diff --git a/packages/vats/src/bootstrap-behaviors-sim.js b/packages/vats/src/bootstrap-behaviors-sim.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..fe6490247fa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/vats/src/bootstrap-behaviors-sim.js
@@ -0,0 +1,73 @@
+// @ts-check
+import { E, Far } from '@agoric/far';
+import { makeNotifierKit } from '@agoric/notifier';
+import { bootstrapManifest } from './bootstrap-behaviors.js';
+
+export const simBootstrapManifest = harden({
+  behaviors: { installSimEgress: true, ...bootstrapManifest.behaviors },
+  endowments: {
+    installSimEgress: {
+      vatParameters: { argv: { hardcodedClientAddresses: true } },
+      vats: {
+        vattp: true,
+        comms: true,
+      },
+      workspace: true,
+    },
+    ...bootstrapManifest.endowments,
+  },
+});
+
+/**
+ * @param {{
+ *   vatParameters: { argv: Record<string, unknown> },
+ *   vats: {
+ *     vattp: VattpVat,
+ *     comms: CommsVatRoot,
+ *   },
+ *   workspace: Record<string, ERef<unknown>>,
+ * }} powers
+ *
+ * @typedef {{ getChainBundle: () => unknown }} ChainBundler
+ */
+const installSimEgress = async ({ vatParameters, vats, workspace }) => {
+  const PROVISIONER_INDEX = 1;
+
+  const { argv } = vatParameters;
+  const addRemote = async addr => {
+    const { transmitter, setReceiver } = await E(vats.vattp).addRemote(addr);
+    await E(vats.comms).addRemote(addr, transmitter, setReceiver);
+  };
+
+  // TODO: chainProvider per address
+  let bundle = harden({
+    echoer: Far('echoObj', { echo: message => message }),
+    // TODO: echo: Far('echoFn', message => message),
+  });
+  const { notifier, updater } = makeNotifierKit(bundle);
+
+  const chainProvider = Far('chainProvider', {
+    getChainBundle: () => notifier.getUpdateSince().then(({ value }) => value),
+    getChainBundleNotifier: () => notifier,
+  });
+
+  await Promise.all(
+    /** @type { string[] } */ (argv.hardcodedClientAddresses).map(
+      async addr => {
+        await addRemote(addr);
+        await E(vats.comms).addEgress(addr, PROVISIONER_INDEX, chainProvider);
+      },
+    ),
+  );
+
+  workspace.allClients = harden({
+    assign: newProperties => {
+      bundle = { ...bundle, ...newProperties };
+      updater.updateState(bundle);
+    },
+  });
+};
+
+harden({ installSimEgress });
+export { installSimEgress };
+export * from './bootstrap-behaviors.js';
diff --git a/packages/vats/src/bootstrap-behaviors.js b/packages/vats/src/bootstrap-behaviors.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..33ec332a4a6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/vats/src/bootstrap-behaviors.js
@@ -0,0 +1,75 @@
+// @ts-check
+import { E } from '@agoric/far';
+import { AssetKind } from '@agoric/ertp';
+
+// TODO: phase out ./issuers.js
+export const CENTRAL_ISSUER_NAME = 'RUN';
+
+/** @type { FeeIssuerConfig } */
+export const feeIssuerConfig = {
+  name: CENTRAL_ISSUER_NAME,
+  assetKind: AssetKind.NAT,
+  displayInfo: { decimalPlaces: 6, assetKind: AssetKind.NAT },
+};
+
+export const bootstrapManifest = harden({
+  behaviors: {
+    connectVattpWithMailbox: true,
+    buildZoe: true,
+  },
+  endowments: {
+    connectVattpWithMailbox: {
+      vatPowers: { D: true },
+      vats: { vattp: true },
+      devices: { mailbox: true },
+    },
+    buildZoe: {
+      vats: { vatAdmin: true },
+      devices: { vatAdmin: true },
+      workspace: true,
+    },
+  },
+});
+
+/**
+ * @param {{
+ *   vatPowers: { D: EProxy }, // D type is approximate
+ *   vats: { vattp: VattpVat },
+ *   devices: { mailbox: MailboxDevice },
+ * }} powers
+ */
+const connectVattpWithMailbox = ({
+  vatPowers: { D },
+  vats: { vattp },
+  devices: { mailbox },
+}) => {
+  D(mailbox).registerInboundHandler(vattp);
+  return E(vattp).registerMailboxDevice(mailbox);
+};
+
+/**
+ * @param {{
+ *   vats: { vatAdmin: VatAdminVat },
+ *   devices: { vatAdmin: unknown },
+ *   workspace: Record<string, ERef<any>>,
+ * }} powers
+ *
+ * @typedef {ERef<ReturnType<import('./vat-zoe').buildRootObject>>} ZoeVat
+ */
+const buildZoe = async ({ vats, devices, workspace }) => {
+  // TODO: what else do we need vatAdminSvc for? can we let it go out of scope?
+  const vatAdminSvc = E(vats.vatAdmin).createVatAdminService(devices.vatAdmin);
+
+  /** @type {{ root: ZoeVat }} */
+  const { root } = await E(vatAdminSvc).createVatByName('zoe');
+  const { zoeService: zoe, feeMintAccess: _2 } = await E(root).buildZoe(
+    vatAdminSvc,
+    feeIssuerConfig,
+  );
+
+  workspace.zoe = zoe;
+  E(workspace.allClients).assign({ zoe });
+};
+
+harden({ connectVattpWithMailbox, buildZoe });
+export { connectVattpWithMailbox, buildZoe };
diff --git a/packages/vats/src/bootstrap-core.js b/packages/vats/src/bootstrap-core.js
index ae1aac716c8..3ca0f92ab25 100644
--- a/packages/vats/src/bootstrap-core.js
+++ b/packages/vats/src/bootstrap-core.js
@@ -1,99 +1,12 @@
 // @ts-check
-import { E, Far } from '@agoric/far';
-import { makeNotifierKit } from '@agoric/notifier';
+import { Far } from '@agoric/far';
 import { makePromiseKit } from '@agoric/promise-kit';
+// TODO: choose sim behaviors based on runtime config
+import * as behaviors from './bootstrap-behaviors-sim.js';
+import { simBootstrapManifest } from './bootstrap-behaviors-sim.js';
 
-import { feeIssuerConfig } from './bootstrap-zoe-config';
-
-/**
- * @param {{
- *   vatPowers: { D: EProxy }, // D type is approximate
- *   vats: { vattp: VattpVat },
- *   devices: { mailbox: MailboxDevice },
- * }} powers
- */
-const connectVattpWithMailbox = ({
-  vatPowers: { D },
-  vats: { vattp },
-  devices: { mailbox },
-}) => {
-  D(mailbox).registerInboundHandler(vattp);
-  return E(vattp).registerMailboxDevice(mailbox);
-};
-
-/**
- * @param {{
- *   vatParameters: { argv: Record<string, unknown> },
- *   vats: {
- *     vattp: VattpVat,
- *     comms: CommsVatRoot,
- *   },
- *   workspace: Record<string, ERef<unknown>>,
- * }} powers
- *
- * @typedef {{ getChainBundle: () => unknown }} ChainBundler
- */
-const installSimEgress = async ({ vatParameters, vats, workspace }) => {
-  const PROVISIONER_INDEX = 1;
-
-  const { argv } = vatParameters;
-  const addRemote = async addr => {
-    const { transmitter, setReceiver } = await E(vats.vattp).addRemote(addr);
-    await E(vats.comms).addRemote(addr, transmitter, setReceiver);
-  };
-
-  // TODO: chainProvider per address
-  let bundle = harden({
-    echoer: Far('echoObj', { echo: message => message }),
-    // TODO: echo: Far('echoFn', message => message),
-  });
-  const { notifier, updater } = makeNotifierKit(bundle);
-
-  const chainProvider = Far('chainProvider', {
-    getChainBundle: () => notifier.getUpdateSince().then(({ value }) => value),
-    getChainBundleNotifier: () => notifier,
-  });
-
-  await Promise.all(
-    /** @type { string[] } */ (argv.hardcodedClientAddresses).map(
-      async addr => {
-        await addRemote(addr);
-        await E(vats.comms).addEgress(addr, PROVISIONER_INDEX, chainProvider);
-      },
-    ),
-  );
-
-  workspace.allClients = harden({
-    assign: newProperties => {
-      bundle = { ...bundle, ...newProperties };
-      updater.updateState(bundle);
-    },
-  });
-};
-
-/**
- * @param {{
- *   vats: { vatAdmin: VatAdminVat },
- *   devices: { vatAdmin: unknown },
- *   workspace: Record<string, ERef<any>>,
- * }} powers
- *
- * @typedef {ERef<ReturnType<import('./vat-zoe').buildRootObject>>} ZoeVat
- */
-const buildZoe = async ({ vats, devices, workspace }) => {
-  // TODO: what else do we need vatAdminSvc for? can we let it go out of scope?
-  const vatAdminSvc = E(vats.vatAdmin).createVatAdminService(devices.vatAdmin);
-
-  /** @type {{ root: ZoeVat }} */
-  const { root } = await E(vatAdminSvc).createVatByName('zoe');
-  const { zoeService: zoe, feeMintAccess: _2 } = await E(root).buildZoe(
-    vatAdminSvc,
-    feeIssuerConfig,
-  );
-
-  workspace.zoe = zoe;
-  E(workspace.allClients).assign({ zoe });
-};
+const { entries, fromEntries, keys } = Object;
+const { details: X, quote: q } = assert;
 
 /**
  * Make an object `s` where every `s.name` is a promise and setting `s.name = v` resolves it.
@@ -138,7 +51,29 @@ const makePromiseSpace = () => {
   return space;
 };
 
