diff --git a/.env.example b/.env.example
index 03baec27..4706e636 100644
--- a/.env.example
+++ b/.env.example
@@ -37,5 +37,5 @@ NEON_API_TOKEN=y
 NEON_API_BASE_URL=https://data.neonscience.org/api/v0
 
 NERSC_USERNAME=replaceme
-ORCID_CLIENT_ID=replaceme
-ORCID_CLIENT_SECRET=replaceme
\ No newline at end of file
+ORCID_NMDC_CLIENT_ID=replaceme
+ORCID_NMDC_CLIENT_SECRET=replaceme
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/nmdc_runtime/api/core/auth.py b/nmdc_runtime/api/core/auth.py
index 85c5d5a5..251019b7 100644
--- a/nmdc_runtime/api/core/auth.py
+++ b/nmdc_runtime/api/core/auth.py
@@ -23,8 +23,8 @@
 
 SECRET_KEY = os.getenv("JWT_SECRET_KEY")
 ALGORITHM = "HS256"
-ORCID_CLIENT_ID = os.getenv("ORCID_CLIENT_ID")
-ORCID_CLIENT_SECRET = os.getenv("ORCID_CLIENT_SECRET")
+ORCID_NMDC_CLIENT_ID = os.getenv("ORCID_NMDC_CLIENT_ID")
+ORCID_NMDC_CLIENT_SECRET = os.getenv("ORCID_NMDC_CLIENT_SECRET")
 
 # https://orcid.org/.well-known/openid-configuration
 # XXX do we want to live-load this?
diff --git a/nmdc_runtime/api/endpoints/users.py b/nmdc_runtime/api/endpoints/users.py
index c174092c..a67ac073 100644
--- a/nmdc_runtime/api/endpoints/users.py
+++ b/nmdc_runtime/api/endpoints/users.py
@@ -14,11 +14,11 @@
     Token,
     ACCESS_TOKEN_EXPIRES,
     create_access_token,
-    ORCID_CLIENT_ID,
+    ORCID_NMDC_CLIENT_ID,
     ORCID_JWK,
     ORCID_JWS_VERITY_ALGORITHM,
     credentials_exception,
-    ORCID_CLIENT_SECRET,
+    ORCID_NMDC_CLIENT_SECRET,
 )
 from nmdc_runtime.api.core.auth import get_password_hash
 from nmdc_runtime.api.core.util import generate_secret
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ async def receive_orcid_code(request: Request, code: str, state: str | None = No
     rv = requests.post(
         "https://orcid.org/oauth/token",
         data=(
-            f"client_id={ORCID_CLIENT_ID}&client_secret={ORCID_CLIENT_SECRET}&"
+            f"client_id={ORCID_NMDC_CLIENT_ID}&client_secret={ORCID_NMDC_CLIENT_SECRET}&"
             f"grant_type=authorization_code&code={code}&redirect_uri={BASE_URL_EXTERNAL}/orcid_code"
         ),
         headers={
diff --git a/nmdc_runtime/api/main.py b/nmdc_runtime/api/main.py
index d403b607..cd7a1d33 100644
--- a/nmdc_runtime/api/main.py
+++ b/nmdc_runtime/api/main.py
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@
     ensure_unique_id_indexes,
     REPO_ROOT_DIR,
 )
-from nmdc_runtime.api.core.auth import get_password_hash, ORCID_CLIENT_ID
+from nmdc_runtime.api.core.auth import get_password_hash, ORCID_NMDC_CLIENT_ID
 from nmdc_runtime.api.db.mongo import (
     get_mongo_db,
 )
@@ -366,7 +366,7 @@ async def get_versions():
         f'nmdc-schema={version("nmdc_schema")}\n\n'
         "<a href='https://microbiomedata.github.io/nmdc-runtime/'>Documentation</a>\n\n"
         '<img src="/static/ORCIDiD_icon128x128.png" height="18" width="18"/> '
-        f'<a href="https://orcid.org/oauth/authorize?client_id={ORCID_CLIENT_ID}'
+        f'<a href="https://orcid.org/oauth/authorize?client_id={ORCID_NMDC_CLIENT_ID}'
         "&response_type=code&scope=openid&"
         f'redirect_uri={BASE_URL_EXTERNAL}/orcid_code">Login with ORCiD</a>'
         " (note: this link is static; if you are logged in, you will see a 'locked' lock icon"