diff --git a/packages/vow/test/asVow.test.js b/packages/vow/test/asVow.test.js
index 3109c74e027..35756da0dd3 100644
--- a/packages/vow/test/asVow.test.js
+++ b/packages/vow/test/asVow.test.js
@@ -4,11 +4,11 @@ import test from 'ava';
 import { E } from '@endo/far';
 import { makeHeapZone } from '@agoric/base-zone/heap.js';
 
-import { prepareVowTools } from '../src/tools.js';
+import { prepareBasicVowTools } from '../src/tools.js';
 import { getVowPayload, isVow } from '../src/vow-utils.js';
 
 test('asVow takes a function that throws/returns synchronously and returns a vow', async t => {
-  const { watch, when, asVow } = prepareVowTools(makeHeapZone());
+  const { watch, when, asVow } = prepareBasicVowTools(makeHeapZone());
 
   const fnThatThrows = () => {
     throw Error('fail');
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ test('asVow takes a function that throws/returns synchronously and returns a vow
 });
 
 test('asVow does not resolve a vow to a vow', async t => {
-  const { watch, when, asVow } = prepareVowTools(makeHeapZone());
+  const { watch, when, asVow } = prepareBasicVowTools(makeHeapZone());
 
   const testVow = watch(Promise.resolve('payload'));
   const testVowAsVow = asVow(() => testVow);
diff --git a/packages/vow/test/disconnect.test.js b/packages/vow/test/disconnect.test.js
index 35713076214..5ea0e73e4c3 100644
--- a/packages/vow/test/disconnect.test.js
+++ b/packages/vow/test/disconnect.test.js
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ import test from 'ava';
 
 import { makeHeapZone } from '@agoric/base-zone/heap.js';
 import { makeTagged } from '@endo/pass-style';
-import { prepareVowTools } from '../src/tools.js';
+import { prepareBasicVowTools } from '../src/tools.js';
 
 /** @import {Vow} from '../src/types.js' */
 
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ test('retry on disconnection', async t => {
   const zone = makeHeapZone();
   const isRetryableReason = e => e && e.message === 'disconnected';
 
-  const { watch, when } = prepareVowTools(zone, {
+  const { watch, when } = prepareBasicVowTools(zone, {
     isRetryableReason,
   });
   const makeTestVowV0 = zone.exoClass(
diff --git a/packages/vow/test/watch-utils.test.js b/packages/vow/test/watch-utils.test.js
index e92809ac040..0a841e19327 100644
--- a/packages/vow/test/watch-utils.test.js
+++ b/packages/vow/test/watch-utils.test.js
@@ -4,11 +4,11 @@ import test from 'ava';
 import { makeHeapZone } from '@agoric/base-zone/heap.js';
 import { E, getInterfaceOf } from '@endo/far';
 
-import { prepareVowTools } from '../src/tools.js';
+import { prepareBasicVowTools } from '../src/tools.js';
 
 test('allVows waits for a single vow to complete', async t => {
   const zone = makeHeapZone();
-  const { watch, when, allVows } = prepareVowTools(zone);
+  const { watch, when, allVows } = prepareBasicVowTools(zone);
 
   const testPromiseP = Promise.resolve('promise');
   const vowA = watch(testPromiseP);
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ test('allVows waits for a single vow to complete', async t => {
 
 test('allVows waits for an array of vows to complete', async t => {
   const zone = makeHeapZone();
-  const { watch, when, allVows } = prepareVowTools(zone);
+  const { watch, when, allVows } = prepareBasicVowTools(zone);
 
   const testPromiseAP = Promise.resolve('promiseA');
   const testPromiseBP = Promise.resolve('promiseB');
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ test('allVows waits for an array of vows to complete', async t => {
 
 test('allVows returns vows in order', async t => {
   const zone = makeHeapZone();
-  const { watch, when, allVows, makeVowKit } = prepareVowTools(zone);
+  const { watch, when, allVows, makeVowKit } = prepareBasicVowTools(zone);
   const kit = makeVowKit();
 
   const testPromiseAP = Promise.resolve('promiseA');
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ test('allVows returns vows in order', async t => {
 
 test('allVows rejects upon first rejection', async t => {
   const zone = makeHeapZone();
-  const { watch, when, allVows } = prepareVowTools(zone);
+  const { watch, when, allVows } = prepareBasicVowTools(zone);
 
   const testPromiseAP = Promise.resolve('promiseA');
   const testPromiseBP = Promise.reject(Error('rejectedA'));
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ test('allVows rejects upon first rejection', async t => {
 
 test('allVows can accept vows awaiting other vows', async t => {
   const zone = makeHeapZone();
-  const { watch, when, allVows } = prepareVowTools(zone);
+  const { watch, when, allVows } = prepareBasicVowTools(zone);
 
   const testPromiseAP = Promise.resolve('promiseA');
   const testPromiseBP = Promise.resolve('promiseB');
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ test('allVows can accept vows awaiting other vows', async t => {
 
 test('allVows - works with just promises', async t => {
   const zone = makeHeapZone();
-  const { when, allVows } = prepareVowTools(zone);
+  const { when, allVows } = prepareBasicVowTools(zone);
 
   const result = await when(
     allVows([Promise.resolve('promiseA'), Promise.resolve('promiseB')]),
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ test('allVows - works with just promises', async t => {
 
