diff --git a/cartographer/ground_truth/autogenerate_ground_truth_main.cc b/cartographer/ground_truth/autogenerate_ground_truth_main.cc
index eba70a5..620dba1 100644
--- a/cartographer/ground_truth/autogenerate_ground_truth_main.cc
+++ b/cartographer/ground_truth/autogenerate_ground_truth_main.cc
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@
 #include "cartographer/common/port.h"
 #include "cartographer/ground_truth/proto/relations.pb.h"
 #include "cartographer/io/proto_stream.h"
-#include "cartographer/mapping/proto/sparse_pose_graph.pb.h"
+#include "cartographer/mapping/proto/pose_graph.pb.h"
 #include "cartographer/transform/transform.h"
 #include "gflags/gflags.h"
 #include "glog/logging.h"
@@ -66,11 +66,11 @@ std::vector<double> ComputeCoveredDistance(
 // TODO(whess): Should we consider all nodes inserted into the submap and
 // exclude, e.g. based on large relative linear or angular distance?
 std::vector<int> ComputeSubmapRepresentativeNode(
-    const mapping::proto::SparsePoseGraph& pose_graph) {
+    const mapping::proto::PoseGraph& pose_graph) {
   std::vector<int> submap_to_node_index;
   for (const auto& constraint : pose_graph.constraint()) {
     if (constraint.tag() !=
-        mapping::proto::SparsePoseGraph::Constraint::INTRA_SUBMAP) {
+        mapping::proto::PoseGraph::Constraint::INTRA_SUBMAP) {
       continue;
     }
     CHECK_EQ(constraint.submap_id().trajectory_id(), 0);
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ std::vector<int> ComputeSubmapRepresentativeNode(
 }
 
 proto::GroundTruth GenerateGroundTruth(
-    const mapping::proto::SparsePoseGraph& pose_graph,
+    const mapping::proto::PoseGraph& pose_graph,
     const double min_covered_distance, const double outlier_threshold_meters,
     const double outlier_threshold_radians) {
   const mapping::proto::Trajectory& trajectory = pose_graph.trajectory(0);
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ proto::GroundTruth GenerateGroundTruth(
   for (const auto& constraint : pose_graph.constraint()) {
     // We're only interested in loop closure constraints.
     if (constraint.tag() ==
-        mapping::proto::SparsePoseGraph::Constraint::INTRA_SUBMAP) {
+        mapping::proto::PoseGraph::Constraint::INTRA_SUBMAP) {
       continue;
     }
 
@@ -168,7 +168,7 @@ void Run(const std::string& pose_graph_filename,
          const double outlier_threshold_meters,
          const double outlier_threshold_radians) {
   LOG(INFO) << "Reading pose graph from '" << pose_graph_filename << "'...";
-  mapping::proto::SparsePoseGraph pose_graph;
+  mapping::proto::PoseGraph pose_graph;
   {
     io::ProtoStreamReader reader(pose_graph_filename);
     CHECK(reader.ReadProto(&pose_graph));
diff --git a/cartographer/ground_truth/compute_relations_metrics_main.cc b/cartographer/ground_truth/compute_relations_metrics_main.cc
index d41d8bb..7b440da 100644
--- a/cartographer/ground_truth/compute_relations_metrics_main.cc
+++ b/cartographer/ground_truth/compute_relations_metrics_main.cc
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@
 #include "cartographer/ground_truth/proto/relations.pb.h"
 #include "cartographer/ground_truth/relations_text_file.h"
 #include "cartographer/io/proto_stream.h"
-#include "cartographer/mapping/proto/sparse_pose_graph.pb.h"
+#include "cartographer/mapping/proto/pose_graph.pb.h"
 #include "cartographer/transform/rigid_transform.h"
 #include "cartographer/transform/transform.h"
 #include "cartographer/transform/transform_interpolation_buffer.h"
@@ -113,7 +113,7 @@ void Run(const std::string& pose_graph_filename,
          const std::string& relations_filename,
          const bool read_text_file_with_unix_timestamps) {
   LOG(INFO) << "Reading pose graph from '" << pose_graph_filename << "'...";
-  mapping::proto::SparsePoseGraph pose_graph;
+  mapping::proto::PoseGraph pose_graph;
   {
     io::ProtoStreamReader reader(pose_graph_filename);
     CHECK(reader.ReadProto(&pose_graph));
diff --git a/cartographer/mapping/map_builder.cc b/cartographer/mapping/map_builder.cc
index a57f6cb..074b6e1 100644
--- a/cartographer/mapping/map_builder.cc
+++ b/cartographer/mapping/map_builder.cc
@@ -219,7 +219,7 @@ void MapBuilder::SerializeState(io::ProtoStreamWriter* const writer) {
 }
 
