diff --git a/lamindb_setup/_close.py b/lamindb_setup/_close.py
index 6945dd9bd..34553f963 100644
--- a/lamindb_setup/_close.py
+++ b/lamindb_setup/_close.py
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ def close(mute: bool = False) -> None:
     Returns `None` if succeeds, otherwise an exception is raised.
     """
     if current_instance_settings_file().exists():
-        instance = settings.instance.identifier
+        instance = settings.instance.slug
         try:
             settings.instance._update_cloud_sqlite_file()
         except Exception as e:
diff --git a/lamindb_setup/_delete.py b/lamindb_setup/_delete.py
index 9231fec9e..33ce30668 100644
--- a/lamindb_setup/_delete.py
+++ b/lamindb_setup/_delete.py
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ def delete(instance_name: str, force: bool = False):
 
     delete_settings(settings_file)
     if settings._instance_exists:
-        if instance_identifier == settings.instance.identifier:
+        if instance_identifier == settings.instance.slug:
             close(mute=True)  # close() does further operations, unlocking...
             settings._instance_settings = None
     delete_cache(isettings.storage.cache_dir)
diff --git a/lamindb_setup/_init_instance.py b/lamindb_setup/_init_instance.py
index 247f00fd0..35e89ae02 100644
--- a/lamindb_setup/_init_instance.py
+++ b/lamindb_setup/_init_instance.py
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ def reload_lamindb(isettings: InstanceSettings):
         import lamindb
 
         importlib.reload(lamindb)
-        logger.important(f"lamindb instance: {isettings.identifier}")
+        logger.important(f"lamindb instance: {isettings.slug}")
     else:
         # only log if we're outside lamindb
         # lamindb itself logs upon import!
diff --git a/lamindb_setup/_load_instance.py b/lamindb_setup/_load_instance.py
index bff34a6af..b80d13a4e 100644
--- a/lamindb_setup/_load_instance.py
+++ b/lamindb_setup/_load_instance.py
@@ -106,10 +106,7 @@ def load(
         )
     else:
         # compare normalized identifier with a potentially previously loaded identifier
-        if (
-            settings._instance_exists
-            and f"{owner}/{name}" != settings.instance.identifier
-        ):
+        if settings._instance_exists and f"{owner}/{name}" != settings.instance.slug:
             close_instance(mute=True)
 
     settings_file = instance_settings_file(name, owner)
diff --git a/lamindb_setup/_migrate.py b/lamindb_setup/_migrate.py
index d73596618..9f6acfc9c 100644
--- a/lamindb_setup/_migrate.py
+++ b/lamindb_setup/_migrate.py
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ def deploy(cls) -> None:
             if collaborator is None or collaborator["role"] != "admin":
                 raise SystemExit(
                     "❌ Only admins can deploy migrations, please ensure that you're an"
-                    f" admin: https://lamin.ai/{settings.instance.identifier}/settings"
+                    f" admin: https://lamin.ai/{settings.instance.slug}/settings"
                 )
             # we need lamindb to be installed, otherwise we can't populate the version
             # information in the hub
diff --git a/lamindb_setup/core/_settings_instance.py b/lamindb_setup/core/_settings_instance.py
index 0a0747fb5..09adcda9c 100644
--- a/lamindb_setup/core/_settings_instance.py
+++ b/lamindb_setup/core/_settings_instance.py
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ def __init__(
 
     def __repr__(self):
         """Rich string representation."""
-        representation = f"Current instance: {self.identifier}"
+        representation = f"Current instance: {self.slug}"
         attrs = ["owner", "name", "storage", "db", "schema"]
         for attr in attrs:
             value = getattr(self, attr)
@@ -80,10 +80,16 @@ def name(self) -> str:
 
     @property
     def identifier(self) -> str:
-        """Unique semantic identifier.
+        """Unique semantic identifier."""
+        logger.warning(
+            "InstanceSettings.identifier is deprecated and will be removed, use"
+            " InstanceSettings.slug instead"
+        )
+        return self.slug
 
-        See remote instances at https://lamin.ai/owner/name.
-        """
+    @property
+    def slug(self) -> str:
+        """Unique semantic identifier of form `"{account_handle}/{instance_name}"`."""
         return f"{self.owner}/{self.name}"
 
     @property
@@ -120,7 +126,7 @@ def _update_cloud_sqlite_file(self, unlock_cloud_sqlite: bool = True) -> None:
             sqlite_file = self._sqlite_file
             logger.warning(
                 f"updating & unlocking cloud SQLite '{sqlite_file}' of instance"
-                f" '{self.identifier}'"
+                f" '{self.slug}'"
             )
             cache_file = self.storage.cloud_to_local_no_update(sqlite_file)
             sqlite_file.upload_from(cache_file, print_progress=True)  # type: ignore