diff --git a/NEWS b/NEWS
index 8e183219db..ea6ca636bd 100644
--- a/NEWS
+++ b/NEWS
@@ -34,6 +34,13 @@ New Functionality
   See https://docs.zeek.org/en/master/frameworks/logging.html#filter-log-records
   for more details.
 
+- A new ``zeek_script_args`` variable contains a list of arguments passed
+  to a script.  E.g. either when explicitly executing Zeek like
+  ``zeek -- myscript.zeek -arg1 -arg2``, or when using Zeek as to interpret
+  executable scripts that contain a hashbang line at the top like::
+
+    #!/usr/local/zeek/bin/zeek --
+
 Changed Functionality
 ---------------------
 
diff --git a/scripts/base/init-bare.zeek b/scripts/base/init-bare.zeek
index 02887b38a5..40bda1d217 100644
--- a/scripts/base/init-bare.zeek
+++ b/scripts/base/init-bare.zeek
@@ -455,15 +455,15 @@ type connection: record {
 };
 
 ## Arguments given to Zeek from the command line. In order to use this, Zeek
-## must use the "--" command line argument, then give the script name immediately
-## after the double hyphens and the provide the arguments after that. For example:
-## 
+## must use a ``--`` command line argument immediately followed by a script
+## file and additional arguments after that. For example::
+##
 ##   zeek --bare-mode -- myscript.zeek -a -b -c
-## 
+##
 ## To use Zeek as an executable interpreter, include a line at the top of a script
-## like the following and make the script executable:
-## 
-##   #!/usr/local/zeek/bin/zeek -- 
+## like the following and make the script executable::
+##
+##   #!/usr/local/zeek/bin/zeek --
 const zeek_script_args: vector of string = vector();
 
 ## Default amount of time a file can be inactive before the file analysis
diff --git a/src/NetVar.cc b/src/NetVar.cc
index b8985456ae..dfc52e0ea4 100644
--- a/src/NetVar.cc
+++ b/src/NetVar.cc
@@ -30,8 +30,6 @@ zeek::VectorType* index_vec;
 zeek::VectorType* mime_matches;
 zeek::RecordType* mime_match;
 
-zeek::VectorVal* zeek_script_args;
-
 zeek::RecordType* socks_address;
 
 zeek::TableVal* tcp_reassembler_ports_orig;
diff --git a/src/zeek-setup.cc b/src/zeek-setup.cc
index c155e6fdd3..4d731a507c 100644
--- a/src/zeek-setup.cc
+++ b/src/zeek-setup.cc
@@ -663,7 +663,7 @@ SetupResult setup(int argc, char** argv, Options* zopts)
 	// Assign the script_args for command line processing in Zeek scripts.
 	if ( ! options.script_args.empty() )
 		{
-		auto script_args_val = zeek::id::find_val("zeek_script_args")->AsVectorVal();
+		auto script_args_val = id::find_val<VectorVal>("zeek_script_args");
 		for ( const string& script_arg : options.script_args )
 			{
 			script_args_val->Assign(script_args_val->Size(), make_intrusive<StringVal>(script_arg));
diff --git a/testing/btest/Baseline/core.scripts-args/.stdout b/testing/btest/Baseline/core.script-args/out
similarity index 50%
rename from testing/btest/Baseline/core.scripts-args/.stdout
rename to testing/btest/Baseline/core.script-args/out
index c7b3e4ce24..e7be66720c 100644
--- a/testing/btest/Baseline/core.scripts-args/.stdout
+++ b/testing/btest/Baseline/core.script-args/out
@@ -1 +1,2 @@
 [-a, -b, -c]
+[-d, -e, -f]
diff --git a/testing/btest/core/script-args.zeek b/testing/btest/core/script-args.zeek
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..2e38f411cc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/testing/btest/core/script-args.zeek
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+# @TEST-EXEC: printf '#!' > test.zeek
+# @TEST-EXEC: printf "$BUILD/src/zeek -b --\n" >> test.zeek
+# @TEST-EXEC: cat %INPUT >> test.zeek
+# @TEST-EXEC: chmod u+x test.zeek
+
+# @TEST-EXEC: zeek -b -- %INPUT -a -b -c >out
+# @TEST-EXEC: $(dirname %INPUT)/test.zeek -d -e -f >>out
+
+# @TEST-EXEC: btest-diff out
+
+event zeek_init()
+	{
+	print zeek_script_args;
+	}
diff --git a/testing/btest/core/scripts-args.zeek b/testing/btest/core/scripts-args.zeek
deleted file mode 100644
index 4541ef8e0d..0000000000
--- a/testing/btest/core/scripts-args.zeek
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,9 +0,0 @@
-# @TEST-EXEC: zeek -b -- %INPUT -a -b -c 
-
-# @TEST-EXEC: btest-diff .stdout
-
-event zeek_init()
-	{
-	print zeek_script_args;
-	}
-