diff --git a/packages/deployment/upgrade-test/Dockerfile b/packages/deployment/upgrade-test/Dockerfile
index b47e690b2ac..0e542d5128f 100644
--- a/packages/deployment/upgrade-test/Dockerfile
+++ b/packages/deployment/upgrade-test/Dockerfile
@@ -1,5 +1,9 @@
+# Defaults
+# ??? why isn't this called SDK_IMAGE?
 ARG DEST_IMAGE=ghcr.io/agoric/agoric-sdk:dev
 ARG BOOTSTRAP_MODE=main
+
+## FIRST LAYER
 # on agoric-uprade-7-2, with upgrade to agoric-upgrade-8
 FROM ghcr.io/agoric/ag0:agoric-upgrade-7-2 as agoric-upgrade-7-2
 ARG BOOTSTRAP_MODE
@@ -11,66 +15,78 @@ WORKDIR /usr/src/agoric-sdk/
 COPY ./start_ag0.sh ./upgrade-test-scripts/
 COPY ./bash_entrypoint.sh ./env_setup.sh ./start_to_to.sh ./upgrade-test-scripts/
 SHELL ["/bin/bash", "-c"]
+# this is the only layer that starts ag0
 RUN . ./upgrade-test-scripts/start_ag0.sh
 
+## UPGRADE LAYER
 ## this is agoric-upgrade-8 aka pismoA
 FROM ghcr.io/agoric/agoric-sdk:29 as agoric-upgrade-8
 ARG BOOTSTRAP_MODE
+# ??? why doesn't this set UPGRADE_TO ?
 ENV THIS_NAME=agoric-upgrade-8 BOOTSTRAP_MODE=${BOOTSTRAP_MODE}
-WORKDIR /usr/src/agoric-sdk/
+# copy from previous build
+COPY --from=agoric-upgrade-7-2 /root/.agoric /root/.agoric
 
-COPY ./bash_entrypoint.sh ./env_setup.sh ./start_to_to.sh ./upgrade-test-scripts/
+#region boilerplate to copy scripts for this upgrade
+# This does more than it needs to in some steps, to simplify maintenance in its repeated use
+WORKDIR /usr/src/agoric-sdk/
+COPY ./bash_entrypoint.sh ./env_setup.sh ./start_to_to.sh ./package.json ./*.mjs ./upgrade-test-scripts/
 COPY ./${THIS_NAME} ./upgrade-test-scripts/${THIS_NAME}/
-COPY --from=agoric-upgrade-7-2 /root/.agoric /root/.agoric
 RUN chmod +x ./upgrade-test-scripts/*.sh
 SHELL ["/bin/bash", "-c"]
 RUN . ./upgrade-test-scripts/start_to_to.sh
+#endregion
 
-ARG DEST_IMAGE
+## UPGRADE LAYER
 #this is agoric-upgrade-8-1 aka pismoB
 FROM ghcr.io/agoric/agoric-sdk:30 as agoric-upgrade-8-1
+# Each upgrade layer has this argument to let developers specify an UPGRADE_INFO JSON for each layer
 ARG BOOTSTRAP_MODE UPGRADE_INFO_9
 ENV THIS_NAME=agoric-upgrade-8-1 UPGRADE_TO=agoric-upgrade-9 UPGRADE_INFO=${UPGRADE_INFO_9} BOOTSTRAP_MODE=${BOOTSTRAP_MODE}
-
+COPY --from=agoric-upgrade-8 /root/.agoric /root/.agoric
+#region boilerplate to copy scripts for this upgrade
+# This does more than it needs to in some steps, to simplify maintenance in its repeated use
 WORKDIR /usr/src/agoric-sdk/
-COPY ./bash_entrypoint.sh ./env_setup.sh ./start_to_to.sh ./upgrade-test-scripts/
+COPY ./bash_entrypoint.sh ./env_setup.sh ./start_to_to.sh ./package.json ./*.mjs ./upgrade-test-scripts/
 COPY ./${THIS_NAME} ./upgrade-test-scripts/${THIS_NAME}/
-COPY --from=agoric-upgrade-8 /root/.agoric /root/.agoric
 RUN chmod +x ./upgrade-test-scripts/*.sh
 SHELL ["/bin/bash", "-c"]
 RUN . ./upgrade-test-scripts/start_to_to.sh
+#endregion
 
-ARG DEST_IMAGE
+## UPGRADE LAYER
 # this is agoric-upgrade-9 / pismoC with upgrade to agoric-upgrade-10
 FROM ghcr.io/agoric/agoric-sdk:31 as agoric-upgrade-9
 ARG BOOTSTRAP_MODE UPGRADE_INFO_10
 ENV THIS_NAME=agoric-upgrade-9 UPGRADE_TO=agoric-upgrade-10 UPGRADE_INFO=${UPGRADE_INFO_10} BOOTSTRAP_MODE=${BOOTSTRAP_MODE}
-
-WORKDIR /usr/src/agoric-sdk/
-COPY ./bash_entrypoint.sh ./env_setup.sh ./start_to_to.sh ./upgrade-test-scripts/
-COPY ./${THIS_NAME} ./upgrade-test-scripts/${THIS_NAME}/
 COPY --from=agoric-upgrade-8-1 /root/.agoric /root/.agoric
+#region boilerplate to copy scripts for this upgrade
+# This does more than it needs to in some steps, to simplify maintenance in its repeated use
 WORKDIR /usr/src/agoric-sdk/
+COPY ./bash_entrypoint.sh ./env_setup.sh ./start_to_to.sh ./package.json ./*.mjs ./upgrade-test-scripts/
+COPY ./${THIS_NAME} ./upgrade-test-scripts/${THIS_NAME}/
 RUN chmod +x ./upgrade-test-scripts/*.sh
 SHELL ["/bin/bash", "-c"]
 RUN . ./upgrade-test-scripts/start_to_to.sh
+#endregion
 
