diff --git a/src/dynamic/regenerate.jl b/src/dynamic/regenerate.jl
index 81ba8b3c..92cf6ad2 100644
--- a/src/dynamic/regenerate.jl
+++ b/src/dynamic/regenerate.jl
@@ -74,8 +74,7 @@ function traceat(state::GFRegenerateState, gen_fn::GenerativeFunction{T,U},
         prev_call = get_call(state.prev_trace, key)
         prev_subtrace = prev_call.subtrace
         get_gen_fn(prev_subtrace) === gen_fn || gen_fn_changed_error(key)
-        (subtrace, weight, _) = regenerate(
-            prev_subtrace, args, map((_) -> UnknownChange(), args), subselection)
+        (subtrace, weight, _) = regenerate(prev_subtrace, args, subselection)
     else
         (subtrace, weight) = generate(gen_fn, args, EmptyChoiceMap())
     end
diff --git a/src/dynamic/update.jl b/src/dynamic/update.jl
index 24e023f2..7621344e 100644
--- a/src/dynamic/update.jl
+++ b/src/dynamic/update.jl
@@ -87,8 +87,7 @@ function traceat(state::GFUpdateState, gen_fn::GenerativeFunction{T,U},
         prev_call = get_call(state.prev_trace, key)
         prev_subtrace = prev_call.subtrace
         get_gen_fn(prev_subtrace) === gen_fn || gen_fn_changed_error(key)
-        (subtrace, weight, _, discard) = update(prev_subtrace,
-            args, map((_) -> UnknownChange(), args), constraints)
+        (subtrace, weight, _, discard) = update(prev_subtrace, args, constraints)
     else
         (subtrace, weight) = generate(gen_fn, args, constraints)
     end
diff --git a/src/gen_fn_interface.jl b/src/gen_fn_interface.jl
index 40b494a8..9f9a75b2 100644
--- a/src/gen_fn_interface.jl
+++ b/src/gen_fn_interface.jl
@@ -244,8 +244,9 @@ function assess(gen_fn::GenerativeFunction, args::Tuple, choices::ChoiceMap)
 end
 
 """
-    (new_trace, weight, retdiff, discard) = update(trace, args::Tuple, argdiffs::Tuple,
-                                                   constraints::ChoiceMap)
+
+    (new_trace, weight, retdiff, discard) = update(
+        trace, args::Tuple, argdiffs::Tuple, constraints::ChoiceMap)
 
 Update a trace by changing the arguments and/or providing new values for some
 existing random choice(s) and values for some newly introduced random choice(s).
@@ -272,13 +273,37 @@ that if the original `trace` was generated using non-default argument values,
 then for each optional argument that is omitted, the old value will be
 over-written by the default argument value in the updated trace.
 """
-function update(trace, args::Tuple, argdiffs::Tuple, ::ChoiceMap)
+function update(trace, args::Tuple, argdiffs::Tuple, constraints::ChoiceMap)
     error("Not implemented")
 end
 
 """
-    (new_trace, weight, retdiff) = regenerate(trace, args::Tuple, argdiffs::Tuple,
-                                              selection::Selection)
+    update(
+        trace, constraints::ChoiceMap, args::Tuple;
+        argdiffs::Tuple=map((_) -> UnknownChange(), args))
+
+Convenience form of `update` with keyword argument for argdiffs.
+"""
+function update(trace, constraints::ChoiceMap, args::Tuple;
+        argdiffs::Tuple=map((_) -> UnknownChange(), args))
+    update(trace, args, argdiffs, constraints)
+end
+
+"""
+    update(trace, constraints::ChoiceMap)
+
+Convenience form of `update` when there is no change to arguments.
+"""
+function update(trace, constraints::ChoiceMap)
+    args = get_args(trace)
+    argdiffs = map((_) -> NoChange(), args)
+    update(trace, args, argdiffs, constraints)
+end
+
+
+"""
+    (new_trace, weight, retdiff) = regenerate(
+        trace, args::Tuple, argdiffs::Tuple, selection::Selection)
 
 Update a trace by changing the arguments and/or randomly sampling new values
 for selected random choices using the internal proposal distribution family.
@@ -307,6 +332,31 @@ function regenerate(trace, args::Tuple, argdiffs::Tuple, selection::Selection)
     error("Not implemented")
 end
 
