = ['abstract', 'publisher']
         conf.save_conf(config)
         self.execute_cmds(['pubs add data/pagerank.bib'])
         with FakeFileOpen(self.fs)(self.default_pubs_dir + '/bib/Page99.bib', 'r') as buf:
@@ -846,7 +846,7 @@ class TestUsecase(DataCommandTestCase):
                 ]
         self.execute_cmds(cmds)
         config = conf.load_conf()
-        config['main']['bibtex_field_excludes'] = ['author']
+        config['main']['exclude_bibtex_fields'] = ['author']
         conf.save_conf(config)
         cmds = [('pubs edit Page99', ['@misc{Page99, title="TTT", author="auth"}', 'n'])]
         self.execute_cmds(cmds)
@@ -940,7 +940,7 @@ class TestUsecase(DataCommandTestCase):
                 ]
         self.execute_cmds(cmds)
         config = conf.load_conf()
-        config['main']['bibtex_field_excludes'] = ['url']
+        config['main']['exclude_bibtex_fields'] = ['url']
         conf.save_conf(config)
         outs = self.execute_cmds(['pubs export Page99'])
         for bib in endecoder.EnDecoder().decode_bibdata(outs[0]).values():
@@ -1011,7 +1011,7 @@ class TestUsecase(DataCommandTestCase):
     def test_import_excludes_bibtex_field(self):
         self.execute_cmds(['pubs init'])
         config = conf.load_conf()
-        config['main']['bibtex_field_excludes'] = ['abstract']
+        config['main']['exclude_bibtex_fields'] = ['abstract']
         conf.save_conf(config)
         self.execute_cmds(['pubs import data/ Page99'])
         with FakeFileOpen(self.fs)(self.default_pubs_dir + '/bib/Page99.bib', 'r') as buf: