diff --git a/jupyterhub/singleuser.py b/jupyterhub/singleuser.py
index ad70a312..0412694a 100755
--- a/jupyterhub/singleuser.py
+++ b/jupyterhub/singleuser.py
@@ -228,11 +228,18 @@ class SingleUserNotebookApp(NotebookApp):
         super(SingleUserNotebookApp, self).start()
 
     def init_hub_auth(self):
-        if not os.environ.get('JPY_API_TOKEN'):
-            self.exit("JPY_API_TOKEN env is required to run jupyterhub-singleuser. Did you launch it manually?")
+        api_token = None
+        if os.getenv('JPY_API_TOKEN'):
+            # Deprecated env variable (as of 0.7.2)
+            api_token = os.environ.pop('JPY_API_TOKEN')
+        if os.getenv('JUPYTERHUB_API_TOKEN'):
+            api_token = os.environ.pop('JUPYTERHUB_API_TOKEN')
+        
+        if not api_token:
+            self.exit("JUPYTERHUB_API_TOKEN env is required to run jupyterhub-singleuser. Did you launch it manually?")
         self.hub_auth = HubAuth(
             parent=self,
-            api_token=os.environ.pop('JPY_API_TOKEN'),
+            api_token=api_token,
             api_url=self.hub_api_url,
         )
 
diff --git a/jupyterhub/spawner.py b/jupyterhub/spawner.py
index 6dc495e0..d6f07dc6 100644
--- a/jupyterhub/spawner.py
+++ b/jupyterhub/spawner.py
@@ -190,7 +190,7 @@ class Spawner(LoggingConfigurable):
         Environment variables that end up in the single-user server's process come from 3 sources:
           - This `environment` configurable
           - The JupyterHub process' environment variables that are whitelisted in `env_keep`
-          - Variables to establish contact between the single-user notebook and the hub (such as JPY_API_TOKEN)
+          - Variables to establish contact between the single-user notebook and the hub (such as JUPYTERHUB_API_TOKEN)
 
         The `enviornment` configurable should be set by JupyterHub administrators to add
         installation specific environment variables. It is a dict where the key is the name of the environment
@@ -414,7 +414,9 @@ class Spawner(LoggingConfigurable):
                 env[key] = value(self)
             else:
                 env[key] = value
-
+        
+        env['JUPYTERHUB_API_TOKEN'] = self.api_token
+        # deprecated (as of 0.7.2), for old versions of singleuser
         env['JPY_API_TOKEN'] = self.api_token
 
         # Put in limit and guarantee info if they exist.