+"""
+    regenerate(
+        trace, selection::Selection, args::Tuple;
+        argdiffs::Tuple=map((_) -> UnknownChange(), args),
+
+Convenience form of `regenerate` with keyword arguments for argdiffs.
+"""
+function regenerate(trace, selection::Selection, args::Tuple;
+        argdiffs::Tuple=map((_) -> UnknownChange(), args))
+    regenerate(trace, args, argdiffs, selection)
+end
+
+"""
+    regenerate(trace, selection::Selection)
+
+Convenience form of `regenerate` when there is no change to arguments.
+"""
+function regenerate(trace, selection::Selection)
+    args = get_args(trace)
+    argdiffs = map((_) -> NoChange(), args)
+    regenerate(trace, args, argdiffs, selection)
+end
+
+
+
 """
     arg_grads = accumulate_param_gradients!(trace, retgrad=nothing, scale_factor=1.)
 
diff --git a/src/inference/elliptical_slice.jl b/src/inference/elliptical_slice.jl
index 3dc2b72a..eca3b2e0 100644
--- a/src/inference/elliptical_slice.jl
+++ b/src/inference/elliptical_slice.jl
@@ -12,8 +12,6 @@ Also takes the mean vector and covariance matrix of the prior.
 """
 function elliptical_slice(
         trace, addr, mu, cov; check=false, observations=EmptyChoiceMap())
-    args = get_args(trace)
-    argdiffs = map((_) -> NoChange(), args)
 
     # sample nu
     nu = mvnormal(zeros(length(mu)), cov)
@@ -29,7 +27,7 @@ function elliptical_slice(
     f = trace[addr] .- mu
 
     new_f = f * cos(theta) + nu * sin(theta)
-    new_trace, weight = update(trace, args, argdiffs, choicemap((addr, new_f .+ mu)))
+    new_trace, weight = update(trace, choicemap((addr, new_f .+ mu)))
     while weight <= log(u)
         if theta < 0
             theta_min = theta
@@ -38,7 +36,7 @@ function elliptical_slice(
         end
         theta = uniform(theta_min, theta_max)
         new_f = f * cos(theta) + nu * sin(theta)
-        new_trace, weight = update(trace, args, argdiffs, choicemap((addr, new_f .+ mu)))
+        new_trace, weight = update(trace, choicemap((addr, new_f .+ mu)))
     end
     check && check_observations(get_choices(new_trace), observations)
     return new_trace
diff --git a/src/inference/hmc.jl b/src/inference/hmc.jl
index 0f156669..3daad568 100644
--- a/src/inference/hmc.jl
+++ b/src/inference/hmc.jl
@@ -25,9 +25,7 @@ function hmc(
         trace::U, selection::Selection; L=10, eps=0.1,
         check=false, observations=EmptyChoiceMap()) where {T,U}
     prev_model_score = get_score(trace)
-    args = get_args(trace)
     retval_grad = accepts_output_grad(get_gen_fn(trace)) ? zero(get_retval(trace)) : nothing
-    argdiffs = map((_) -> NoChange(), args)
 
     # run leapfrog dynamics
     new_trace = trace
@@ -46,7 +44,7 @@ function hmc(
 
         # get new gradient
         values_trie = from_array(values_trie, values)
-        (new_trace, _, _) = update(new_trace, args, argdiffs, values_trie)
+        (new_trace, _, _) = update(new_trace, values_trie)
         (_, _, gradient_trie) = choice_gradients(new_trace, selection, retval_grad)
         gradient = to_array(gradient_trie, Float64)
 
diff --git a/src/inference/involution_dsl.jl b/src/inference/involution_dsl.jl
index 2f08399b..821f4973 100644
--- a/src/inference/involution_dsl.jl
+++ b/src/inference/involution_dsl.jl
@@ -299,7 +299,7 @@ function apply_involution(involution::InvolutionDSLProgram, trace, u, proposal_a
 
     # update model trace
     (new_trace, model_weight, _, discard) = update(
-        trace, get_args(trace), map((_) -> NoChange(), get_args(trace)), first_pass_state.constraints)
+        trace, first_pass_state.constraints)
 
     # create input array and mappings input addresses that are needed for Jacobian
     # exclude addresses that were moved to another address
diff --git a/src/inference/mala.jl b/src/inference/mala.jl
index 033a45a7..1bdba1fd 100644
--- a/src/inference/mala.jl
+++ b/src/inference/mala.jl
@@ -11,8 +11,6 @@ Apply a Metropolis-Adjusted Langevin Algorithm (MALA) update.
 function mala(
         trace, selection::Selection, tau::Real;
         check=false, observations=EmptyChoiceMap())
-    args = get_args(trace)
-    argdiffs = map((_) -> NoChange(), args)
     std = sqrt(2 * tau)
     retval_grad = accepts_output_grad(get_gen_fn(trace)) ? zero(get_retval(trace)) : nothing
 
