diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index ab608d7..56ecb20 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -29,9 +29,9 @@ main proc() int {
 
 this prints `42`. interpreted `main` must be a top-level function with no parameters; nonvoid results are printed, not used as process exit statuses.
 
-the native bootstrap accepts either a no-argument `main` or `main proc(init process.Init)`. it supplies `init.io` and `init.args` directly from native startup `argc`/`argv`. `process.Args` borrows the argument pointer array and zero-terminated strings without allocation or copying; native startup storage lasts for the process lifetime. `process.argument_count(init.args)` includes the executable name, and `process.argument(init.args, index)` returns a borrowed `[;0]u8` or `null` when out of range. callers can supply their own `process.Args { values = pointers[..] }` for testing.
+the native bootstrap accepts either a no-argument `main` or `main proc(init process.Init)`. it supplies `init.io` and `init.args` from native startup `argc`/`argv`. startup scans each argument once into a heap-allocated array of borrowed zero-terminated slices (`process.Args.values: [][;0]u8`), without copying strings. the descriptor array and borrowed strings remain valid until `main` returns; startup then frees the descriptors, including on a fallible return. allocation failure exits with status `2`. `init.args.values.len` includes the executable name, and `init.args.values[index]` directly accesses an argument after a length guard. callers can supply their own `process.Args { values = slices[..] }` for testing.
 
-source loading uses the supplied `io.Io` for opening, reading, and closing files. `io.open` accepts a borrowed zero-terminated slice (`[;0]u8`), including arguments returned by `process.argument` without copying their storage. the bootstrap supports checked sentinel-slice construction with `pointer[..length;0]`. `io.read_all(allocator, reader, maximum)` reads to EOF into a caller-owned `ArrayList(u8)`; release it with `arraylist.deinit`. it frees partial storage on error and consumes one extra byte to distinguish an exact-size input from a limit violation. the driver maps `limit_exceeded` to `source_too_large` at its `u32` source-size limit.
+source loading uses the supplied `io.Io` for opening, reading, and closing files. `io.open` accepts a borrowed zero-terminated slice (`[;0]u8`), including `init.args.values[index]` without copying its storage. the bootstrap supports checked sentinel-slice construction with `pointer[..length;0]`. `io.read_all(allocator, reader, maximum)` reads to EOF into a caller-owned `ArrayList(u8)`; release it with `arraylist.deinit`. it frees partial storage on error and consumes one extra byte to distinguish an exact-size input from a limit violation. the driver maps `limit_exceeded` to `source_too_large` at its `u32` source-size limit.
 
 the parser supports arithmetic expressions with nested parenthesized groups, such as `a + (b - c) * 2 / 3`. groups control precedence without adding AST nodes; inner expression spans exclude the grouping parentheses. parsing accepts integer division syntax, but type checking requires float operands for `/`.
 
diff --git a/source/main.hon b/source/main.hon
index 0b71bce..64abaf1 100644
--- a/source/main.hon
+++ b/source/main.hon
@@ -46,9 +46,9 @@ DriverError :: alias (
 
 main proc(init process.Init) i32 {
     return command(mem.c_allocator, init.io, init.args) catch |err| {
-        if (process.argument(init.args, 2)) |path| {
+        if (init.args.values.len > 2) {
             io.print("{s}: infrastructure error: {s}\n", io.stderr(init.io), {
-                path, infrastructure_message(err),
+                init.args.values[2], infrastructure_message(err),
             }) catch |_| {}
         } else {
             io.print("honey: infrastructure error: {s}\n", io.stderr(init.io), {
@@ -78,20 +78,15 @@ infrastructure_message proc(error DriverError) []u8 {
 
 @hide:file
 command proc(allocator mem.Allocator, runtime io.Io, args process.Args) i32 ! DriverError {
-    if (process.argument_count(args) != 3) {
+    if (args.values.len != 3) {
         try io.print("usage: honey run <file>\n", io.stderr(runtime), {})
         return 2
     }
-    if (process.argument(args, 1)) |operation| {
-        if (!mem.eql(operation, "run")) {
-            try io.print("usage: honey run <file>\n", io.stderr(runtime), {})
-            return 2
-        }
-    } else {
+    if (!mem.eql(args.values[1], "run")) {
+        try io.print("usage: honey run <file>\n", io.stderr(runtime), {})
         return 2
     }
-    if (process.argument(args, 2)) |path| return try run_file(allocator, runtime, path)
-    return 2
+    return try run_file(allocator, runtime, args.values[2])
 }
 
 @hide:file
diff --git a/std/process/arguments.hon b/std/process/arguments.hon
deleted file mode 100644
index 2a281f3..0000000
--- a/std/process/arguments.hon
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,12 +0,0 @@
-argument_count proc(args Args) usize {
-    return args.values.len
-}
-
-#! returns a borrowed, zero-terminated slice, valid while the supplied argument storage lives.
-argument proc(args Args, index usize) ?[;0]u8 {
-    if (index >= argument_count(args)) return null
-    pointer :: args.values[index]
-    length := usize(0)
-    while (pointer[length] != 0) length += 1
-    return pointer[..length;0]
-}
diff --git a/std/process/arguments.test.hon b/std/process/arguments.test.hon
deleted file mode 100644
index 057bba0..0000000
--- a/std/process/arguments.test.hon
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,27 +0,0 @@
-import "@std/testing"
-import "@std/mem"
-
-borrows_supplied_arguments test {
-    first [3;0]mut u8 := ['r', 'u', 'n']
-    empty [0;0]u8 := []
-    spaced [9;0]u8 := ['t', 'w', 'o', ' ', 'w', 'o', 'r', 'd', 's']
-    pointers [3][*;0]u8 :: [(&first).ptr, (&empty).ptr, (&spaced).ptr]
-    args :: Args{ values = pointers[..] }
-    try testing.expect_equal(usize(3), argument_count(args))
-    if (argument(args, 0)) |value| {
-        first[0] = 'f'
-        try testing.expect(mem.eql(value, "fun"))
-    } else { try testing.expect(false) }
-    if (argument(args, 1)) |value| {
-        try testing.expect_equal(usize(0), value.len)
-    } else { try testing.expect(false) }
-    if (argument(args, 2)) |value| {
-        try testing.expect(mem.eql(value, "two words"))
-    } else { try testing.expect(false) }
-    try testing.expect(argument(args, 3) == null)
-    try testing.expect(argument(args, maxval!(usize)) == null)
-
-    none :: Args{ values = pointers[0..0] }
-    try testing.expect_equal(usize(0), argument_count(none))
-    try testing.expect(argument(none, 0) == null)
-}
diff --git a/std/process/process.hon b/std/process/process.hon
index bee8187..443c441 100644
--- a/std/process/process.hon
+++ b/std/process/process.hon
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ Init :: struct {
     args Args
 }
 
-#! borrows the argument pointer array and its zero-terminated strings; owns no storage.
+#! borrows argument slices and their zero-terminated strings, valid until main returns.
 Args :: struct {
-    values [][*;0]u8
+    values [][;0]u8
 }