diff --git a/contracts/connection-router/tests/mock.rs b/contracts/connection-router/tests/mock.rs
index 67bc0c1dd..22541610f 100644
--- a/contracts/connection-router/tests/mock.rs
+++ b/contracts/connection-router/tests/mock.rs
@@ -30,13 +30,13 @@ pub fn mock_gateway_execute(
 
 #[cw_serde]
 pub enum MockGatewayQueryMsg {
-    GetMessages { ids: Vec<CrossChainId> },
+    GetOutgoingMessages { ids: Vec<CrossChainId> },
 }
 pub fn mock_gateway_query(deps: Deps, _env: Env, msg: MockGatewayQueryMsg) -> StdResult<Binary> {
     let mut msgs = vec![];
 
     match msg {
-        MockGatewayQueryMsg::GetMessages { ids } => {
+        MockGatewayQueryMsg::GetOutgoingMessages { ids } => {
             for id in ids {
                 match MOCK_GATEWAY_MESSAGES.may_load(deps.storage, id)? {
                     Some(m) => msgs.push(m),
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ pub fn get_gateway_messages(
     app.wrap()
         .query_wasm_smart(
             gateway_address,
-            &MockGatewayQueryMsg::GetMessages {
+            &MockGatewayQueryMsg::GetOutgoingMessages {
                 ids: msgs.iter().map(|msg| msg.cc_id.clone()).collect(),
             },
         )
diff --git a/contracts/gateway/src/contract.rs b/contracts/gateway/src/contract.rs
index 7cb4518fa..90b178f6d 100644
--- a/contracts/gateway/src/contract.rs
+++ b/contracts/gateway/src/contract.rs
@@ -120,7 +120,7 @@ mod internal {
 
     pub(crate) fn query(deps: Deps, _env: Env, msg: QueryMsg) -> Result<Binary, Error> {
         match msg {
-            QueryMsg::GetMessages { message_ids } => {
+            QueryMsg::GetOutgoingMessages { message_ids } => {
                 let msgs = contract::query::get_outgoing_messages(deps.storage, message_ids)?;
                 to_binary(&msgs).change_context(Error::SerializeResponse)
             }
diff --git a/contracts/gateway/tests/contract.rs b/contracts/gateway/tests/contract.rs
index 790cabc53..069dd80ff 100644
--- a/contracts/gateway/tests/contract.rs
+++ b/contracts/gateway/tests/contract.rs
@@ -137,7 +137,7 @@ fn successful_route_outgoing() {
         let router = "router";
         instantiate_contract(deps.as_mut(), "verifier", router);
 
-        let query_msg = QueryMsg::GetMessages {
+        let query_msg = QueryMsg::GetOutgoingMessages {
             message_ids: msgs.iter().map(|msg| msg.cc_id.clone()).collect(),
         };
 
diff --git a/contracts/multisig-prover/src/execute.rs b/contracts/multisig-prover/src/execute.rs
index 0cb4fb13b..2c748ed64 100644
--- a/contracts/multisig-prover/src/execute.rs
+++ b/contracts/multisig-prover/src/execute.rs
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ fn get_messages(
 ) -> Result<Vec<Message>, ContractError> {
     let length = message_ids.len();
 
-    let query = gateway_api::msg::QueryMsg::GetMessages { message_ids };
+    let query = gateway_api::msg::QueryMsg::GetOutgoingMessages { message_ids };
     let messages: Vec<Message> = querier.query(&QueryRequest::Wasm(WasmQuery::Smart {
         contract_addr: gateway.into(),
         msg: to_binary(&query)?,
diff --git a/contracts/multisig-prover/src/test/mocks/gateway.rs b/contracts/multisig-prover/src/test/mocks/gateway.rs
index 999a44937..9b6b1a64b 100644
--- a/contracts/multisig-prover/src/test/mocks/gateway.rs
+++ b/contracts/multisig-prover/src/test/mocks/gateway.rs
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ pub fn execute(
 
 pub fn query(_deps: Deps, _env: Env, msg: QueryMsg) -> StdResult<Binary> {
     match msg {
-        QueryMsg::GetMessages { message_ids: _ } => {
+        QueryMsg::GetOutgoingMessages { message_ids: _ } => {
             let res = test_data::messages();
             to_binary(&res)
         }
diff --git a/integration-tests/tests/test_utils/mod.rs b/integration-tests/tests/test_utils/mod.rs
index 63a7df15a..207c3ee5c 100644
--- a/integration-tests/tests/test_utils/mod.rs
+++ b/integration-tests/tests/test_utils/mod.rs
@@ -221,7 +221,7 @@ pub fn get_messages_from_gateway(
 ) -> Vec<Message> {
     let query_response = app.wrap().query_wasm_smart(
         gateway_address,
-        &gateway_api::msg::QueryMsg::GetMessages {
+        &gateway_api::msg::QueryMsg::GetOutgoingMessages {
             message_ids: message_ids.to_owned(),
         },
     );
diff --git a/packages/gateway-api/src/msg.rs b/packages/gateway-api/src/msg.rs
index 37de48160..578a018eb 100644
--- a/packages/gateway-api/src/msg.rs
+++ b/packages/gateway-api/src/msg.rs
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ pub enum ExecuteMsg {
 #[cw_serde]
 #[derive(QueryResponses)]
 pub enum QueryMsg {
+    // messages that can be relayed to the chain corresponding to this gateway
     #[returns(Vec<Message>)]
-    GetMessages { message_ids: Vec<CrossChainId> },
+    GetOutgoingMessages { message_ids: Vec<CrossChainId> },
 }