-const bootstrapSteps = [connectVattpWithMailbox, installSimEgress, buildZoe];
+/**
+ * @param {unknown} template
+ * @param {unknown} specimen
+ */
+const extract = (template, specimen) => {
+  if (template === true) {
+    return specimen;
+  } else if (typeof template === 'object' && template !== null) {
+    if (typeof specimen !== 'object' || specimen === null) {
+      assert.fail(X`object template requires object specimen, not ${specimen}`);
+    }
+    return harden(
+      fromEntries(
+        entries(template).map(([propName, subTemplate]) => [
+          propName,
+          extract(subTemplate, specimen[propName]),
+        ]),
+      ),
+    );
+  } else {
+    assert.fail(X`unexpected template: ${q(template)}`);
+  }
+};
 
 /**
  * Build root object of the bootstrap vat.
@@ -150,7 +85,7 @@ const bootstrapSteps = [connectVattpWithMailbox, installSimEgress, buildZoe];
  *   argv: Record<string, unknown>,
  * }} vatParameters
  */
-export function buildRootObject(vatPowers, vatParameters) {
+const buildRootObject = (vatPowers, vatParameters) => {
   const workspace = makePromiseSpace();
 
   return Far('bootstrap', {
@@ -162,9 +97,24 @@ export function buildRootObject(vatPowers, vatParameters) {
      */
     bootstrap: (vats, devices) =>
       Promise.all(
-        bootstrapSteps.map(step =>
-          step({ vatPowers, vatParameters, vats, devices, workspace }),
+        // TODO: choose simBootstrapManifest based on runtime config
+        keys(simBootstrapManifest.behaviors).map(name =>
+          Promise.resolve().then(() => {
+            const permit = simBootstrapManifest.endowments[name];
+            const endowments = extract(permit, {
+              vatPowers,
+              vatParameters,
+              vats,
+              devices,
+              workspace,
+            });
+            console.info(`bootstrap: ${name}(${q(permit)})`);
+            return behaviors[name](endowments);
+          }),
         ),
       ),
   });
-}
+};
+
+harden({ buildRootObject, extract });
+export { buildRootObject, extract };
diff --git a/packages/vats/src/bootstrap-zoe-config.js b/packages/vats/src/bootstrap-zoe-config.js
deleted file mode 100644
index 9821363aebc..00000000000
--- a/packages/vats/src/bootstrap-zoe-config.js
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,35 +0,0 @@
-import { AssetKind } from '@agoric/ertp';
-
-// TODO: phase out ./issuers.js
-export const CENTRAL_ISSUER_NAME = 'RUN';
-
-export const feeIssuerConfig = {
-  name: CENTRAL_ISSUER_NAME,
-  assetKind: AssetKind.NAT,
-  displayInfo: { decimalPlaces: 6, assetKind: AssetKind.NAT },
-  initialFunds: 1_000_000_000_000_000_000n, // ISSUE: we can't make RUN out of thin air
-};
-
-const MINUTE = 60n * 1000n; // in milliseconds
-const DAY = 24n * 60n * MINUTE;
-export const zoeFeesConfig = chainTimerServiceP => ({
-  getPublicFacetFee: 50n,
-  installFee: 65_000n,
-  startInstanceFee: 5_000_000n,
-  offerFee: 65_000n,
-  timeAuthority: chainTimerServiceP,
-  lowFee: 500_000n,
-  highFee: 5_000_000n,
-  shortExp: 5n * MINUTE,
-  longExp: 1n * DAY,
-});
-
-export const meteringConfig = {
-  incrementBy: 25_000_000n,
-  initial: 50_000_000n,
-  threshold: 25_000_000n,
-  price: {
-    feeNumerator: 1n,
-    computronDenominator: 1n, // default is just one-to-one
-  },
-};
diff --git a/packages/vats/src/bootstrap.js b/packages/vats/src/bootstrap.js
index 3f3efe2a19b..aa8fefb2a05 100644
--- a/packages/vats/src/bootstrap.js
+++ b/packages/vats/src/bootstrap.js
@@ -26,11 +26,7 @@ import {
   fromCosmosIssuerEntries,
   BLD_ISSUER_ENTRY,
 } from './issuers';
-import {
-  feeIssuerConfig,
-  zoeFeesConfig,
-  meteringConfig,
-} from './bootstrap-zoe-config';
+import { feeIssuerConfig } from './bootstrap-behaviors.js';
 
 const { multiply, floorDivide } = natSafeMath;
 
diff --git a/packages/vats/test/test-extract.js b/packages/vats/test/test-extract.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..3b6ea336c55
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/vats/test/test-extract.js
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+import '@agoric/install-ses';
+import test from 'ava';
+
+import { extract } from '../src/bootstrap-core.js';
+
+test('extract picks from specimen based on template', t => {
+  const specimen = { a: 1, b: { c: 2 } };
+  const template = { b: { c: true } };
+  const actual = extract(template, specimen);
+  t.deepEqual(actual, { b: { c: 2 } });
+});