diff --git a/packages/builders/scripts/inter-protocol/replace-feeDistributor-combo.js b/packages/builders/scripts/inter-protocol/replace-feeDistributor-combo.js
index 84e2e1f5c38..8708ff8103e 100644
--- a/packages/builders/scripts/inter-protocol/replace-feeDistributor-combo.js
+++ b/packages/builders/scripts/inter-protocol/replace-feeDistributor-combo.js
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { makeHelpers } from '@agoric/deploy-script-support';
+import { parseScriptArgs, makeHelpers } from '@agoric/deploy-script-support';
 import { getManifestForReplaceFeeDistributor } from '@agoric/inter-protocol/src/proposals/replace-fee-distributor.js';
 import { SECONDS_PER_HOUR } from '@agoric/inter-protocol/src/proposals/econ-behaviors.js';
 
@@ -47,31 +47,10 @@ export const defaultProposalBuilder = async (_, opts) => {
   });
 };
 
-const Usage = `agoric run replace-feedDistributor-combo.js ${[...knownVariants, '<json-config>'].join(' | ')}`;
-
 /** @type {import('@agoric/deploy-script-support/src/externalTypes.js').DeployScriptFunction} */
 export default async (homeP, endowments) => {
-  const { scriptArgs } = endowments;
-  const variantOrConfig = scriptArgs?.[0];
-  console.log('replace-feeDistributor-combo', variantOrConfig);
-
-  const opts = {};
-
-  if (typeof variantOrConfig === 'string') {
-    if (variantOrConfig[0] === '{') {
-      try {
-        opts.config = JSON.parse(variantOrConfig);
-      } catch (err) {
-        throw Error(`Failed to parse config argument ${variantOrConfig}`);
-      }
-    } else {
-      opts.variant = variantOrConfig;
-    }
-  } else {
-    console.error(Usage);
-    throw Error(Usage);
-  }
-
+  const name = 'replace-feeDistributor-combo';
+  const opts = parseScriptArgs(endowments, name, knownVariants);
   const { writeCoreEval } = await makeHelpers(homeP, endowments);
 
   await writeCoreEval('replace-feeDistributor', utils =>
diff --git a/packages/builders/scripts/vats/upgrade-mintHolder.js b/packages/builders/scripts/vats/upgrade-mintHolder.js
index 18cb47854c2..6f8b8c72012 100644
--- a/packages/builders/scripts/vats/upgrade-mintHolder.js
+++ b/packages/builders/scripts/vats/upgrade-mintHolder.js
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { makeHelpers } from '@agoric/deploy-script-support';
+import { makeHelpers, parseScriptArgs } from '@agoric/deploy-script-support';
 import { getManifestForUpgradingMintHolder } from '@agoric/vats/src/proposals/upgrade-mintHolder-proposal.js';
 
 const configurations = {
@@ -94,30 +94,9 @@ export const defaultProposalBuilder = async ({ publishRef, install }, opts) => {
   });
 };
 
-const Usage = `agoric run upgrade-mintHolder.js ${[...knownVariants, '<json-config>'].join(' | ')}`;
-
 /** @type {import('@agoric/deploy-script-support/src/externalTypes.js').DeployScriptFunction} */
 export default async (homeP, endowments) => {
-  const { scriptArgs } = endowments;
-  const variantOrConfig = scriptArgs?.[0];
-  console.log('upgrade-mintHolder', variantOrConfig);
-
-  const opts = {};
-
-  if (typeof variantOrConfig === 'string') {
-    if (variantOrConfig[0] === '{') {
-      try {
-        opts.config = JSON.parse(variantOrConfig);
-      } catch (err) {
-        throw Error(`Failed to parse config argument ${variantOrConfig}`);
-      }
-    } else {
-      opts.variant = variantOrConfig;
-    }
-  } else {
-    console.error(Usage);
-    throw Error(Usage);
-  }
+  const opts = parseScriptArgs(endowments, 'upgrade-mintHolder', knownVariants);
 
   const { writeCoreEval } = await makeHelpers(homeP, endowments);
   await writeCoreEval(`upgrade-mintHolder`, utils =>
diff --git a/packages/deploy-script-support/src/parseCoreEvalArgs.js b/packages/deploy-script-support/src/parseCoreEvalArgs.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..cfec84d40cc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/deploy-script-support/src/parseCoreEvalArgs.js
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+/**
+ * To customize proposals for multiple environments, we pass the "variant"
+ * identifier in scriptArgs. The variant must match a knownVariant.
+ *
+ * @param {import('./externalTypes.js').DeployScriptEndownments} endowments
+ * @param {string} name a name to use in error messages or Usage suggestions.
+ * @param {string[]} knownVariants
+ */
+export const parseScriptArgs = async (endowments, name, knownVariants) => {
+  const { scriptArgs } = endowments;
+  const variantOrConfig = scriptArgs?.[0];
+  console.log(`${name}`, variantOrConfig);
+
+  const Usage = `agoric run ${name}.js ${[...knownVariants, '<json-config>'].join(' | ')}`;
+  const opts = {};
+
+  if (typeof variantOrConfig === 'string') {
+    if (variantOrConfig[0] === '{') {
+      try {
+        opts.config = JSON.parse(variantOrConfig);
+      } catch (err) {
+        throw Error(`Failed to parse config argument ${variantOrConfig}`);
+      }
+    } else {
+      opts.variant = variantOrConfig;
+    }
+  } else {
+    console.error(Usage);
+    throw Error(Usage);
+  }
+
+  return opts;
+};