 void MapBuilder::LoadMap(io::ProtoStreamReader* const reader) {
-  proto::SparsePoseGraph pose_graph;
+  proto::PoseGraph pose_graph;
   CHECK(reader->ReadProto(&pose_graph));
 
   std::map<int, int> trajectory_remapping;
@@ -278,10 +278,10 @@ void MapBuilder::LoadMap(io::ProtoStreamReader* const reader) {
   }
 
   // Add information about which nodes belong to which submap.
-  for (const proto::SparsePoseGraph::Constraint& constraint_proto :
+  for (const proto::PoseGraph::Constraint& constraint_proto :
        pose_graph.constraint()) {
     if (constraint_proto.tag() !=
-        mapping::proto::SparsePoseGraph::Constraint::INTRA_SUBMAP) {
+        mapping::proto::PoseGraph::Constraint::INTRA_SUBMAP) {
       continue;
     }
     const NodeId node_id{
diff --git a/cartographer/mapping/pose_graph.cc b/cartographer/mapping/pose_graph.cc
index 1b08e5e..9c61271 100644
--- a/cartographer/mapping/pose_graph.cc
+++ b/cartographer/mapping/pose_graph.cc
@@ -24,23 +24,23 @@
 namespace cartographer {
 namespace mapping {
 
-proto::SparsePoseGraph::Constraint::Tag ToProto(
+proto::PoseGraph::Constraint::Tag ToProto(
     const PoseGraph::Constraint::Tag& tag) {
   switch (tag) {
     case PoseGraph::Constraint::Tag::INTRA_SUBMAP:
-      return proto::SparsePoseGraph::Constraint::INTRA_SUBMAP;
+      return proto::PoseGraph::Constraint::INTRA_SUBMAP;
     case PoseGraph::Constraint::Tag::INTER_SUBMAP:
-      return proto::SparsePoseGraph::Constraint::INTER_SUBMAP;
+      return proto::PoseGraph::Constraint::INTER_SUBMAP;
   }
   LOG(FATAL) << "Unsupported tag.";
 }
 
 PoseGraph::Constraint::Tag FromProto(
-    const proto::SparsePoseGraph::Constraint::Tag& proto) {
+    const proto::PoseGraph::Constraint::Tag& proto) {
   switch (proto) {
-    case proto::SparsePoseGraph::Constraint::INTRA_SUBMAP:
+    case proto::PoseGraph::Constraint::INTRA_SUBMAP:
       return PoseGraph::Constraint::Tag::INTRA_SUBMAP;
-    case proto::SparsePoseGraph::Constraint::INTER_SUBMAP:
+    case proto::PoseGraph::Constraint::INTER_SUBMAP:
       return PoseGraph::Constraint::Tag::INTER_SUBMAP;
     case ::google::protobuf::kint32max:
     case ::google::protobuf::kint32min:;
@@ -49,8 +49,8 @@ PoseGraph::Constraint::Tag FromProto(
 }
 
 std::vector<PoseGraph::Constraint> FromProto(
-    const ::google::protobuf::RepeatedPtrField<
-        proto::SparsePoseGraph::Constraint>& constraint_protos) {
+    const ::google::protobuf::RepeatedPtrField<proto::PoseGraph::Constraint>&
+        constraint_protos) {
   std::vector<PoseGraph::Constraint> constraints;
   for (const auto& constraint_proto : constraint_protos) {
     const mapping::SubmapId submap_id{
@@ -96,8 +96,8 @@ proto::SparsePoseGraphOptions CreateSparsePoseGraphOptions(
   return options;
 }
 
