diff --git a/packages/vow/src/tools.js b/packages/vow/src/tools.js
index a632dda4c81..950d9ca6637 100644
--- a/packages/vow/src/tools.js
+++ b/packages/vow/src/tools.js
@@ -3,9 +3,10 @@ import { makeWhen } from './when.js';
 import { prepareVowKit } from './vow.js';
 import { prepareWatch } from './watch.js';
 import { prepareWatchUtils } from './watch-utils.js';
+import { makeAsVow } from './vow-utils.js';
 
 /** @import {Zone} from '@agoric/base-zone' */
-/** @import {IsRetryableReason} from './types.js' */
+/** @import {IsRetryableReason, Vow} from './types.js' */
 
 /**
  * @param {Zone} zone
@@ -20,6 +21,7 @@ export const prepareVowTools = (zone, powers = {}) => {
   const watch = prepareWatch(zone, makeVowKit, isRetryableReason);
   const makeWatchUtils = prepareWatchUtils(zone, watch, makeVowKit);
   const watchUtils = makeWatchUtils();
+  const asVow = makeAsVow(makeVowKit);
 
   /**
    * Vow-tolerant implementation of Promise.all.
@@ -28,7 +30,7 @@ export const prepareVowTools = (zone, powers = {}) => {
    */
   const allVows = vows => watchUtils.all(vows);
 
-  return harden({ when, watch, makeVowKit, allVows });
+  return harden({ when, watch, makeVowKit, allVows, asVow });
 };
 harden(prepareVowTools);
 
diff --git a/packages/vow/src/vow-utils.js b/packages/vow/src/vow-utils.js
index 63ba2ecf6aa..664bfa0698d 100644
--- a/packages/vow/src/vow-utils.js
+++ b/packages/vow/src/vow-utils.js
@@ -4,8 +4,9 @@ import { isPassable } from '@endo/pass-style';
 import { M, matches } from '@endo/patterns';
 
 /**
- * @import {PassableCap} from '@endo/pass-style'
- * @import {VowPayload, Vow} from './types.js'
+ * @import {PassableCap} from '@endo/pass-style';
+ * @import {VowPayload, Vow} from './types.js';
+ * @import {MakeVowKit} from './vow.js';
  */
 
 export { basicE };
@@ -73,3 +74,25 @@ export const toPassableCap = k => {
   return vowV0;
 };
 harden(toPassableCap);
+
+/** @param {MakeVowKit} makeVowKit */
+export const makeAsVow = makeVowKit => {
+  /**
+   * Helper function that coerces the result of a function to a Vow. Helpful
+   * for scenarios like a synchronously thrown error.
+   * @template {any} T
+   * @param {(...args: any[]) => Vow<Awaited<T>> | Awaited<T>} fn
+   * @returns {Vow<Awaited<T>>}
+   */
+  const asVow = fn => {
+    const kit = makeVowKit();
+    try {
+      kit.resolver.resolve(fn());
+    } catch (e) {
+      kit.resolver.reject(e);
+    }
+    return kit.vow;
+  };
+  return harden(asVow);
+};
+harden(makeAsVow);
diff --git a/packages/vow/src/vow.js b/packages/vow/src/vow.js
index 742a9c2e737..1a1ca4a472e 100644
--- a/packages/vow/src/vow.js
+++ b/packages/vow/src/vow.js
@@ -157,5 +157,6 @@ export const prepareVowKit = zone => {
 
   return makeVowKit;
 };
+/** @typedef {ReturnType<typeof prepareVowKit>} MakeVowKit */
 
 harden(prepareVowKit);
diff --git a/packages/vow/test/asVow.test.js b/packages/vow/test/asVow.test.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..25d22005584
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/vow/test/asVow.test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+// @ts-check
+import test from 'ava';
+
+import { makeHeapZone } from '@agoric/base-zone/heap.js';
+
+import { prepareVowTools } from '../src/tools.js';
+import { isVow } from '../src/vow-utils.js';
+
+test('asVow takes a function that throws/returns synchronously and returns a vow', async t => {
+  const zone = makeHeapZone();
+  const { watch, when, asVow } = prepareVowTools(zone);
+
+  const fnThatThrows = () => {
+    throw Error('fail');
+  };
+
+  const vowWithRejection = asVow(fnThatThrows);
+  t.true(isVow(vowWithRejection));
+  await t.throwsAsync(when(vowWithRejection), { message: 'fail' }, 'failure ');
+
+  const isWatchAble = watch(asVow(fnThatThrows));
+  t.true(isVow(vowWithRejection));
+  await t.throwsAsync(when(isWatchAble), { message: 'fail' }, 'failure ');
+
+  const fnThatReturns = () => {
+    return 'early return';
+  };
+  const vowWithReturn = asVow(fnThatReturns);
+  t.true(isVow(vowWithReturn));
+  t.is(await when(vowWithReturn), 'early return');
+  t.is(await when(watch(vowWithReturn)), 'early return');
+});