diff --git a/runtime/compilers/rillv1/parse_model.go b/runtime/compilers/rillv1/parse_model.go
index b31a12d3bc6..3ea8a296ab7 100644
--- a/runtime/compilers/rillv1/parse_model.go
+++ b/runtime/compilers/rillv1/parse_model.go
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ type ModelYAML struct {
 	Incremental           bool                                    `yaml:"incremental"`
 	State                 *DataYAML                               `yaml:"state"`
 	Partitions            *DataYAML                               `yaml:"partitions"`
+	Splits                *DataYAML                               `yaml:"splits"` // Deprecated: use "partitions" instead
 	PartitionsWatermark   string                                  `yaml:"partitions_watermark"`
 	PartitionsConcurrency uint                                    `yaml:"partitions_concurrency"`
 	InputProperties       map[string]any                          `yaml:",inline" mapstructure:",remain"`
@@ -75,6 +76,12 @@ func (p *Parser) parseModel(ctx context.Context, node *Node) error {
 	// Parse partitions resolver
 	var partitionsResolver string
 	var partitionsResolverProps *structpb.Struct
+	if tmp.Splits != nil { // Backwards compatibility: "splits" is deprecated and has been renamed to "partitions"
+		if tmp.Partitions != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf(`"partitions" and "splits" are mutually exclusive`)
+		}
+		tmp.Partitions = tmp.Splits
+	}
 	if tmp.Partitions != nil {
 		var refs []ResourceName
 		partitionsResolver, partitionsResolverProps, refs, err = p.parseDataYAML(tmp.Partitions)
diff --git a/runtime/reconcilers/model.go b/runtime/reconcilers/model.go
index 13c6c1345b3..ba70149ee3d 100644
--- a/runtime/reconcilers/model.go
+++ b/runtime/reconcilers/model.go
@@ -1354,7 +1354,10 @@ func (r *ModelReconciler) resolveTemplatedProps(ctx context.Context, self *runti
 
 	var extraProps map[string]any
 	if partition != nil {
-		extraProps = map[string]any{"partition": partition}
+		extraProps = map[string]any{
+			"partition": partition,
+			"split":     partition, // Deprecated: use "partition" instead
+		}
 	}
 
 	td := compilerv1.TemplateData{