-
-ARG DEST_IMAGE
+## UPGRADE LAYER
 #this is agoric-upgrade-10 / vaults
 FROM ghcr.io/agoric/agoric-sdk:35 as agoric-upgrade-10
 ARG BOOTSTRAP_MODE
 ENV THIS_NAME=agoric-upgrade-10 USE_JS=1 BOOTSTRAP_MODE=${BOOTSTRAP_MODE}
-
+COPY --from=agoric-upgrade-9 /root/.agoric /root/.agoric
+#region boilerplate to copy scripts for this upgrade
+# This does more than it needs to in some steps, to simplify maintenance in its repeated use
 WORKDIR /usr/src/agoric-sdk/
 COPY ./bash_entrypoint.sh ./env_setup.sh ./start_to_to.sh ./package.json ./*.mjs ./upgrade-test-scripts/
 COPY ./${THIS_NAME} ./upgrade-test-scripts/${THIS_NAME}/
-COPY --from=agoric-upgrade-9 /root/.agoric /root/.agoric
 RUN chmod +x ./upgrade-test-scripts/*.sh
 SHELL ["/bin/bash", "-c"]
 RUN . ./upgrade-test-scripts/start_to_to.sh
+#endregion
 
-ARG DEST_IMAGE
+## UPGRADE LAYER
 #this is agoric-upgrade-10 upgrading to 11
 #it's a separate target because agoric-upgrade-10 takes so long to test
 FROM ghcr.io/agoric/agoric-sdk:35 as agoric-upgrade-10-to-11
@@ -78,27 +94,36 @@ FROM ghcr.io/agoric/agoric-sdk:35 as agoric-upgrade-10-to-11
 # TODO: Maybe replace with a Zoe core proposal, or remove when other paths test it.
 ARG BOOTSTRAP_MODE UPGRADE_INFO_11='{"coreProposals":["@agoric/builders/scripts/vats/init-network.js"]}'
 ENV THIS_NAME=agoric-upgrade-10-to-11 UPGRADE_TO=agoric-upgrade-11 UPGRADE_INFO=${UPGRADE_INFO_11} BOOTSTRAP_MODE=${BOOTSTRAP_MODE}
-
+COPY --from=agoric-upgrade-10 /root/.agoric /root/.agoric
+#region boilerplate to copy scripts for this upgrade
+# This does more than it needs to in some steps, to simplify maintenance in its repeated use
 WORKDIR /usr/src/agoric-sdk/
-COPY ./bash_entrypoint.sh ./env_setup.sh ./start_to_to.sh ./upgrade-test-scripts/
+COPY ./bash_entrypoint.sh ./env_setup.sh ./start_to_to.sh ./package.json ./*.mjs ./upgrade-test-scripts/
 COPY ./${THIS_NAME} ./upgrade-test-scripts/${THIS_NAME}/
-COPY --from=agoric-upgrade-10 /root/.agoric /root/.agoric
 RUN chmod +x ./upgrade-test-scripts/*.sh
 SHELL ["/bin/bash", "-c"]
 RUN . ./upgrade-test-scripts/start_to_to.sh
+#endregion
 
+# DEVELOPMENT LAYER
+# allow specifying a different SDK image
 ARG DEST_IMAGE
-#this is agoric-upgrade-11 / vaults+1
+#this is agoric-upgrade-11 / vstorage updates
 FROM ${DEST_IMAGE} as agoric-upgrade-11
 ARG BOOTSTRAP_MODE
 ENV THIS_NAME=agoric-upgrade-11 BOOTSTRAP_MODE=${BOOTSTRAP_MODE}
-# this boot doesn't need an upgrade
-
+COPY --from=agoric-upgrade-10-to-11 /root/.agoric /root/.agoric
+#region boilerplate to copy scripts for this upgrade
+# This does more than it needs to in some steps, to simplify maintenance in its repeated use
 WORKDIR /usr/src/agoric-sdk/
-COPY ./bash_entrypoint.sh ./env_setup.sh ./start_to_to.sh ./upgrade-test-scripts/
+COPY ./bash_entrypoint.sh ./env_setup.sh ./start_to_to.sh ./package.json ./*.mjs ./upgrade-test-scripts/
 COPY ./${THIS_NAME} ./upgrade-test-scripts/${THIS_NAME}/
-COPY --from=agoric-upgrade-10-to-11 /root/.agoric /root/.agoric
-RUN apt install -y tmux
-SHELL ["/bin/bash", "-c"]
 RUN chmod +x ./upgrade-test-scripts/*.sh
+SHELL ["/bin/bash", "-c"]
+# this boot doesn't need an upgrade
+#endregion
+# RUN . ./upgrade-test-scripts/start_to_to.sh
+# provide tmux for use with TMUX_CC=1
+RUN apt install -y tmux
+# interactive shell for this whole Dockerfile
 ENTRYPOINT /usr/src/agoric-sdk/upgrade-test-scripts/start_to_to.sh