diff --git a/packages/orchestration/src/examples/sendAnywhere.contract.js b/packages/orchestration/src/examples/sendAnywhere.contract.js
index 5b1f415e08b1..42261ba18427 100644
--- a/packages/orchestration/src/examples/sendAnywhere.contract.js
+++ b/packages/orchestration/src/examples/sendAnywhere.contract.js
@@ -8,7 +8,6 @@ import { CosmosChainInfoShape } from '../typeGuards.js';
 import { provideOrchestration } from '../utils/start-helper.js';
 
 const { entries } = Object;
-const { Fail } = assert;
 
 /**
  * @import {Baggage} from '@agoric/vat-data';
@@ -45,7 +44,7 @@ export const SingleAmountRecord = M.and(
  * @param {Baggage} baggage
  */
 export const start = async (zcf, privateArgs, baggage) => {
-  const { chainHub, orchestrate, zone } = provideOrchestration(
+  const { agNamesTools, chainHub, orchestrate, zone } = provideOrchestration(
     zcf,
     baggage,
     privateArgs,
@@ -55,15 +54,6 @@ export const start = async (zcf, privateArgs, baggage) => {
   /** @type {import('../orchestration-api.js').OrchestrationAccount<any>} */
   let contractAccount;
 
-  const findBrandInVBank = async brand => {
-    const assets = await E(
-      E(privateArgs.agoricNames).lookup('vbankAsset'),
-    ).values();
-    const it = assets.find(a => a.brand === brand);
-    it || Fail`brand ${brand} not in agoricNames.vbankAsset`;
-    return it;
-  };
-
   /** @type {OfferHandler} */
   const sendIt = orchestrate(
     'sendIt',
@@ -77,7 +67,7 @@ export const start = async (zcf, privateArgs, baggage) => {
       const { chainName, destAddr } = offerArgs;
       const { give } = seat.getProposal();
       const [[kw, amt]] = entries(give);
-      const { denom } = await findBrandInVBank(amt.brand);
+      const { denom } = await V.when(agNamesTools.findBrandInVBank(amt.brand));
       const chain = await orch.getChain(chainName);
 
       // FIXME ok to use a heap var crossing the membrane scope this way?
diff --git a/packages/orchestration/src/exos/agoric-names-tools.js b/packages/orchestration/src/exos/agoric-names-tools.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..7fc1bb94a722
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/orchestration/src/exos/agoric-names-tools.js
@@ -0,0 +1,66 @@
+import { VowShape } from '@agoric/vow';
+import { E, Far } from '@endo/far';
+import { M } from '@endo/patterns';
+import { BrandShape } from '@agoric/ertp';
+
+const { Fail } = assert;
+
+/**
+ * @import {NameHub} from '@agoric/vats';
+ * @import {AssetInfo} from '@agoric/vats/src/vat-bank';
+ * @import {Remote} from '@agoric/internal';
+ * @import {Vow, VowTools} from '@agoric/vow';
+ * @import {Zone} from '@agoric/zone';
+ */
+
+/**
+ * Perform remote calls to agoricNames in membrane-friendly way. This is an
+ * interim approach until https://github.com/Agoric/agoric-sdk/issues/9541,
+ * https://github.com/Agoric/agoric-sdk/pull/9322, or
+ * https://github.com/Agoric/agoric-sdk/pull/9519
+ *
+ * XXX consider exposing `has`, `entries`, `keys`, `values` from `NameHub`
+ *
+ * @param {Zone} zone
+ * @param {{ agoricNames: Remote<NameHub>; vowTools: VowTools }} powers
+ */
+export const makeAgNamesTools = (
+  zone,
+  { agoricNames, vowTools: { watch } },
+) => {
+  const agNamesTools = zone.exo(
+    'AgoricNamesTools',
+    M.interface('AgoricNamesToolsI', {
+      lookup: M.call().rest(M.arrayOf(M.string())).returns(VowShape),
+      findBrandInVBank: M.call(BrandShape).returns(VowShape),
+    }),
+    {
+      /** @param {...string} args */
+      lookup(...args) {
+        return watch(E(agoricNames).lookup(...args));
+      },
+      /**
+       * @param {Brand<'nat'>} brand
+       * @returns {Vow<AssetInfo>}
+       */
+      findBrandInVBank(brand) {
+        // XXX consider caching and refetching 1x if brand is not found,
+        // if this is planned to be local / long-lived
+        const vbankAssetNameHubP = E(agoricNames).lookup('vbankAsset');
+        return watch(
+          E(vbankAssetNameHubP).values(),
+          Far('BrandsWatcher', {
+            /** @param {AssetInfo[]} assets */
+            onFulfilled(assets) {
+              const it = assets.find(a => a.brand === brand);
+              it || Fail`brand ${brand} not in agoricNames.vbankAsset`;
+              return it;
+            },
+          }),
+        );
+      },
+    },
+  );
+  return agNamesTools;
+};
+/** @typedef {ReturnType<typeof makeAgNamesTools>} AgNamesTools */
diff --git a/packages/orchestration/src/utils/start-helper.js b/packages/orchestration/src/utils/start-helper.js
index 6b7db2acc963..e662bc00ed34 100644
--- a/packages/orchestration/src/utils/start-helper.js
+++ b/packages/orchestration/src/utils/start-helper.js
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import { makeChainHub } from '../exos/chain-hub.js';
 import { prepareRemoteChainFacade } from '../exos/remote-chain-facade.js';
 import { prepareCosmosOrchestrationAccount } from '../exos/cosmos-orchestration-account.js';
 import { prepareLocalChainFacade } from '../exos/local-chain-facade.js';
+import { makeAgNamesTools } from '../exos/agoric-names-tools.js';
 
