diff --git a/internal/cli/flags.go b/internal/cli/flags.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7320077
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/cli/flags.go
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+package cli
+
+import (
+	"flag"
+	"io"
+)
+
+func newFlagSet(name string, stderr io.Writer) *flag.FlagSet {
+	flags := flag.NewFlagSet(name, flag.ContinueOnError)
+	flags.SetOutput(stderr)
+	return flags
+}
diff --git a/internal/cli/manifest.go b/internal/cli/manifest.go
index 905f3f8..a92c631 100644
--- a/internal/cli/manifest.go
+++ b/internal/cli/manifest.go
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@ package cli
 
 import (
 	"context"
-	"flag"
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
 	"strings"
@@ -30,8 +29,7 @@ func manifestCreateCommand(ctx context.Context, args []string, stdout, stderr io
 		printManifestCreateHelp(stdout)
 		return exitOK
 	}
-	flags := flag.NewFlagSet("manifest create", flag.ContinueOnError)
-	flags.SetOutput(stderr)
+	flags := newFlagSet("manifest create", stderr)
 	id := flags.String("id", "", "source bundle id")
 	created := flags.String("created", "", "source created timestamp")
 	overwrite := flags.Bool("overwrite", false, "replace an existing manifest.json")
diff --git a/internal/cli/run.go b/internal/cli/run.go
index d3a3e3b..9548b26 100644
--- a/internal/cli/run.go
+++ b/internal/cli/run.go
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@ package cli
 
 import (
 	"context"
-	"flag"
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
 
@@ -15,8 +14,7 @@ func runCommand(ctx context.Context, args []string, stdout, stderr io.Writer) in
 		return exitOK
 	}
 
-	flags := flag.NewFlagSet("run", flag.ContinueOnError)
-	flags.SetOutput(stderr)
+	flags := newFlagSet("run", stderr)
 	configPath := flags.String("config", "", "path to config file")
 	dryRun := flags.Bool("dry-run", false, "load and validate config without publishing")
 	force := flags.Bool("force", false, "allow explicit destructive replacement for supported conflicts")
diff --git a/internal/cli/serve.go b/internal/cli/serve.go
index b04713d..cb73bf5 100644
--- a/internal/cli/serve.go
+++ b/internal/cli/serve.go
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@ package cli
 
 import (
 	"context"
-	"flag"
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
 
@@ -17,8 +16,7 @@ func serveCommand(ctx context.Context, args []string, stdout, stderr io.Writer)
 		return exitOK
 	}
 
-	flags := flag.NewFlagSet("serve", flag.ContinueOnError)
-	flags.SetOutput(stderr)
+	flags := newFlagSet("serve", stderr)
 	configPath := flags.String("config", "", "path to config file")
 	if err := flags.Parse(args); err != nil {
 		return exitUsage
diff --git a/internal/cli/source_mode.go b/internal/cli/source_mode.go
index a76af92..360bfda 100644
--- a/internal/cli/source_mode.go
+++ b/internal/cli/source_mode.go
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 package cli
 
 import (
-	"flag"
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
 
@@ -17,8 +16,7 @@ type sourceDiagnosticArgs struct {
 }
 
 func parseSourceDiagnosticArgs(stderr io.Writer, command string, args []string) (sourceDiagnosticArgs, bool) {
-	flags := flag.NewFlagSet(command, flag.ContinueOnError)
-	flags.SetOutput(stderr)
+	flags := newFlagSet(command, stderr)
 	configPath := flags.String("config", "", "path to config file")
 	pipelineID := flags.String("pipeline", "", "pipeline id")
 	bundlePath := flags.String("bundle", "", "source-root-relative bundle path")
diff --git a/internal/cli/version.go b/internal/cli/version.go
index 4622d30..2cd8d68 100644
--- a/internal/cli/version.go
+++ b/internal/cli/version.go
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@ package cli
 
 import (
 	"context"
-	"flag"
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
 
@@ -14,8 +13,7 @@ func versionCommand(_ context.Context, args []string, stdout, stderr io.Writer)
 		printVersionHelp(stdout)
 		return exitOK
 	}
-	flags := flag.NewFlagSet("version", flag.ContinueOnError)
-	flags.SetOutput(stderr)
+	flags := newFlagSet("version", stderr)
 	formatFlag := addFormatFlag(flags)
 	if err := flags.Parse(args); err != nil {
 		return exitUsage