diff --git a/nebari/upgrade.py b/nebari/upgrade.py
index f4dded35ab..f63d0cdd64 100644
--- a/nebari/upgrade.py
+++ b/nebari/upgrade.py
@@ -18,6 +18,11 @@
 
 def do_upgrade(config_filename, attempt_fixes=False):
     config = load_yaml(config_filename)
+    if config.get("qhub_version"):
+        rich.print(
+            f"Your config file [purple]{config_filename}[/purple] uses the deprecated qhub_version key.  Please change qhub_version to nebari_version and re-run the upgrade command."
+        )
+        return
 
     try:
         verify(config)
@@ -26,14 +31,14 @@ def do_upgrade(config_filename, attempt_fixes=False):
         )
         return
     except (ValidationError, ValueError) as e:
-        if is_version_accepted(config.get("qhub_version", "")):
+        if is_version_accepted(config.get("nebari_version", "")):
             # There is an unrelated validation problem
             print(
                 f"Your config file {config_filename} appears to be already up-to-date for Nebari version {__version__} but there is another validation error.\n"
             )
             raise e
 
-    start_version = config.get("qhub_version", "")
+    start_version = config.get("nebari_version", "")
 
     UpgradeStep.upgrade(
         config, start_version, __version__, config_filename, attempt_fixes
@@ -145,7 +150,7 @@ def upgrade_step(self, config, start_version, config_filename, *args, **kwargs):
 
         # Set the new version
         if start_version == "":
-            assert "qhub_version" not in config
+            assert "nebari_version" not in config
         assert self.version != start_version
 
         if self.requires_nebari_version_field():