diff --git a/infer/src/backend/utils.ml b/infer/src/backend/utils.ml
index 19042fb79..98d4e6626 100644
--- a/infer/src/backend/utils.ml
+++ b/infer/src/backend/utils.ml
@@ -787,6 +787,12 @@ let filename_to_relative root fname =
   remainder
 
 
+(* Type of command-line arguments before processing *)
+type arg_list = (string * Arg.spec * string option * string) list
+
+let arg_desc_filter options_to_keep =
+  list_filter (function (option_name, _, _, _) -> list_mem string_equal option_name options_to_keep)
+
 let base_arg_desc =
   [
     "-results_dir",
diff --git a/infer/src/backend/utils.mli b/infer/src/backend/utils.mli
index efcd06e3d..9ac821a40 100644
--- a/infer/src/backend/utils.mli
+++ b/infer/src/backend/utils.mli
@@ -388,11 +388,17 @@ val do_outf : outfile option ref -> (outfile -> unit) -> unit
 (** close an outfile *)
 val close_outf : outfile -> unit
 
+(* Type of command-line arguments before processing *)
+type arg_list = (string * Arg.spec * string option * string) list
+
+(* Filter arguments by name, i.e. keep those whose name appears in the name list *)
+val arg_desc_filter : string list -> arg_list -> arg_list
+
 (** Basic command-line arguments *)
-val base_arg_desc : (string * Arg.spec * string option * string) list
+val base_arg_desc : arg_list
 
 (** Reserved command-line arguments *)
-val reserved_arg_desc : (string * Arg.spec * string option * string) list
+val reserved_arg_desc : arg_list
 
 (** Escape a string for use in a CSV or XML file: replace reserved characters with escape sequences *)
 module Escape : sig
diff --git a/infer/src/clang/cMain.ml b/infer/src/clang/cMain.ml
index eb885deb1..dd1d8e28f 100644
--- a/infer/src/clang/cMain.ml
+++ b/infer/src/clang/cMain.ml
@@ -16,66 +16,61 @@ module L = Logging
 open CFrontend_utils
 
 let arg_desc =
-  let base_arg =
-    let options_to_keep = ["-results_dir"] in
-    Config.dotty_cfg_libs := false; (* default behavior for this frontend *)
-    let filter arg_desc =
-      List.filter (fun desc -> let (option_name, _, _, _) = desc in List.mem option_name options_to_keep) arg_desc in
-    let desc =
-      (filter Utils.base_arg_desc) @
-      [
-        "-c",
-        Arg.String (fun cfile -> CFrontend_config.source_file := Some cfile),
-        Some "cfile",
-        "C File to translate";
-        "-x",
-        Arg.String (fun lang -> CFrontend_config.lang_from_string lang),
-        Some "cfile",
-        "Language (c, objective-c, c++, objc-++)";
-        "-ast",
-        Arg.String (fun file -> CFrontend_config.ast_file := Some file),
-        Some "file",
-        "AST file for the translation";
-        "-dotty_cfg_libs",
-        Arg.Unit (fun _ -> Config.dotty_cfg_libs := true),
-        None,
-        "Prints the cfg of the code coming from the libraries";
-        "-no_headers",
-        Arg.Unit (fun _ -> CFrontend_config.no_translate_libs := true),
-        None,
-        "Do not translate code in header files (default)";
-        "-headers",
-        Arg.Unit (fun _ -> CFrontend_config.no_translate_libs := false),
-        None,
-        "Translate code in header files";
-        "-testing_mode",
-        Arg.Unit (fun _ -> CFrontend_config.testing_mode := true),
-        None,
-        "Mode for testing, where no libraries are translated, including enums defined in the libraries";
-        "-debug",
-        Arg.Unit (fun _ -> CFrontend_config.debug_mode := true),
-        None,
-        "Enables debug mode";
-        "-stats",
-        Arg.Unit (fun _ -> CFrontend_config.stats_mode := true),
-        None,
-        "Enables stats mode";
-        "-project_root",
-        Arg.String (fun s ->
-            Config.project_root := Some (Utils.filename_to_absolute s)),
-        Some "dir",
-        "Toot directory of the project";
-        "-fobjc-arc",
-        Arg.Unit (fun s -> Config.arc_mode := true),
-        None,
-        "Translate with Objective-C Automatic Reference Counting (ARC)";
-        "-models_mode",
-        Arg.Unit (fun _ -> CFrontend_config.models_mode := true),
-        None,
-        "Mode for computing the models";
-      ] in
-    Utils.Arg2.create_options_desc false "Parsing Options" desc in
-  base_arg
+  Config.dotty_cfg_libs := false; (* default behavior for this frontend *)
+  let desc =
+    (Utils.arg_desc_filter ["-results_dir"] Utils.base_arg_desc) @
+    [
+      "-c",
+      Arg.String (fun cfile -> CFrontend_config.source_file := Some cfile),
+      Some "cfile",
+      "C File to translate";
+      "-x",
+      Arg.String (fun lang -> CFrontend_config.lang_from_string lang),
+      Some "cfile",
+      "Language (c, objective-c, c++, objc-++)";
+      "-ast",
+      Arg.String (fun file -> CFrontend_config.ast_file := Some file),
+      Some "file",
+      "AST file for the translation";
+      "-dotty_cfg_libs",
+      Arg.Unit (fun _ -> Config.dotty_cfg_libs := true),
+      None,
+      "Prints the cfg of the code coming from the libraries";
+      "-no_headers",
+      Arg.Unit (fun _ -> CFrontend_config.no_translate_libs := true),
+      None,
+      "Do not translate code in header files (default)";
+      "-headers",
+      Arg.Unit (fun _ -> CFrontend_config.no_translate_libs := false),
+      None,
+      "Translate code in header files";
+      "-testing_mode",
+      Arg.Unit (fun _ -> CFrontend_config.testing_mode := true),
+      None,
+      "Mode for testing, where no libraries are translated, including enums defined in the libraries";
+      "-debug",
+      Arg.Unit (fun _ -> CFrontend_config.debug_mode := true),
+      None,
+      "Enables debug mode";
+      "-stats",
+      Arg.Unit (fun _ -> CFrontend_config.stats_mode := true),
+      None,
+      "Enables stats mode";
+      "-project_root",
+      Arg.String (fun s ->
+          Config.project_root := Some (Utils.filename_to_absolute s)),
+      Some "dir",
+      "Toot directory of the project";
+      "-fobjc-arc",
+      Arg.Unit (fun s -> Config.arc_mode := true),
+      None,
+      "Translate with Objective-C Automatic Reference Counting (ARC)";
+      "-models_mode",
+      Arg.Unit (fun _ -> CFrontend_config.models_mode := true),
+      None,
+      "Mode for computing the models";
+    ] in
+  Utils.Arg2.create_options_desc false "Parsing Options" desc
 
