diff --git a/packages/SwingSet/src/kernel/kernel.js b/packages/SwingSet/src/kernel/kernel.js
index f91463d2f0e7..248f2bfc617b 100644
--- a/packages/SwingSet/src/kernel/kernel.js
+++ b/packages/SwingSet/src/kernel/kernel.js
@@ -821,39 +821,37 @@ export default function buildKernel(
       upgradeMessage,
       incarnationNumber: vatKeeper.getIncarnationNumber(),
     };
-    const disconnectObjectCD = kser(disconnectObject);
+    const disconnectionCapData = kser(disconnectObject);
     /** @type { import('../types-external.js').KernelDeliveryStopVat } */
-    const kd1 = harden(['stopVat', disconnectObjectCD]);
-    const vd1 = vatWarehouse.kernelDeliveryToVatDelivery(vatID, kd1);
-    const status1 = await deliverAndLogToVat(vatID, kd1, vd1);
+    const stopVatKD = harden(['stopVat', disconnectionCapData]);
+    const stopVatVD = vatWarehouse.kernelDeliveryToVatDelivery(
+      vatID,
+      stopVatKD,
+    );
+    const stopVatStatus = await deliverAndLogToVat(vatID, stopVatKD, stopVatVD);
+    const stopVatResults = deliveryCrankResults(vatID, stopVatStatus, false);
 
-    // TODO: send BOYD to the vat, to give it one last chance to clean
-    // up, drop imports, and delete durable data. If we ever have a
-    // vat that is so broken it can't do BOYD, we can make that
-    // optional. #7001
+    // We don't meter stopVat, since no user code is running, but we
+    // still report computrons to the runPolicy
+    let { computrons } = stopVatResults; // BigInt or undefined
+    if (computrons !== undefined) {
+      assert.typeof(computrons, 'bigint');
+    }
 
-    // make arguments for vat-vat-admin.js vatUpgradeCallback()
     /**
-     * @param {SwingSetCapData} _errorCD
+     * Make a method-arguments structure representing failure
+     * for vat-vat-admin.js vatUpgradeCallback().
+     *
+     * @param {SwingSetCapData} _errorCapData
      * @returns {RawMethargs}
      */
-    function makeFailure(_errorCD) {
-      insistCapData(_errorCD); // kser(Error)
+    const makeFailureMethargs = _errorCapData => {
+      insistCapData(_errorCapData); // kser(Error)
       // const error = kunser(_errorCD)
       // actually we shouldn't reveal the details, so instead we do:
       const error = Error('vat-upgrade failure');
       return ['vatUpgradeCallback', [upgradeID, false, error]];
-    }
-
-    // We use deliveryCrankResults to parse the stopVat status.
-    const results1 = deliveryCrankResults(vatID, status1, false);
-
-    // We don't meter stopVat, since no user code is running, but we
-    // still report computrons to the runPolicy
-    let { computrons } = results1; // BigInt or undefined
-    if (computrons !== undefined) {
-      assert.typeof(computrons, 'bigint');
-    }
+    };
 
     // TODO: if/when we implement vat pause/suspend, and if
     // deliveryCrankResults changes to not use .terminate to indicate
@@ -861,18 +859,20 @@ export default function buildKernel(
     // pause/suspend a vat for a delivery error, here we want to
     // unwind the upgrade.
 
-    if (results1.terminate) {
+    if (stopVatResults.terminate) {
       // get rid of the worker, so the next delivery to this vat will
       // re-create one from the previous state
       // eslint-disable-next-line @jessie.js/no-nested-await
       await vatWarehouse.stopWorker(vatID);
 
       // notify vat-admin of the failed upgrade
-      const vatAdminMethargs = makeFailure(results1.terminate.info);
+      const vatAdminMethargs = makeFailureMethargs(
+        stopVatResults.terminate.info,
+      );
 
       // we still report computrons to the runPolicy
       const results = harden({
-        ...results1,
+        ...stopVatResults,
         computrons,
         abort: true, // always unwind
         consumeMessage: true, // don't repeat the upgrade
@@ -884,9 +884,14 @@ export default function buildKernel(
 
     // stopVat succeeded. finish cleanup on behalf of the worker.
 
+    // TODO: send BOYD to the vat, to give it one last chance to clean
+    // up, drop imports, and delete durable data. If we ever have a
+    // vat that is so broken it can't do BOYD, we can make that
+    // optional. #7001
+
     // walk c-list for all decided promises, reject them all
     for (const kpid of kernelKeeper.enumeratePromisesByDecider(vatID)) {
-      doResolve(vatID, [[kpid, true, disconnectObjectCD]]);
+      resolveToError(kpid, disconnectionCapData, vatID);
     }
 
     // TODO: getNonDurableObjectExports, synthesize abandonVSO,
@@ -909,23 +914,32 @@ export default function buildKernel(
 
     // deliver a startVat with the new vatParameters
     /** @type { import('../types-external.js').KernelDeliveryStartVat } */
-    const kd2 = harden(['startVat', vatParameters]);
-    const vd2 = vatWarehouse.kernelDeliveryToVatDelivery(vatID, kd2);
+    const startVatKD = harden(['startVat', vatParameters]);
+    const startVatVD = vatWarehouse.kernelDeliveryToVatDelivery(
+      vatID,
+      startVatKD,
+    );
     // decref vatParameters now that translation did incref
     for (const kref of vatParameters.slots) {
       kernelKeeper.decrementRefCount(kref, 'upgrade-vat-event');
     }
-    const status2 = await deliverAndLogToVat(vatID, kd2, vd2);
-    const results2 = deliveryCrankResults(vatID, status2, false);
-    computrons = addComputrons(computrons, results2.computrons);
+    const startVatStatus = await deliverAndLogToVat(
+      vatID,
+      startVatKD,
+      startVatVD,
+    );
+    const startVatResults = deliveryCrankResults(vatID, startVatStatus, false);
+    computrons = addComputrons(computrons, startVatResults.computrons);
 
-    if (results2.terminate) {
+    if (startVatResults.terminate) {
       // unwind just like above
       // eslint-disable-next-line @jessie.js/no-nested-await
       await vatWarehouse.stopWorker(vatID);
-      const vatAdminMethargs = makeFailure(results2.terminate.info);
+      const vatAdminMethargs = makeFailureMethargs(
+        startVatResults.terminate.info,
+      );
       const results = harden({
-        ...results2,
+        ...startVatResults,
         computrons,
         abort: true, // always unwind
         consumeMessage: true, // don't repeat the upgrade