diff --git a/core/dbt/contracts/graph/manifest.py b/core/dbt/contracts/graph/manifest.py
index 6566a8400f4..5b5c6c90b8e 100644
--- a/core/dbt/contracts/graph/manifest.py
+++ b/core/dbt/contracts/graph/manifest.py
@@ -1765,8 +1765,9 @@ def _microbatch_macro_is_root(self, project_name: str, adapter_type: str) -> boo
         return microbatch_is_root
 
     def use_microbatch_batches(self, project_name: str, adapter_type: str) -> bool:
-        return get_flags().require_builtin_microbatch_strategy or self._microbatch_macro_is_root(
-            project_name=project_name, adapter_type=adapter_type
+        return (
+            get_flags().require_batched_execution_for_custom_microbatch_strategy
+            or self._microbatch_macro_is_root(project_name=project_name, adapter_type=adapter_type)
         )
 
 
diff --git a/core/dbt/contracts/project.py b/core/dbt/contracts/project.py
index b4570d4f88f..a02e93edd6b 100644
--- a/core/dbt/contracts/project.py
+++ b/core/dbt/contracts/project.py
@@ -338,7 +338,7 @@ class ProjectFlags(ExtensibleDbtClassMixin):
     write_json: Optional[bool] = None
 
     # legacy behaviors - https://github.com/dbt-labs/dbt-core/blob/main/docs/guides/behavior-change-flags.md
-    require_builtin_microbatch_strategy: bool = False
+    require_batched_execution_for_custom_microbatch_strategy: bool = False
     require_explicit_package_overrides_for_builtin_materializations: bool = True
     require_resource_names_without_spaces: bool = False
     source_freshness_run_project_hooks: bool = False
@@ -350,7 +350,7 @@ class ProjectFlags(ExtensibleDbtClassMixin):
     @property
     def project_only_flags(self) -> Dict[str, Any]:
         return {
-            "require_builtin_microbatch_strategy": self.require_builtin_microbatch_strategy,
+            "require_batched_execution_for_custom_microbatch_strategy": self.require_batched_execution_for_custom_microbatch_strategy,
             "require_explicit_package_overrides_for_builtin_materializations": self.require_explicit_package_overrides_for_builtin_materializations,
             "require_resource_names_without_spaces": self.require_resource_names_without_spaces,
             "source_freshness_run_project_hooks": self.source_freshness_run_project_hooks,
diff --git a/tests/functional/microbatch/test_microbatch.py b/tests/functional/microbatch/test_microbatch.py
index 2a71b2a1238..0775745c859 100644
--- a/tests/functional/microbatch/test_microbatch.py
+++ b/tests/functional/microbatch/test_microbatch.py
@@ -155,7 +155,7 @@ def macros(self):
     def project_config_update(self):
         return {
             "flags": {
-                "require_builtin_microbatch_strategy": True,
+                "require_batched_execution_for_custom_microbatch_strategy": True,
             }
         }
 
@@ -165,7 +165,7 @@ class TestMicrobatchCustomUserStrategyDefault(BaseMicrobatchCustomUserStrategy):
     def project_config_update(self):
         return {
             "flags": {
-                "require_builtin_microbatch_strategy": False,
+                "require_batched_execution_for_custom_microbatch_strategy": False,
             }
         }
 
@@ -224,7 +224,7 @@ def models(self):
     def project_config_update(self):
         return {
             "flags": {
-                "require_builtin_microbatch_strategy": True,
+                "require_batched_execution_for_custom_microbatch_strategy": True,
             }
         }
 
diff --git a/tests/functional/microbatch/test_microbatch_config_validation.py b/tests/functional/microbatch/test_microbatch_config_validation.py
index f97e85a8f8a..d640ec84a93 100644
--- a/tests/functional/microbatch/test_microbatch_config_validation.py
+++ b/tests/functional/microbatch/test_microbatch_config_validation.py
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ def models(self):
     def project_config_update(self):
         return {
             "flags": {
-                "require_builtin_microbatch_strategy": True,
+                "require_batched_execution_for_custom_microbatch_strategy": True,
             }
         }
 
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ def models(self):
     def project_config_update(self):
         return {
             "flags": {
-                "require_builtin_microbatch_strategy": True,
+                "require_batched_execution_for_custom_microbatch_strategy": True,
             }
         }
 
diff --git a/tests/unit/context/test_providers.py b/tests/unit/context/test_providers.py
index 10f5e108028..835cac345ce 100644
--- a/tests/unit/context/test_providers.py
+++ b/tests/unit/context/test_providers.py
@@ -58,7 +58,10 @@ def test_resolve_event_time_filter(
         expect_filter: bool,
     ) -> None:
         set_from_args(
-            Namespace(require_builtin_microbatch_strategy=dbt_experimental_microbatch), None
+            Namespace(
+                require_batched_execution_for_custom_microbatch_strategy=dbt_experimental_microbatch
+            ),
+            None,
         )
 
         # Target mocking
@@ -119,7 +122,9 @@ def test_create_relation_with_empty(self, resolver, empty, is_ephemeral_model, e
         mock_node.is_ephemeral_model = is_ephemeral_model
         mock_node.defer_relation = None
 
-        set_from_args(Namespace(require_builtin_microbatch_strategy=False), None)
+        set_from_args(
+            Namespace(require_batched_execution_for_custom_microbatch_strategy=False), None
+        )
 
         # create limited relation
         with mock.patch("dbt.contracts.graph.nodes.ParsedNode", new=mock.Mock):
@@ -160,7 +165,9 @@ def test_create_relation_with_empty(self, resolver, empty, expected_limit):
         mock_source.quoting_dict = {}
         resolver.manifest.resolve_source.return_value = mock_source
 
-        set_from_args(Namespace(require_builtin_microbatch_strategy=False), None)
+        set_from_args(
+            Namespace(require_batched_execution_for_custom_microbatch_strategy=False), None
+        )
 
         # create limited relation
         relation = resolver.resolve("test", "test")