@@ -30,8 +28,7 @@ function mala(
 
     # evaluate model weight
     constraints = from_array(values_trie, proposed_values)
-    (new_trace, weight, _, discard) = update(trace,
-        args, argdiffs, constraints)
+    (new_trace, weight, _, discard) = update(trace, constraints)
     check && check_observations(get_choices(new_trace), observations)
 
     # backward proposal
diff --git a/src/inference/map_optimize.jl b/src/inference/map_optimize.jl
index 16d419e4..8a75c94f 100644
--- a/src/inference/map_optimize.jl
+++ b/src/inference/map_optimize.jl
@@ -8,8 +8,6 @@ Selected random choices must have support on the entire real line.
 """
 function map_optimize(trace, selection::Selection;
                       max_step_size=0.1, tau=0.5, min_step_size=1e-16, verbose=false)
-    args = get_args(trace)
-    argdiffs = map((_) -> NoChange(), args)
     retval_grad = accepts_output_grad(get_gen_fn(trace)) ? zero(get_retval(trace)) : nothing
 
     (_, values, gradient) = choice_gradients(trace, selection, retval_grad)
@@ -21,7 +19,7 @@ function map_optimize(trace, selection::Selection;
         new_values_vec = values_vec + gradient_vec * step_size
         values = from_array(values, new_values_vec)
         # TODO discard and weight are not actually needed, there should be a more specialized variant
-        (new_trace, _, _, discard) = update(trace, args, argdiffs, values)
+        (new_trace, _, _, discard) = update(trace, values)
         new_score = get_score(new_trace)
         change = new_score - score
         if verbose
diff --git a/src/inference/mh.jl b/src/inference/mh.jl
index 7856b9ea..7e66f3e0 100644
--- a/src/inference/mh.jl
+++ b/src/inference/mh.jl
@@ -14,9 +14,7 @@ Perform a Metropolis-Hastings update that proposes new values for the selected a
 function metropolis_hastings(
         trace, selection::Selection;
         check=false, observations=EmptyChoiceMap())
-    args = get_args(trace)
-    argdiffs = map((_) -> NoChange(), args)
-    (new_trace, weight) = regenerate(trace, args, argdiffs, selection)
+    (new_trace, weight) = regenerate(trace, selection)
     check && check_observations(get_choices(new_trace), observations)
     if log(rand()) < weight
         # accept
@@ -41,12 +39,9 @@ If the proposal modifies addresses that determine the control flow in the model,
 function metropolis_hastings(
         trace, proposal::GenerativeFunction, proposal_args::Tuple;
         check=false, observations=EmptyChoiceMap())
-    model_args = get_args(trace)
-    argdiffs = map((_) -> NoChange(), model_args)
     proposal_args_forward = (trace, proposal_args...,)
     (fwd_choices, fwd_weight, _) = propose(proposal, proposal_args_forward)
-    (new_trace, weight, _, discard) = update(trace,
-        model_args, argdiffs, fwd_choices)
+    (new_trace, weight, _, discard) = update(trace, fwd_choices)
     proposal_args_backward = (new_trace, proposal_args...,)
     (bwd_weight, _) = assess(proposal, proposal_args_backward, discard)
     alpha = weight - fwd_weight + bwd_weight
diff --git a/src/inference/particle_filter.jl b/src/inference/particle_filter.jl
index 1d761bf6..382ab6f6 100644
--- a/src/inference/particle_filter.jl
+++ b/src/inference/particle_filter.jl
@@ -142,7 +142,8 @@ function particle_filter_step!(state::ParticleFilterState{U}, new_args::Tuple, a
     for i=1:num_particles
         (prop_choices, prop_weight, _) = propose(proposal, (state.traces[i], proposal_args...))
         constraints = merge(observations, prop_choices)
-        (state.new_traces[i], up_weight, _, disc) = update(state.traces[i], new_args, argdiffs, constraints)
+        (state.new_traces[i], up_weight, _, disc) = update(
+            state.traces[i], new_args, argdiffs, constraints)
         @assert isempty(disc)
         state.log_weights[i] += up_weight - prop_weight
     end