diff --git a/index.js b/index.js
index 0ec95ba4e..5b56f3c42 100755
--- a/index.js
+++ b/index.js
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ module.exports = function standardVersion (argv) {
   var defaults = require('./defaults')
   var args = Object.assign({}, defaults, argv)
 
-  return runLifecycleScript(args, 'prebump', null, args)
+  return runLifecycleScript(args, 'prebump', null)
     .then((stdout) => {
       if (stdout && stdout.trim().length) args.releaseAs = stdout.trim()
       return bumpVersion(args.releaseAs)
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ module.exports = function standardVersion (argv) {
  * attempt to update the version # in a collection of common config
  * files, e.g., package.json, bower.json.
  *
- * @param argv config object
+ * @param args config object
  * @param newVersion version # to update to.
  * @return {string}
  */
@@ -171,18 +171,18 @@ function bumpVersion (releaseAs, callback) {
   })
 }
 
-function outputChangelog (argv, newVersion) {
+function outputChangelog (args, newVersion) {
   return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
-    createIfMissing(argv)
+    createIfMissing(args)
     var header = '# Change Log\n\nAll notable changes to this project will be documented in this file. See [standard-version](https://github.com/conventional-changelog/standard-version) for commit guidelines.\n'
-    var oldContent = argv.dryRun ? '' : fs.readFileSync(argv.infile, 'utf-8')
+    var oldContent = args.dryRun ? '' : fs.readFileSync(args.infile, 'utf-8')
     // find the position of the last release and remove header:
     if (oldContent.indexOf('<a name=') !== -1) {
       oldContent = oldContent.substring(oldContent.indexOf('<a name='))
     }
     var content = ''
     var context
-    if (argv.dryRun) context = {version: newVersion}
+    if (args.dryRun) context = {version: newVersion}
     var changelogStream = conventionalChangelog({
       preset: 'angular'
     }, context, {merges: null})
@@ -195,32 +195,32 @@ function outputChangelog (argv, newVersion) {
     })
 
     changelogStream.on('end', function () {
-      checkpoint(argv, 'outputting changes to %s', [argv.infile])
-      if (argv.dryRun) console.log(`\n---\n${chalk.gray(content.trim())}\n---\n`)
-      else writeFile(argv, argv.infile, header + '\n' + (content + oldContent).replace(/\n+$/, '\n'))
+      checkpoint(args, 'outputting changes to %s', [args.infile])
+      if (args.dryRun) console.info(`\n---\n${chalk.gray(content.trim())}\n---\n`)
+      else writeFile(args, args.infile, header + '\n' + (content + oldContent).replace(/\n+$/, '\n'))
       return resolve()
     })
   })
 }
 
-function commit (argv, newVersion) {
+function commit (args, newVersion) {
   var msg = 'committing %s'
-  var args = [argv.infile]
-  var verify = argv.verify === false || argv.n ? '--no-verify ' : ''
+  var paths = [args.infile]
+  var verify = args.verify === false || args.n ? '--no-verify ' : ''
   var toAdd = ''
   // commit any of the config files that we've updated
   // the version # for.
   Object.keys(configsToUpdate).forEach(function (p) {
     if (configsToUpdate[p]) {
       msg += ' and %s'
-      args.unshift(path.basename(p))
+      paths.unshift(path.basename(p))
       toAdd += ' ' + path.relative(process.cwd(), p)
     }
   })
-  checkpoint(argv, msg, args)
-  return runExec(argv, 'git add' + toAdd + ' ' + argv.infile)
+  checkpoint(args, msg, paths)
+  return runExec(args, 'git add' + toAdd + ' ' + args.infile)
     .then(() => {
-      return runExec(argv, 'git commit ' + verify + (argv.sign ? '-S ' : '') + (argv.commitAll ? '' : (argv.infile + toAdd)) + ' -m "' + formatCommitMessage(argv.message, newVersion) + '"')
+      return runExec(args, 'git commit ' + verify + (args.sign ? '-S ' : '') + (args.commitAll ? '' : (args.infile + toAdd)) + ' -m "' + formatCommitMessage(args.message, newVersion) + '"')
     })
 }
 
@@ -228,31 +228,31 @@ function formatCommitMessage (msg, newVersion) {
   return String(msg).indexOf('%s') !== -1 ? util.format(msg, newVersion) : msg
 }
 
-function tag (newVersion, pkgPrivate, argv) {
+function tag (newVersion, pkgPrivate, args) {
   var tagOption
-  if (argv.sign) {
+  if (args.sign) {
     tagOption = '-s '
   } else {
     tagOption = '-a '
   }
-  checkpoint(argv, 'tagging release %s', [newVersion])
-  return runExec(argv, 'git tag ' + tagOption + argv.tagPrefix + newVersion + ' -m "' + formatCommitMessage(argv.message, newVersion) + '"')
+  checkpoint(args, 'tagging release %s', [newVersion])
+  return runExec(args, 'git tag ' + tagOption + args.tagPrefix + newVersion + ' -m "' + formatCommitMessage(args.message, newVersion) + '"')
     .then(() => {
       var message = 'git push --follow-tags origin master'
       if (pkgPrivate !== true) message += '; npm publish'
 
-      checkpoint(argv, 'Run `%s` to publish', [message], chalk.blue(figures.info))
+      checkpoint(args, 'Run `%s` to publish', [message], chalk.blue(figures.info))
     })
 }
 
