diff --git a/swh/storage/__init__.py b/swh/storage/__init__.py
index 14320eb3..0a76a202 100644
--- a/swh/storage/__init__.py
+++ b/swh/storage/__init__.py
@@ -1,113 +1,121 @@
 # Copyright (C) 2015-2020  The Software Heritage developers
 # See the AUTHORS file at the top-level directory of this distribution
 # License: GNU General Public License version 3, or any later version
 # See top-level LICENSE file for more information
 
 import importlib
 from typing import TYPE_CHECKING, Any, Dict, List
 import warnings
 
 if TYPE_CHECKING:
     from .interface import StorageInterface
 
 
 STORAGE_IMPLEMENTATIONS = {
-    "local": ".postgresql.storage.Storage",
     "remote": ".api.client.RemoteStorage",
     "memory": ".in_memory.InMemoryStorage",
     "cassandra": ".cassandra.CassandraStorage",
+    "postgresql": ".postgresql.storage.Storage",
+    # deprecated
+    "local": ".postgresql.storage.Storage",
     # proxy storages
     "filter": ".proxies.filter.FilteringProxyStorage",
     "buffer": ".proxies.buffer.BufferingProxyStorage",
     "retry": ".proxies.retry.RetryingProxyStorage",
     "validate": ".proxies.validate.ValidatingProxyStorage",
     "tenacious": ".proxies.tenacious.TenaciousProxyStorage",
 }
 
 
 def get_storage(cls: str, **kwargs) -> "StorageInterface":
     """Get a storage object of class `storage_class` with arguments
     `storage_args`.
 
     Args:
         cls (str):
           storage's class, can be:
             - ``local`` to use a postgresql database
             - ``cassandra`` to use a cassandra database
             - ``remote`` to connect to a swh-storage server
             - ``memory`` for an in-memory storage, useful for fast tests
             - ``filter``, ``buffer``, ... to use specific storage "proxies", see their
               respective documentations
         args (dict): dictionary with keys
 
     Returns:
         an instance of swh.storage.Storage or compatible class
 
     Raises:
         ValueError if passed an unknown storage class.
 
     """
     if "args" in kwargs:
         warnings.warn(
             'Explicit "args" key is deprecated, use keys directly instead.',
             DeprecationWarning,
         )
         kwargs = kwargs["args"]
 
     if cls == "pipeline":
         return get_storage_pipeline(**kwargs)
 
+    if cls == "local":
+        warnings.warn(
+            'The "local" storage class is deprecated, use "postgresql" instead.',
+            DeprecationWarning,
+        )
+
     class_path = STORAGE_IMPLEMENTATIONS.get(cls)
     if class_path is None:
         raise ValueError(
             "Unknown storage class `%s`. Supported: %s"
             % (cls, ", ".join(STORAGE_IMPLEMENTATIONS))
         )
 
     (module_path, class_name) = class_path.rsplit(".", 1)
     module = importlib.import_module(module_path, package=__package__)
     Storage = getattr(module, class_name)
     check_config = kwargs.pop("check_config", {})
     storage = Storage(**kwargs)
     if check_config:
         if not storage.check_config(**check_config):
             raise EnvironmentError("storage check config failed")
     return storage
 
 
 def get_storage_pipeline(
     steps: List[Dict[str, Any]], check_config=None
 ) -> "StorageInterface":
     """Recursively get a storage object that may use other storage objects
     as backends.
 
     Args:
         steps (List[dict]): List of dicts that may be used as kwargs for
             `get_storage`.
 
     Returns:
         an instance of swh.storage.Storage or compatible class
 
     Raises:
         ValueError if passed an unknown storage class.
     """
     storage_config = None
     for step in reversed(steps):
         if "args" in step:
             warnings.warn(
                 'Explicit "args" key is deprecated, use keys directly ' "instead.",
                 DeprecationWarning,
             )
             step = {
                 "cls": step["cls"],
                 **step["args"],
             }
         if storage_config:
             step["storage"] = storage_config
         step["check_config"] = check_config
         storage_config = step
 
     if storage_config is None:
         raise ValueError("'pipeline' has no steps.")
 
     return get_storage(**storage_config)