 /**
  * @import {PromiseKit} from '@endo/promise-kit'
@@ -45,8 +46,9 @@ export const provideOrchestration = (
   marshaller,
 ) => {
   const zone = makeDurableZone(baggage);
+  const { agoricNames, timerService } = remotePowers;
 
-  const chainHub = makeChainHub(remotePowers.agoricNames);
+  const chainHub = makeChainHub(agoricNames);
 
   const vowTools = prepareVowTools(zone.subZone('vows'));
 
@@ -55,7 +57,7 @@ export const provideOrchestration = (
     zone,
     makeRecorderKit,
     zcf,
-    remotePowers.timerService,
+    timerService,
     vowTools,
     chainHub,
   );
@@ -64,6 +66,8 @@ export const provideOrchestration = (
     vowTools,
   });
 
+  const agNamesTools = makeAgNamesTools(zone, { agoricNames, vowTools });
+
   const makeCosmosOrchestrationAccount = prepareCosmosOrchestrationAccount(
     // FIXME what zone?
     zone,
@@ -101,6 +105,6 @@ export const provideOrchestration = (
     vowTools,
     ...remotePowers,
   });
-  return { ...facade, chainHub, zone };
+  return { ...facade, chainHub, agNamesTools, zone };
 };
 harden(provideOrchestration);
diff --git a/packages/orchestration/test/exos/agoric-names-tools.test.ts b/packages/orchestration/test/exos/agoric-names-tools.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..877d5add13f6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/orchestration/test/exos/agoric-names-tools.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+import { test } from '@agoric/zoe/tools/prepare-test-env-ava.js';
+
+import { V } from '@agoric/vow/vat.js';
+import { makeHeapZone } from '@agoric/zone';
+import { makeAgNamesTools } from '../../src/exos/agoric-names-tools.js';
+import { commonSetup } from '../supports.js';
+
+test('agoric names tools', async t => {
+  const {
+    bootstrap: { agoricNames, vowTools },
+    brands: { ist },
+  } = await commonSetup(t);
+
+  const zone = makeHeapZone();
+  const agNamesTools = makeAgNamesTools(zone, {
+    agoricNames,
+    vowTools,
+  });
+
+  const chainEntry = await V.when(agNamesTools.lookup('chain', 'celestia'));
+  t.like(chainEntry, { chainId: 'celestia' });
+
+  const istDenom = await V.when(agNamesTools.findBrandInVBank(ist.brand));
+  t.like(istDenom, { denom: 'uist' });
+});