 test('allVows - watch promises mixed with vows', async t => {
   const zone = makeHeapZone();
-  const { watch, when, allVows } = prepareVowTools(zone);
+  const { watch, when, allVows } = prepareBasicVowTools(zone);
 
   const testPromiseP = Promise.resolve('vow');
   const vowA = watch(testPromiseP);
@@ -116,7 +116,7 @@ test('allVows - watch promises mixed with vows', async t => {
 
 test('allVows can accept passable data (PureData)', async t => {
   const zone = makeHeapZone();
-  const { watch, when, allVows } = prepareVowTools(zone);
+  const { watch, when, allVows } = prepareBasicVowTools(zone);
 
   const testPromiseP = Promise.resolve('vow');
   const vowA = watch(testPromiseP);
@@ -135,7 +135,7 @@ const prepareAccount = zone =>
 
 test('allVows supports Promise pipelining', async t => {
   const zone = makeHeapZone();
-  const { watch, when, allVows } = prepareVowTools(zone);
+  const { watch, when, allVows } = prepareBasicVowTools(zone);
 
   // makeAccount returns a Promise
   const prepareLocalChain = makeAccount => {
@@ -170,7 +170,7 @@ test('allVows supports Promise pipelining', async t => {
 
 test('allVows does NOT support Vow pipelining', async t => {
   const zone = makeHeapZone();
-  const { watch, when, allVows } = prepareVowTools(zone);
+  const { watch, when, allVows } = prepareBasicVowTools(zone);
 
   // makeAccount returns a Vow
   const prepareLocalChainVowish = makeAccount => {
@@ -202,7 +202,7 @@ test('allVows does NOT support Vow pipelining', async t => {
 
 test('asPromise converts a vow to a promise', async t => {
   const zone = makeHeapZone();
-  const { watch, asPromise } = prepareVowTools(zone);
+  const { watch, asPromise } = prepareBasicVowTools(zone);
 
   const testPromiseP = Promise.resolve('test value');
   const vow = watch(testPromiseP);
@@ -213,7 +213,7 @@ test('asPromise converts a vow to a promise', async t => {
 
 test('asPromise handles vow rejection', async t => {
   const zone = makeHeapZone();
-  const { watch, asPromise } = prepareVowTools(zone);
+  const { watch, asPromise } = prepareBasicVowTools(zone);
 
   const testPromiseP = Promise.reject(new Error('test error'));
   const vow = watch(testPromiseP);
@@ -223,7 +223,7 @@ test('asPromise handles vow rejection', async t => {
 
 test('asPromise accepts and resolves promises', async t => {
   const zone = makeHeapZone();
-  const { asPromise } = prepareVowTools(zone);
+  const { asPromise } = prepareBasicVowTools(zone);
 
   const p = Promise.resolve('a promise');
   const result = await asPromise(p);
@@ -232,7 +232,7 @@ test('asPromise accepts and resolves promises', async t => {
 
 test('asPromise handles watcher arguments', async t => {
   const zone = makeHeapZone();
-  const { watch, asPromise } = prepareVowTools(zone);
+  const { watch, asPromise } = prepareBasicVowTools(zone);
 
   const testPromiseP = Promise.resolve('watcher test');
   const vow = watch(testPromiseP);
diff --git a/packages/vow/test/watch.test.js b/packages/vow/test/watch.test.js
index 851b43ae9f4..61ccec95a9b 100644
--- a/packages/vow/test/watch.test.js
+++ b/packages/vow/test/watch.test.js
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ import test from 'ava';
 
 import { makeHeapZone } from '@agoric/base-zone/heap.js';
 
-import { prepareVowTools } from '../src/tools.js';
+import { prepareBasicVowTools } from '../src/tools.js';
 
 /**
  * @import {ExecutionContext} from 'ava'
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ const prepareArityCheckWatcher = (zone, t) => {
  */
 test('ack watcher - shim', async t => {
   const zone = makeHeapZone();
-  const { watch, when, makeVowKit } = prepareVowTools(zone);
+  const { watch, when, makeVowKit } = prepareBasicVowTools(zone);
   const makeAckWatcher = prepareAckWatcher(zone, t);
 
   const packet = harden({ portId: 'port-1', channelId: 'channel-1' });
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ test('ack watcher - shim', async t => {
  */
 test('watcher args arity - shim', async t => {
   const zone = makeHeapZone();
-  const { watch, when, makeVowKit } = prepareVowTools(zone);
+  const { watch, when, makeVowKit } = prepareBasicVowTools(zone);
   const makeArityCheckWatcher = prepareArityCheckWatcher(zone, t);
 
   const testCases = /** @type {const} */ ({
@@ -173,7 +173,7 @@ test('watcher args arity - shim', async t => {
 
 test('vow self resolution', async t => {
   const zone = makeHeapZone();
-  const { watch, when, makeVowKit } = prepareVowTools(zone);
+  const { watch, when, makeVowKit } = prepareBasicVowTools(zone);
 
   // A direct self vow resolution
   const { vow: vow1, resolver: resolver1 } = makeVowKit();
@@ -226,7 +226,7 @@ test('vow self resolution', async t => {
 
 test('disconnection of non-vow informs watcher', async t => {
   const zone = makeHeapZone();
-  const { watch, when } = prepareVowTools(zone, {
+  const { watch, when } = prepareBasicVowTools(zone, {
     isRetryableReason: reason => reason === 'disconnected',
   });