diff --git a/clients/js/src/cmds/verifyVaa.ts b/clients/js/src/cmds/verifyVaa.ts
index 07700a18e8..ed86a29e7a 100644
--- a/clients/js/src/cmds/verifyVaa.ts
+++ b/clients/js/src/cmds/verifyVaa.ts
@@ -1,14 +1,19 @@
-// The verify-vaa command invokes the parseAndVerifyVM method on the core contract on Ethereum to verify the specified VAA.
+// The verify-vaa command invokes the parseAndVerifyVM method on the core contract on the specified EVM chain to verify the specified VAA.
 
 import { Implementation__factory } from "@certusone/wormhole-sdk/lib/esm/ethers-contracts";
-import { CONTRACTS } from "@certusone/wormhole-sdk/lib/esm/utils/consts";
+import { 
+  CONTRACTS,
+  CHAINS,
+  assertChain,
+  assertEVMChain
+} from "@certusone/wormhole-sdk/lib/esm/utils/consts";
 import { ethers } from "ethers";
 import yargs from "yargs";
 import { NETWORKS, NETWORK_OPTIONS } from "../consts";
 import { assertNetwork } from "../utils";
 
 export const command = "verify-vaa";
-export const desc = "Verifies a VAA by querying the core contract on Ethereum";
+export const desc = "Verifies a VAA by querying the core contract on the specified EVM chain";
 export const builder = (y: typeof yargs) =>
   y
     .option("vaa", {
@@ -17,22 +22,41 @@ export const builder = (y: typeof yargs) =>
       type: "string",
       demandOption: true,
     })
-    .option("network", NETWORK_OPTIONS);
+    .option("network", NETWORK_OPTIONS)
+    .option("chain", {
+      alias: "c",
+      describe: "chain name",
+      choices: Object.keys(CHAINS) as ChainName[],
+      demandOption: true,
+    } as const)
+    .option("contract-address", {
+      alias: "a",
+      describe: "Contract to verify VAA on (override config)",
+      type: "string",
+      demandOption: false,
+    })
+    .option("rpc", {
+      describe: "RPC endpoint",
+      type: "string",
+      demandOption: false,
+    })
 export const handler = async (
   argv: Awaited<ReturnType<typeof builder>["argv"]>
 ) => {
-  const network = argv.network.toUpperCase();
+  const chain = argv.chain;
+  assertChain(chain);
+  assertEVMChain(chain);
+
+  const network = (argv.network ?? "mainnet").toUpperCase();
   assertNetwork(network);
 
-  const buf = Buffer.from(String(argv.vaa), "hex");
-  const contract_address = CONTRACTS[network].ethereum.core;
+  const rpc = argv.rpc ?? NETWORKS[network][chain].rpc;
+  const contract_address = argv["contract-address"] ?? CONTRACTS[network][chain].core;
   if (!contract_address) {
-    throw Error(`Unknown core contract on ${network} for ethereum`);
+    throw Error(`Unknown core contract on ${network} for ${chain}`);
   }
-
-  const provider = new ethers.providers.JsonRpcProvider(
-    NETWORKS[network].ethereum.rpc
-  );
+  const buf = Buffer.from(String(argv.vaa), "hex");
+  const provider = new ethers.providers.JsonRpcProvider(rpc);
   const contract = Implementation__factory.connect(contract_address, provider);
   const result = await contract.parseAndVerifyVM(buf);
   if (result[1]) {