diff --git a/docs/source/io_formats/settings.rst b/docs/source/io_formats/settings.rst
index 70a05416b4..53376b04c7 100644
--- a/docs/source/io_formats/settings.rst
+++ b/docs/source/io_formats/settings.rst
@@ -751,7 +751,7 @@ This element has the following attributes/sub-elements:
 
     *Default*: None
 
-  :max_surface_particles:
+  :max_particles:
     An integer indicating the maximum number of particles to be banked on
     specified surfaces per processor. The size of source bank in
     ``surface_source.h5`` is limited to this value times the number of
diff --git a/openmc/settings.py b/openmc/settings.py
index 57155b0dfe..615e6365aa 100644
--- a/openmc/settings.py
+++ b/openmc/settings.py
@@ -955,7 +955,7 @@ class Settings:
                 subelement.text = ' '.join(
                     str(x) for x in self._surf_source_write['surface_ids'])
             if 'max_particles' in self._surf_source_write:
-                subelement = ET.SubElement(element, "max_surface_particles")
+                subelement = ET.SubElement(element, "max_particles")
                 subelement.text = str(self._surf_source_write['max_particles'])
 
     def _create_confidence_intervals(self, root):
@@ -1230,12 +1230,12 @@ class Settings:
     def _surf_source_write_from_xml_element(self, root):
         elem = root.find('surf_source_write')
         if elem is not None:
-            for key in ('surface_ids', 'max_surface_particles'):
+            for key in ('surface_ids', 'max_particles'):
                 value = get_text(elem, key)
                 if value is not None:
                     if key == 'surface_ids':
                         value = [int(x) for x in value.split()]
-                    elif key in ('max_surface_particles'):
+                    elif key in ('max_particles'):
                         value = int(value)
                     self.surf_source_write[key] = value
 
diff --git a/src/relaxng/settings.rng b/src/relaxng/settings.rng
index 57b96aac98..07b8a6d1d7 100644
--- a/src/relaxng/settings.rng
+++ b/src/relaxng/settings.rng
@@ -670,10 +670,10 @@
             </attribute>
           </choice>
           <choice>
-            <element name="max_surface_particles">
+            <element name="max_particles">
               <data type="positiveInteger"/>
             </element>
-            <attribute name="max_surface_particles">
+            <attribute name="max_particles">
               <data type="positiveInteger"/>
             </attribute>
           </choice>
diff --git a/src/settings.cpp b/src/settings.cpp
index f5ee10d5c5..41b18942c3 100644
--- a/src/settings.cpp
+++ b/src/settings.cpp
@@ -655,8 +655,8 @@ void read_settings_xml()
     }
 
     // Get maximum number of particles to be banked per surface
-    if (check_for_node(node_ssw, "max_surface_particles")) {
-      max_surface_particles = std::stoll(get_node_value(node_ssw, "max_surface_particles"));
+    if (check_for_node(node_ssw, "max_particles")) {
+      max_surface_particles = std::stoll(get_node_value(node_ssw, "max_particles"));
     }
   }
 
diff --git a/tests/regression_tests/surface_source/inputs_true_write.dat b/tests/regression_tests/surface_source/inputs_true_write.dat
index 4718187b4b..48dde9900a 100644
--- a/tests/regression_tests/surface_source/inputs_true_write.dat
+++ b/tests/regression_tests/surface_source/inputs_true_write.dat
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@
   </source>
   <surf_source_write>
     <surface_ids>1</surface_ids>
-    <max_surface_particles>1000</max_surface_particles>
+    <max_particles>1000</max_particles>
   </surf_source_write>
   <seed>1</seed>
 </settings>
diff --git a/tests/unit_tests/test_settings.py b/tests/unit_tests/test_settings.py
index 429e2824d5..7a3357d439 100644
--- a/tests/unit_tests/test_settings.py
+++ b/tests/unit_tests/test_settings.py
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ def test_export_to_xml(run_in_tmpdir):
                              'write': True, 'overwrite': True}
     assert s.statepoint == {'batches': [50, 150, 500, 1000]}
     assert s.surf_source_read == {'path': 'surface_source_1.h5'}
-    assert s.surf_source_write == {'surface_ids': [2], 'max_surface_particles': 200}
+    assert s.surf_source_write == {'surface_ids': [2], 'max_particles': 200}
     assert s.confidence_intervals
     assert s.ptables
     assert s.seed == 17