diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/MetadataUpdateParser.java b/core/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/MetadataUpdateParser.java
index 174d037ee31c..634160954f82 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/MetadataUpdateParser.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/MetadataUpdateParser.java
@@ -99,10 +99,16 @@ private MetadataUpdateParser() {}
   private static final String MAX_REF_AGE_MS = "max-ref-age-ms";
 
   // SetProperties
+  // the REST API Spec defines "updates" but we initially used "updated",
+  // thus we need to support reading both indefinitely
   private static final String UPDATED = "updated";
+  private static final String UPDATES = "updates";
 
   // RemoveProperties
+  // the REST API Spec defines "removals" but we initially used "removed",
+  // thus we need to support reading both indefinitely
   private static final String REMOVED = "removed";
+  private static final String REMOVALS = "removals";
 
   // SetLocation
   private static final String LOCATION = "location";
@@ -368,13 +374,13 @@ private static void writeRemoveSnapshotRef(
 
   private static void writeSetProperties(MetadataUpdate.SetProperties update, JsonGenerator gen)
       throws IOException {
-    gen.writeFieldName(UPDATED);
+    gen.writeFieldName(UPDATES);
     gen.writeObject(update.updated());
   }
 
   private static void writeRemoveProperties(
       MetadataUpdate.RemoveProperties update, JsonGenerator gen) throws IOException {
-    gen.writeFieldName(REMOVED);
+    gen.writeFieldName(REMOVALS);
     gen.writeObject(update.removed());
   }
 
@@ -471,13 +477,35 @@ private static MetadataUpdate readRemoveSnapshotRef(JsonNode node) {
   }
 
   private static MetadataUpdate readSetProperties(JsonNode node) {
-    Map<String, String> updated = JsonUtil.getStringMap(UPDATED, node);
-    return new MetadataUpdate.SetProperties(updated);
+    Map<String, String> updates;
+
+    boolean hasLegacyField = node.has(UPDATED);
+    boolean hasUpdatesField = node.has(UPDATES);
+    if (hasLegacyField && hasUpdatesField) {
+      updates = JsonUtil.getStringMap(UPDATES, node);
+    } else if (hasLegacyField) {
+      updates = JsonUtil.getStringMap(UPDATED, node);
+    } else {
+      updates = JsonUtil.getStringMap(UPDATES, node);
+    }
+
+    return new MetadataUpdate.SetProperties(updates);
   }
 
   private static MetadataUpdate readRemoveProperties(JsonNode node) {
-    Set<String> removed = JsonUtil.getStringSet(REMOVED, node);
-    return new MetadataUpdate.RemoveProperties(removed);
+    Set<String> removals;
+
+    boolean hasLegacyField = node.has(REMOVED);
+    boolean hasRemovalsField = node.has(REMOVALS);
+    if (hasLegacyField && hasRemovalsField) {
+      removals = JsonUtil.getStringSet(REMOVALS, node);
+    } else if (hasLegacyField) {
+      removals = JsonUtil.getStringSet(REMOVED, node);
+    } else {
+      removals = JsonUtil.getStringSet(REMOVALS, node);
+    }
+
+    return new MetadataUpdate.RemoveProperties(removals);
   }
 
   private static MetadataUpdate readSetLocation(JsonNode node) {
diff --git a/core/src/test/java/org/apache/iceberg/TestMetadataUpdateParser.java b/core/src/test/java/org/apache/iceberg/TestMetadataUpdateParser.java
index 419b172b530f..80faccc5f2d6 100644
--- a/core/src/test/java/org/apache/iceberg/TestMetadataUpdateParser.java
+++ b/core/src/test/java/org/apache/iceberg/TestMetadataUpdateParser.java
@@ -664,9 +664,23 @@ public void testSetPropertiesFromJson() {
             "prop1", "val1",
             "prop2", "val2");
     String propsMap = "{\"prop1\":\"val1\",\"prop2\":\"val2\"}";
+
+    // make sure reading "updated" & "updates" both work
     String json = String.format("{\"action\":\"%s\",\"updated\":%s}", action, propsMap);
     MetadataUpdate expected = new MetadataUpdate.SetProperties(props);
     assertEquals(action, expected, MetadataUpdateParser.fromJson(json));
+
+    json = String.format("{\"action\":\"%s\",\"updates\":%s}", action, propsMap);
+    expected = new MetadataUpdate.SetProperties(props);
+    assertEquals(action, expected, MetadataUpdateParser.fromJson(json));
+
+    // if "updated" & "updates" are defined, then "updates" takes precedence
+    json =
+        String.format(
+            "{\"action\":\"%s\",\"updates\":%s,\"updated\":{\"propX\":\"valX\"}}",
+            action, propsMap);
+    expected = new MetadataUpdate.SetProperties(props);
+    assertEquals(action, expected, MetadataUpdateParser.fromJson(json));
   }
 
   @Test
@@ -692,7 +706,7 @@ public void testSetPropertiesToJson() {
             "prop1", "val1",
             "prop2", "val2");
     String propsMap = "{\"prop1\":\"val1\",\"prop2\":\"val2\"}";
-    String expected = String.format("{\"action\":\"%s\",\"updated\":%s}", action, propsMap);
+    String expected = String.format("{\"action\":\"%s\",\"updates\":%s}", action, propsMap);
     MetadataUpdate update = new MetadataUpdate.SetProperties(props);
     String actual = MetadataUpdateParser.toJson(update);
     Assert.assertEquals(
@@ -705,9 +719,22 @@ public void testRemovePropertiesFromJson() {
     String action = MetadataUpdateParser.REMOVE_PROPERTIES;
     Set<String> toRemove = ImmutableSet.of("prop1", "prop2");
     String toRemoveAsJSON = "[\"prop1\",\"prop2\"]";
+
+    // make sure reading "removed" & "removals" both work
     String json = String.format("{\"action\":\"%s\",\"removed\":%s}", action, toRemoveAsJSON);
     MetadataUpdate expected = new MetadataUpdate.RemoveProperties(toRemove);
     assertEquals(action, expected, MetadataUpdateParser.fromJson(json));
+
+    json = String.format("{\"action\":\"%s\",\"removals\":%s}", action, toRemoveAsJSON);
+    expected = new MetadataUpdate.RemoveProperties(toRemove);
+    assertEquals(action, expected, MetadataUpdateParser.fromJson(json));
+
+    // if "removed" & "removals" are defined, then "removals" takes precedence
+    json =
+        String.format(
+            "{\"action\":\"%s\",\"removals\":%s,\"removed\": [\"propX\"]}", action, toRemoveAsJSON);
+    expected = new MetadataUpdate.RemoveProperties(toRemove);
+    assertEquals(action, expected, MetadataUpdateParser.fromJson(json));
   }
 
   @Test
@@ -715,7 +742,7 @@ public void testRemovePropertiesToJson() {
     String action = MetadataUpdateParser.REMOVE_PROPERTIES;
     Set<String> toRemove = ImmutableSet.of("prop1", "prop2");
     String toRemoveAsJSON = "[\"prop1\",\"prop2\"]";
-    String expected = String.format("{\"action\":\"%s\",\"removed\":%s}", action, toRemoveAsJSON);
+    String expected = String.format("{\"action\":\"%s\",\"removals\":%s}", action, toRemoveAsJSON);
     MetadataUpdate update = new MetadataUpdate.RemoveProperties(toRemove);
     String actual = MetadataUpdateParser.toJson(update);
     Assert.assertEquals(