-function createIfMissing (argv) {
+function createIfMissing (args) {
   try {
-    accessSync(argv.infile, fs.F_OK)
+    accessSync(args.infile, fs.F_OK)
   } catch (err) {
     if (err.code === 'ENOENT') {
-      checkpoint(argv, 'created %s', [argv.infile])
-      argv.outputUnreleased = true
-      writeFile(argv, argv.infile, '\n')
+      checkpoint(args, 'created %s', [args.infile])
+      args.outputUnreleased = true
+      writeFile(args, args.infile, '\n')
     }
   }
 }
diff --git a/lib/checkpoint.js b/lib/checkpoint.js
index 634c8b5f7..516ab568f 100644
--- a/lib/checkpoint.js
+++ b/lib/checkpoint.js
@@ -2,10 +2,10 @@ const chalk = require('chalk')
 const figures = require('figures')
 const util = require('util')
 
-module.exports = function (argv, msg, args, figure) {
+module.exports = function (args, msg, vars, figure) {
   const defaultFigure = args.dryRun ? chalk.yellow(figures.tick) : chalk.green(figures.tick)
-  if (!argv.silent) {
-    console.info((figure || defaultFigure) + ' ' + util.format.apply(util, [msg].concat(args.map(function (arg) {
+  if (!args.silent) {
+    console.info((figure || defaultFigure) + ' ' + util.format.apply(util, [msg].concat(vars.map(function (arg) {
       return chalk.bold(arg)
     }))))
   }
diff --git a/lib/print-error.js b/lib/print-error.js
index 983aeacc5..84aaa8257 100644
--- a/lib/print-error.js
+++ b/lib/print-error.js
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 const chalk = require('chalk')
 
-module.exports = function (argv, msg, opts) {
-  if (!argv.silent) {
+module.exports = function (args, msg, opts) {
+  if (!args.silent) {
     opts = Object.assign({
       level: 'error',
       color: 'red'
diff --git a/lib/run-exec.js b/lib/run-exec.js
index 46c2134b7..4ce3cb09f 100644
--- a/lib/run-exec.js
+++ b/lib/run-exec.js
@@ -1,18 +1,18 @@
 const exec = require('child_process').exec
 const printError = require('./print-error')
 
-module.exports = function (argv, cmd) {
-  if (argv.dryRun) return Promise.resolve()
+module.exports = function (args, cmd) {
+  if (args.dryRun) return Promise.resolve()
   return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
     // Exec given cmd and handle possible errors
     exec(cmd, function (err, stdout, stderr) {
       // If exec returns content in stderr, but no error, print it as a warning
       // If exec returns an error, print it and exit with return code 1
       if (err) {
-        printError(argv, stderr || err.message)
+        printError(args, stderr || err.message)
         return reject(err)
       } else if (stderr) {
-        printError(argv, stderr, {level: 'warn', color: 'yellow'})
+        printError(args, stderr, {level: 'warn', color: 'yellow'})
       }
       return resolve(stdout)
     })
diff --git a/lib/run-lifecycle-hook.js b/lib/run-lifecycle-hook.js
index caaeeba06..17efd336a 100644
--- a/lib/run-lifecycle-hook.js
+++ b/lib/run-lifecycle-hook.js
@@ -3,10 +3,10 @@ const checkpoint = require('./checkpoint')
 const figures = require('figures')
 const runExec = require('./run-exec')
 
-module.exports = function (argv, hookName, newVersion, hooks, cb) {
+module.exports = function (args, hookName, newVersion, hooks, cb) {
   if (!hooks[hookName]) return Promise.resolve()
   var command = hooks[hookName] + ' --new-version="' + newVersion + '"'
-  checkpoint(argv, 'Running lifecycle hook "%s"', [hookName])
-  checkpoint(argv, '- hook command: "%s"', [command], chalk.blue(figures.info))
-  return runExec(argv, command)
+  checkpoint(args, 'Running lifecycle hook "%s"', [hookName])
+  checkpoint(args, '- hook command: "%s"', [command], chalk.blue(figures.info))
+  return runExec(args, command)
 }
diff --git a/lib/run-lifecycle-script.js b/lib/run-lifecycle-script.js
index 46a7bc92f..f4c2baa07 100644
--- a/lib/run-lifecycle-script.js
+++ b/lib/run-lifecycle-script.js
@@ -3,12 +3,12 @@ const checkpoint = require('./checkpoint')
 const figures = require('figures')
 const runExec = require('./run-exec')
 
-module.exports = function (argv, hookName, newVersion, args) {
+module.exports = function (args, hookName, newVersion) {
   const scripts = args.scripts
   if (!scripts || !scripts[hookName]) return Promise.resolve()
   var command = scripts[hookName]
   if (newVersion) command += ' --new-version="' + newVersion + '"'
-  checkpoint(argv, 'Running lifecycle script "%s"', [hookName])
-  checkpoint(argv, '- execute command: "%s"', [command], chalk.blue(figures.info))
-  return runExec(argv, command)
+  checkpoint(args, 'Running lifecycle script "%s"', [hookName])
+  checkpoint(args, '- execute command: "%s"', [command], chalk.blue(figures.info))
+  return runExec(args, command)
 }
diff --git a/lib/write-file.js b/lib/write-file.js
index b84566995..b6aaa19f7 100644
--- a/lib/write-file.js
+++ b/lib/write-file.js
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 const fs = require('fs')
 
-module.exports = function (argv, filePath, content) {
-  if (argv.dryRun) return
+module.exports = function (args, filePath, content) {
+  if (args.dryRun) return
   fs.writeFileSync(filePath, content, 'utf8')
 }