diff --git a/src/main/java/de/ids_mannheim/korap/query/serialize/AqlTree.java b/src/main/java/de/ids_mannheim/korap/query/serialize/AqlTree.java
index c9f0386..f84c789 100644
--- a/src/main/java/de/ids_mannheim/korap/query/serialize/AqlTree.java
+++ b/src/main/java/de/ids_mannheim/korap/query/serialize/AqlTree.java
@@ -390,7 +390,7 @@
 				LinkedHashMap<String,Object> innerGroup = makeGroup("relation");
 				LinkedHashMap<String,Object> treeRelation = makeTreeRelation("dominance");
 				// commonancestor is an indirect commonparent relation
-				if (reltype.equals("commonancestor")) treeRelation.put("distance", makeDistance("r", 1, MAXIMUM_DISTANCE));
+				if (reltype.equals("commonancestor")) treeRelation.put("boundary", makeBoundary(1, MAXIMUM_DISTANCE));
 				group.put("relation", treeRelation);
 				innerGroup.put("relation", treeRelation);
 				// Get operands list before possible re-assignment of 'group' (see following 'if')
@@ -523,8 +523,8 @@
 			if (rightChildSpec != null) relation.put("index", -1);
 			if (qName != null) relation.putAll(parseQNameNode(qName));
 			if (edgeSpec != null) relation.put("wrap", parseEdgeSpec(edgeSpec)) ;
-			if (star != null) relation.put("distance", makeDistance("r", 0, 100));
-			if (rangeSpec != null) relation.put("distance", distanceFromRangeSpec("r", rangeSpec));
+			if (star != null) relation.put("distance", makeBoundary(0, 100));
+			if (rangeSpec != null) relation.put("boundary", boundaryFromRangeSpec(rangeSpec));
 
 		}
 		else if (operator.equals("pointing")) {
@@ -538,8 +538,8 @@
 			//			if (qName != null) relation.putAll(parseQNameNode(qName));
 			if (qName != null) relation.put("reltype", qName.getText());
 			if (edgeSpec != null) relation.put("wrap", parseEdgeSpec(edgeSpec)) ;
-			if (star != null) relation.put("distance", makeDistance("r", 0, 100));
-			if (rangeSpec != null) relation.put("distance", distanceFromRangeSpec("r", rangeSpec));
+			if (star != null) relation.put("distance", makeBoundary(0, 100));
+			if (rangeSpec != null) relation.put("boundary", boundaryFromRangeSpec(rangeSpec));
 
 		}
 		else if (operator.equals("precedence")) {
diff --git a/src/test/java/AqlTreeTest.java b/src/test/java/AqlTreeTest.java
index 1fd636f..faa1cd1 100644
--- a/src/test/java/AqlTreeTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/AqlTreeTest.java
@@ -169,7 +169,7 @@
 						"{@type=korap:span}," +
 						"{@type=korap:token, wrap={@type=korap:term, key=Mann, match=match:eq}}" +
 				"], relation={@type=korap:treeRelation, reltype=dominance, " +
-						"distance={@type=korap:distance, key=r, min=2, max=4}}" +
+						"boundary={@type=korap:boundary, min=2, max=4}}" +
 				"}";
 		aqlt = new AqlTree(query);
 		map = aqlt.getRequestMap().get("query").toString();