diff --git a/packages/cosmic-swingset/ag-solo-xs.mk b/packages/cosmic-swingset/ag-solo-xs.mk
index 4a5b6154f4ec..032c1c81f194 100644
--- a/packages/cosmic-swingset/ag-solo-xs.mk
+++ b/packages/cosmic-swingset/ag-solo-xs.mk
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ BUILD_BUNDLE=node -r esm $(WORKSPACE)/packages/SwingSet/scripts/build-bundle.js
 	cp $< $@
 
 check-start: ./bin/ag-solo-xs
-	cd $(BASEDIR) && ../bin/ag-solo-xs start --role=three_client
+	cd $(BASEDIR) && ../bin/ag-solo-xs start --role=two_client
 
 $(BUILD)/bin/lin/release/ag-solo: $(SOURCES) ../SwingSet/src/bundles/mailbox-src.js $(BASEDIR)/vats/bootstrap-src.js lib/ag-solo/manifest.json lib/ag-solo/xs-compartments.json
 	mkdir -p $(BUILD)
diff --git a/packages/cosmic-swingset/bin/ag-solo-xs.js b/packages/cosmic-swingset/bin/ag-solo-xs.js
index 82009d054e60..bd3323c27238 100644
--- a/packages/cosmic-swingset/bin/ag-solo-xs.js
+++ b/packages/cosmic-swingset/bin/ag-solo-xs.js
@@ -41,7 +41,8 @@ export default async function main() {
     const solo = new Compartment(info.root, endowments, cmap).export.default;
     // console.log('got solo from compartment:', solo);
 
-    await solo('ag-solo-xs', ['start']);
+    console.warn('ag-solo-xs: args are hard-coded');
+    await solo('ag-solo-xs', ['start', '--role=two_client']);
     // start should run forever
     await new Promise(() => null);
   } catch (oops) {