diff --git a/analysis/analysis-api-providers/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/analysis/providers/impl/KotlinGlobalModificationServiceBase.kt b/analysis/analysis-api-providers/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/analysis/providers/impl/KotlinGlobalModificationServiceBase.kt
index 6d862f89a28..749834322fb 100644
--- a/analysis/analysis-api-providers/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/analysis/providers/impl/KotlinGlobalModificationServiceBase.kt
+++ b/analysis/analysis-api-providers/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/analysis/providers/impl/KotlinGlobalModificationServiceBase.kt
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ public abstract class KotlinGlobalModificationServiceBase(private val project: P
         ApplicationManager.getApplication().assertWriteAccessAllowed()
 
         incrementModificationTrackers(includeBinaryTrackers = true)
-        project.analysisMessageBus.syncPublisher(KotlinTopics.GLOBAL_MODULE_STATE_MODIFICATION).afterModification()
+        project.analysisMessageBus.syncPublisher(KotlinTopics.GLOBAL_MODULE_STATE_MODIFICATION).onModification()
     }
 
     @TestOnly
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ public abstract class KotlinGlobalModificationServiceBase(private val project: P
         ApplicationManager.getApplication().assertWriteAccessAllowed()
 
         incrementModificationTrackers(includeBinaryTrackers = true)
-        project.analysisMessageBus.syncPublisher(KotlinTopics.GLOBAL_OUT_OF_BLOCK_MODIFICATION).afterModification()
+        project.analysisMessageBus.syncPublisher(KotlinTopics.GLOBAL_OUT_OF_BLOCK_MODIFICATION).onModification()
     }
 
     @TestOnly
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ public abstract class KotlinGlobalModificationServiceBase(private val project: P
         ApplicationManager.getApplication().assertWriteAccessAllowed()
 
         incrementModificationTrackers(includeBinaryTrackers = false)
-        project.analysisMessageBus.syncPublisher(KotlinTopics.GLOBAL_SOURCE_MODULE_STATE_MODIFICATION).afterModification()
+        project.analysisMessageBus.syncPublisher(KotlinTopics.GLOBAL_SOURCE_MODULE_STATE_MODIFICATION).onModification()
     }
 
     @TestOnly
@@ -45,6 +45,6 @@ public abstract class KotlinGlobalModificationServiceBase(private val project: P
         ApplicationManager.getApplication().assertWriteAccessAllowed()
 
         incrementModificationTrackers(includeBinaryTrackers = false)
-        project.analysisMessageBus.syncPublisher(KotlinTopics.GLOBAL_SOURCE_OUT_OF_BLOCK_MODIFICATION).afterModification()
+        project.analysisMessageBus.syncPublisher(KotlinTopics.GLOBAL_SOURCE_OUT_OF_BLOCK_MODIFICATION).onModification()
     }
 }
diff --git a/analysis/analysis-api-providers/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/analysis/providers/topics/KotlinGlobalModuleStateModificationListener.kt b/analysis/analysis-api-providers/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/analysis/providers/topics/KotlinGlobalModuleStateModificationListener.kt
index 223e23df573..b378ff094af 100644
--- a/analysis/analysis-api-providers/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/analysis/providers/topics/KotlinGlobalModuleStateModificationListener.kt
+++ b/analysis/analysis-api-providers/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/analysis/providers/topics/KotlinGlobalModuleStateModificationListener.kt
@@ -9,10 +9,10 @@ import org.jetbrains.kotlin.analysis.project.structure.KtModule
 