 let usage =
   "\nUsage: InferClang -c C Files -ast AST Files -results_dir <output-dir> [options] \n"
diff --git a/infer/src/java/jMain.ml b/infer/src/java/jMain.ml
index c358cbea7..e7a967ce2 100644
--- a/infer/src/java/jMain.ml
+++ b/infer/src/java/jMain.ml
@@ -14,24 +14,20 @@ module L = Logging
 open Utils
 
 let arg_desc =
-  let base_arg =
-    let options_to_keep = ["-results_dir"; "-project_root"] in
-    let filter arg_desc =
-      list_filter (fun desc -> let (option_name, _, _, _) = desc in list_mem string_equal option_name options_to_keep) arg_desc in
-    let desc =
-      (filter base_arg_desc) @
-      [
-        "-models", Arg.String (fun filename -> JClasspath.add_models filename), Some "paths", "set the path to the jar containing the models";
-        "-debug", Arg.Unit (fun () -> JConfig.debug_mode := true), None, "write extra translation information";
-        "-dependencies", Arg.Unit (fun _ -> JConfig.dependency_mode := true), None, "translate all the dependencies during the capture";
-        "-no-static_final", Arg.Unit (fun () -> JTrans.no_static_final := true), None, "no special treatment for static final fields";
-        "-tracing", Arg.Unit (fun () -> JConfig.translate_checks := true), None,
-        "Translate JVM checks";
-        "-verbose_out", Arg.String (fun path -> JClasspath.set_verbose_out path), None,
-        "Set the path to the javac verbose output"
-      ] in
-    Arg2.create_options_desc false "Parsing Options" desc in
-  base_arg
+  let options_to_keep = ["-results_dir"; "-project_root"] in
+  let desc =
+    (arg_desc_filter options_to_keep base_arg_desc) @
+    [
+      "-models", Arg.String (fun filename -> JClasspath.add_models filename), Some "paths", "set the path to the jar containing the models";
+      "-debug", Arg.Unit (fun () -> JConfig.debug_mode := true), None, "write extra translation information";
+      "-dependencies", Arg.Unit (fun _ -> JConfig.dependency_mode := true), None, "translate all the dependencies during the capture";
+      "-no-static_final", Arg.Unit (fun () -> JTrans.no_static_final := true), None, "no special treatment for static final fields";
+      "-tracing", Arg.Unit (fun () -> JConfig.translate_checks := true), None,
+      "Translate JVM checks";
+      "-verbose_out", Arg.String (fun path -> JClasspath.set_verbose_out path), None,
+      "Set the path to the javac verbose output"
+    ] in
+  Arg2.create_options_desc false "Parsing Options" desc
 
 let usage =
   "Usage: InferJava -d compilation_dir -sources filename\n"
diff --git a/infer/src/llvm/lMain.ml b/infer/src/llvm/lMain.ml
index 5dbe2163b..d9eb0bab0 100644
--- a/infer/src/llvm/lMain.ml
+++ b/infer/src/llvm/lMain.ml
@@ -10,11 +10,8 @@ open Utils
 
 let arg_desc =
   let options_to_keep = ["-results_dir"; "-project_root"] in
-  let filter arg_desc = list_filter
-      (fun desc -> let (option_name, _, _, _) = desc in list_mem string_equal option_name options_to_keep)
-      arg_desc in
   let desc =
-    filter base_arg_desc @
+    arg_desc_filter options_to_keep base_arg_desc @
     [
       "-c",
       Arg.String (fun cfile -> LConfig.source_filename := Some cfile),