diff --git a/tests/test_cookiecutter_generation.py b/tests/test_cookiecutter_generation.py
index 6219f75ef..3a881cc64 100755
--- a/tests/test_cookiecutter_generation.py
+++ b/tests/test_cookiecutter_generation.py
@@ -134,11 +134,11 @@ def _fixture_id(ctx):
     return "-".join(f"{key}:{value}" for key, value in ctx.items())
 
 
-def build_files_list(root_dir):
+def build_files_list(base_dir):
     """Build a list containing absolute paths to the generated files."""
     return [
         os.path.join(dirpath, file_path)
-        for dirpath, subdirs, files in os.walk(root_dir)
+        for dirpath, subdirs, files in os.walk(base_dir)
         for file_path in files
     ]
 
diff --git a/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/config/asgi.py b/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/config/asgi.py
index 8c99bbf53..65e76ca0a 100644
--- a/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/config/asgi.py
+++ b/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/config/asgi.py
@@ -15,8 +15,8 @@ from django.core.asgi import get_asgi_application
 
 # This allows easy placement of apps within the interior
 # {{ cookiecutter.project_slug }} directory.
-ROOT_DIR = Path(__file__).resolve(strict=True).parent.parent
-sys.path.append(str(ROOT_DIR / "{{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}"))
+BASE_DIR = Path(__file__).resolve(strict=True).parent.parent
+sys.path.append(str(BASE_DIR / "{{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}"))
 
 # If DJANGO_SETTINGS_MODULE is unset, default to the local settings
 os.environ.setdefault("DJANGO_SETTINGS_MODULE", "config.settings.local")
diff --git a/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/config/settings/base.py b/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/config/settings/base.py
index 6bf6a6e5c..44b03fa03 100644
--- a/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/config/settings/base.py
+++ b/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/config/settings/base.py
@@ -5,15 +5,15 @@ from pathlib import Path
 
 import environ
 
-ROOT_DIR = Path(__file__).resolve(strict=True).parent.parent.parent
+BASE_DIR = Path(__file__).resolve(strict=True).parent.parent.parent
 # {{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}/
-APPS_DIR = ROOT_DIR / "{{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}"
+APPS_DIR = BASE_DIR / "{{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}"
 env = environ.Env()
 
 READ_DOT_ENV_FILE = env.bool("DJANGO_READ_DOT_ENV_FILE", default=False)
 if READ_DOT_ENV_FILE:
     # OS environment variables take precedence over variables from .env
-    env.read_env(str(ROOT_DIR / ".env"))
+    env.read_env(str(BASE_DIR / ".env"))
 
 # GENERAL
 # ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ USE_I18N = True
 # https://docs.djangoproject.com/en/dev/ref/settings/#use-tz
 USE_TZ = True
 # https://docs.djangoproject.com/en/dev/ref/settings/#locale-paths
-LOCALE_PATHS = [str(ROOT_DIR / "locale")]
+LOCALE_PATHS = [str(BASE_DIR / "locale")]
 
 # DATABASES
 # ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -159,7 +159,7 @@ MIDDLEWARE = [
 # STATIC
 # ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 # https://docs.djangoproject.com/en/dev/ref/settings/#static-root
-STATIC_ROOT = str(ROOT_DIR / "staticfiles")
+STATIC_ROOT = str(BASE_DIR / "staticfiles")
 # https://docs.djangoproject.com/en/dev/ref/settings/#static-url
 STATIC_URL = "/static/"
 # https://docs.djangoproject.com/en/dev/ref/contrib/staticfiles/#std:setting-STATICFILES_DIRS
diff --git a/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/config/wsgi.py b/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/config/wsgi.py
index a7de581ca..3fd809ef3 100644
--- a/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/config/wsgi.py
+++ b/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/config/wsgi.py
@@ -21,8 +21,8 @@ from django.core.wsgi import get_wsgi_application
 
 # This allows easy placement of apps within the interior
 # {{ cookiecutter.project_slug }} directory.
-ROOT_DIR = Path(__file__).resolve(strict=True).parent.parent
-sys.path.append(str(ROOT_DIR / "{{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}"))
+BASE_DIR = Path(__file__).resolve(strict=True).parent.parent
+sys.path.append(str(BASE_DIR / "{{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}"))
 # We defer to a DJANGO_SETTINGS_MODULE already in the environment. This breaks
 # if running multiple sites in the same mod_wsgi process. To fix this, use
 # mod_wsgi daemon mode with each site in its own daemon process, or use
diff --git a/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/merge_production_dotenvs_in_dotenv.py b/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/merge_production_dotenvs_in_dotenv.py
index d702a5f67..e5f82504a 100644
--- a/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/merge_production_dotenvs_in_dotenv.py
+++ b/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/merge_production_dotenvs_in_dotenv.py
@@ -4,13 +4,13 @@ from pathlib import Path
 
 import pytest
 
-ROOT_DIR_PATH = Path(__file__).parent.resolve()
-PRODUCTION_DOTENVS_DIR_PATH = ROOT_DIR_PATH / ".envs" / ".production"
+BASE_DIR_PATH = Path(__file__).parent.resolve()
+PRODUCTION_DOTENVS_DIR_PATH = BASE_DIR_PATH / ".envs" / ".production"
 PRODUCTION_DOTENV_FILE_PATHS = [
     PRODUCTION_DOTENVS_DIR_PATH / ".django",
     PRODUCTION_DOTENVS_DIR_PATH / ".postgres",
 ]
-DOTENV_FILE_PATH = ROOT_DIR_PATH / ".env"
+DOTENV_FILE_PATH = BASE_DIR_PATH / ".env"
 
 
 def merge(