 public fun interface KotlinGlobalModuleStateModificationListener {
     /**
-     * [afterModification] is invoked in a write action after global modification of the module state of all [KtModule]s, including binary
-     * modules.
+     * [onModification] is invoked in a write action before or after global modification of the module state of all [KtModule]s, including
+     * binary modules.
      *
      * This event is published after SDK removal and to invalidate caches during/between tests.
      */
-    public fun afterModification()
+    public fun onModification()
 }
diff --git a/analysis/analysis-api-providers/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/analysis/providers/topics/KotlinGlobalOutOfBlockModificationListener.kt b/analysis/analysis-api-providers/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/analysis/providers/topics/KotlinGlobalOutOfBlockModificationListener.kt
index 88bcd791ee5..5211b43d950 100644
--- a/analysis/analysis-api-providers/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/analysis/providers/topics/KotlinGlobalOutOfBlockModificationListener.kt
+++ b/analysis/analysis-api-providers/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/analysis/providers/topics/KotlinGlobalOutOfBlockModificationListener.kt
@@ -9,9 +9,10 @@ import org.jetbrains.kotlin.analysis.project.structure.KtModule
 
 public fun interface KotlinGlobalOutOfBlockModificationListener {
     /**
-     * [afterModification] is invoked in a write action after global out-of-block modification of all [KtModule]s, including binary modules.
+     * [onModification] is invoked in a write action before or after global out-of-block modification of all [KtModule]s, including binary
+     * modules.
      *
      * This event is published to invalidate caches during/between tests.
      */
-    public fun afterModification()
+    public fun onModification()
 }
diff --git a/analysis/analysis-api-providers/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/analysis/providers/topics/KotlinGlobalSourceModuleStateModificationListener.kt b/analysis/analysis-api-providers/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/analysis/providers/topics/KotlinGlobalSourceModuleStateModificationListener.kt
index d567bf8dde8..31308f851de 100644
--- a/analysis/analysis-api-providers/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/analysis/providers/topics/KotlinGlobalSourceModuleStateModificationListener.kt
+++ b/analysis/analysis-api-providers/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/analysis/providers/topics/KotlinGlobalSourceModuleStateModificationListener.kt
@@ -9,10 +9,10 @@ import org.jetbrains.kotlin.analysis.project.structure.KtModule
 
 public fun interface KotlinGlobalSourceModuleStateModificationListener {
     /**
-     * [afterModification] is invoked in a write action after global modification of the module state of all source [KtModule]s, excluding
-     * binary modules.
+     * [onModification] is invoked in a write action before or after global modification of the module state of all source [KtModule]s,
+     * excluding binary modules.
      *
      * This event is published to invalidate caches during/between tests.
      */
-    public fun afterModification()
+    public fun onModification()
 }
diff --git a/analysis/analysis-api-providers/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/analysis/providers/topics/KotlinGlobalSourceOutOfBlockModificationListener.kt b/analysis/analysis-api-providers/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/analysis/providers/topics/KotlinGlobalSourceOutOfBlockModificationListener.kt
index f47fd7d9efe..25b2865b026 100644
--- a/analysis/analysis-api-providers/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/analysis/providers/topics/KotlinGlobalSourceOutOfBlockModificationListener.kt
+++ b/analysis/analysis-api-providers/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/analysis/providers/topics/KotlinGlobalSourceOutOfBlockModificationListener.kt
@@ -9,10 +9,10 @@ import org.jetbrains.kotlin.analysis.project.structure.KtModule
 
 public fun interface KotlinGlobalSourceOutOfBlockModificationListener {
     /**
-     * [afterModification] is invoked in a write action after global out-of-block modification of all source [KtModule]s, excluding binary
-     * modules.
+     * [onModification] is invoked in a write action before or after global out-of-block modification of all source [KtModule]s, excluding
+     * binary modules.
      *
      * This event is published on global PSI changes.
      */
-    public fun afterModification()
+    public fun onModification()
 }
diff --git a/analysis/analysis-api-providers/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/analysis/providers/topics/KotlinModuleOutOfBlockModificationListener.kt b/analysis/analysis-api-providers/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/analysis/providers/topics/KotlinModuleOutOfBlockModificationListener.kt
index d008919fdd5..6b09916e7ed 100644
--- a/analysis/analysis-api-providers/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/analysis/providers/topics/KotlinModuleOutOfBlockModificationListener.kt
+++ b/analysis/analysis-api-providers/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/analysis/providers/topics/KotlinModuleOutOfBlockModificationListener.kt
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ import org.jetbrains.kotlin.analysis.providers.KotlinModificationTrackerFactory
 