-proto::SparsePoseGraph PoseGraph::ToProto() {
-  proto::SparsePoseGraph proto;
+proto::PoseGraph PoseGraph::ToProto() {
+  proto::PoseGraph proto;
 
   std::map<int, proto::Trajectory* const> trajectory_protos;
   const auto trajectory = [&proto, &trajectory_protos](
diff --git a/cartographer/mapping/pose_graph.h b/cartographer/mapping/pose_graph.h
index e8ba8d1..12ca4ed 100644
--- a/cartographer/mapping/pose_graph.h
+++ b/cartographer/mapping/pose_graph.h
@@ -26,8 +26,8 @@
 #include "cartographer/common/lua_parameter_dictionary.h"
 #include "cartographer/mapping/id.h"
 #include "cartographer/mapping/pose_graph_trimmer.h"
+#include "cartographer/mapping/proto/pose_graph.pb.h"
 #include "cartographer/mapping/proto/serialization.pb.h"
-#include "cartographer/mapping/proto/sparse_pose_graph.pb.h"
 #include "cartographer/mapping/proto/sparse_pose_graph_options.pb.h"
 #include "cartographer/mapping/submaps.h"
 #include "cartographer/mapping/trajectory_node.h"
@@ -144,7 +144,7 @@ class PoseGraph {
   virtual MapById<NodeId, TrajectoryNode> GetTrajectoryNodes() = 0;
 
   // Serializes the constraints and trajectories.
-  proto::SparsePoseGraph ToProto();
+  proto::PoseGraph ToProto();
 
   // Returns the IMU data.
   virtual sensor::MapByTime<sensor::ImuData> GetImuData() = 0;
@@ -165,7 +165,7 @@ class PoseGraph {
 
 std::vector<PoseGraph::Constraint> FromProto(
     const ::google::protobuf::RepeatedPtrField<
-        ::cartographer::mapping::proto::SparsePoseGraph::Constraint>&
+        ::cartographer::mapping::proto::PoseGraph::Constraint>&
         constraint_protos);
 
 }  // namespace mapping
diff --git a/cartographer/mapping/proto/sparse_pose_graph.proto b/cartographer/mapping/proto/pose_graph.proto
similarity index 98%
rename from cartographer/mapping/proto/sparse_pose_graph.proto
rename to cartographer/mapping/proto/pose_graph.proto
index c98e958..4b4bd58 100644
--- a/cartographer/mapping/proto/sparse_pose_graph.proto
+++ b/cartographer/mapping/proto/pose_graph.proto
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ message NodeId {
   int32 node_index = 2;  // Node index in the given trajectory.
 }
 
-message SparsePoseGraph {
+message PoseGraph {
   message Constraint {
     // Differentiates between intra-submap (where the range data was inserted
     // into the submap) and inter-submap constraints (where the range data was
diff --git a/cartographer/mapping/proto/serialization.proto b/cartographer/mapping/proto/serialization.proto
index fb5936f..dd1a796 100644
--- a/cartographer/mapping/proto/serialization.proto
+++ b/cartographer/mapping/proto/serialization.proto
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ syntax = "proto3";
 
 package cartographer.mapping.proto;
 
-import "cartographer/mapping/proto/sparse_pose_graph.proto";
+import "cartographer/mapping/proto/pose_graph.proto";
 import "cartographer/mapping/proto/submap.proto";
 import "cartographer/mapping/proto/trajectory_node_data.proto";
 import "cartographer/sensor/proto/sensor.proto";