 public fun interface KotlinModuleOutOfBlockModificationListener {
     /**
-     * [afterModification] is invoked in a write action after an out-of-block modification happened in [module]'s source code.
+     * [onModification] is invoked in a write action before or after an out-of-block modification happens in [module]'s source code.
      *
      * See [KotlinModificationTrackerFactory.createProjectWideOutOfBlockModificationTracker] for an explanation of out-of-block
      * modifications.
@@ -18,5 +18,5 @@ public fun interface KotlinModuleOutOfBlockModificationListener {
      * This event may be published for any and all source code changes, not just out-of-block modifications, to simplify the implementation
      * of modification detection.
      */
-    public fun afterModification(module: KtModule)
+    public fun onModification(module: KtModule)
 }
diff --git a/analysis/analysis-api-providers/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/analysis/providers/topics/KotlinModuleStateModificationListener.kt b/analysis/analysis-api-providers/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/analysis/providers/topics/KotlinModuleStateModificationListener.kt
index 52af0990549..2f3b315ce79 100644
--- a/analysis/analysis-api-providers/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/analysis/providers/topics/KotlinModuleStateModificationListener.kt
+++ b/analysis/analysis-api-providers/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/analysis/providers/topics/KotlinModuleStateModificationListener.kt
@@ -9,8 +9,8 @@ import org.jetbrains.kotlin.analysis.project.structure.KtModule
 
 public fun interface KotlinModuleStateModificationListener {
     /**
-     * [afterModification] is invoked in a write action after the [module] was moved, removed, or its structure changed. [isRemoval] signals
-     * if the module was removed.
+     * [onModification] is invoked in a write action before or after the [module] is moved, removed, or its structure is changed.
+     * [isRemoval] signals if the event is a removal.
      */
-    public fun afterModification(module: KtModule, isRemoval: Boolean)
+    public fun onModification(module: KtModule, isRemoval: Boolean)
 }
diff --git a/analysis/analysis-api-providers/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/analysis/providers/topics/KotlinTopics.kt b/analysis/analysis-api-providers/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/analysis/providers/topics/KotlinTopics.kt
index 8cdd8e99285..aa60ba6b828 100644
--- a/analysis/analysis-api-providers/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/analysis/providers/topics/KotlinTopics.kt
+++ b/analysis/analysis-api-providers/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/analysis/providers/topics/KotlinTopics.kt
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ import org.jetbrains.kotlin.analysis.providers.analysisMessageBus
  * message bus: [analysisMessageBus].
  *
  * See the individual listener interfaces for documentation about the events described by these topics:
+ *
  *  - [KotlinModuleStateModificationListener]
  *  - [KotlinModuleOutOfBlockModificationListener]
  *  - [KotlinGlobalModuleStateModificationListener]
@@ -20,6 +21,11 @@ import org.jetbrains.kotlin.analysis.providers.analysisMessageBus
  *  - [KotlinGlobalSourceModuleStateModificationListener]
  *  - [KotlinGlobalSourceOutOfBlockModificationListener]
  *
+ * Modification events may be published before or after a modification, so subscribers should not assume that the modification has or hasn't
+ * happened yet. The reason for this design decision is that the underlying events (such as PSI tree changes or workspace model events) are
+ * sometimes published before and sometimes after a change, or even both. Modification events published before the modification should
+ * however be published close to the modification.
+ *
  * Care needs to be taken with the lack of interplay between different types of topics: Publishing a global modification event, for example,
  * does not imply the corresponding module-level event. Similarly, publishing a module state modification event does not imply out-of-block
  * modification.