diff --git a/builtins/parse_config.go b/builtins/parse_config.go
index 44b3a20207..f2018aa650 100644
--- a/builtins/parse_config.go
+++ b/builtins/parse_config.go
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ func registerParseCombinedConfigFiles() {
 // parsed configuration as a Rego object. This can be used to parse all of the
 // configuration formats conftest supports in-line in Rego policies.
 func parseConfig(bctx rego.BuiltinContext, op1, op2 *ast.Term) (*ast.Term, error) {
-	args, err := decodeTypedArgs("", op1, op2)
+	args, err := decodeArgs[string](op1, op2)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("decode args: %w", err)
 	}
@@ -77,11 +77,11 @@ func parseConfig(bctx rego.BuiltinContext, op1, op2 *ast.Term) (*ast.Term, error
 // parseConfigFile takes a config file path, parses the config file, and
 // returns the parsed configuration as a Rego object.
 func parseConfigFile(bctx rego.BuiltinContext, op1 *ast.Term) (*ast.Term, error) {
-	args, err := decodeTypedArgs("", op1)
+	path, err := decodeArg[string](op1)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("decode args: %w", err)
 	}
-	filePath := filepath.Join(filepath.Dir(bctx.Location.File), args[0])
+	filePath := filepath.Join(filepath.Dir(bctx.Location.File), path)
 
 	parser, err := parser.NewFromPath(filePath)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -103,22 +103,12 @@ func parseConfigFile(bctx rego.BuiltinContext, op1 *ast.Term) (*ast.Term, error)
 // parseCombinedConfigFiles takes multiple config file paths, parses the configs,
 // combines them, and returns that as a Rego object.
 func parseCombinedConfigFiles(bctx rego.BuiltinContext, op1 *ast.Term) (*ast.Term, error) {
-	iface, err := ast.ValueToInterface(op1.Value, nil)
+	paths, err := decodeSliceArg[string](op1)
 	if err != nil {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("ast.ValueToInterface: %w", err)
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("decode args: %w", err)
 	}
-	slice, ok := iface.([]any)
-	if !ok {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("argument is not a slice")
-	}
-
-	var paths []string
-	for i, s := range slice {
-		path, ok := s.(string)
-		if !ok {
-			return nil, fmt.Errorf("index %d is not expected type string", i)
-		}
-		paths = append(paths, filepath.Join(filepath.Dir(bctx.Location.File), path))
+	for i, p := range paths {
+		paths[i] = filepath.Join(filepath.Dir(bctx.Location.File), p)
 	}
 
 	cfg, err := parser.ParseConfigurations(paths)
@@ -134,16 +124,48 @@ func parseCombinedConfigFiles(bctx rego.BuiltinContext, op1 *ast.Term) (*ast.Ter
 	return toAST(bctx, combined["Combined"], content)
 }
 
-func decodeTypedArgs[T any](ty T, args ...*ast.Term) ([]T, error) {
+func decodeSliceArg[T any](arg *ast.Term) ([]T, error) {
+	iface, err := ast.ValueToInterface(arg.Value, nil)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("decode arg: %w", err)
+	}
+	ifaceSlice, ok := iface.([]any)
+	if !ok {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("decodeSliceArg used with non-slice value: (%T)%v", iface, iface)
+	}
+
+	var t T
+	slice := make([]T, len(ifaceSlice))
+	for i, val := range ifaceSlice {
+		v, ok := val.(T)
+		if !ok {
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("slice index %d is not expected type %T, got %T", i, t, val)
+		}
+		slice[i] = v
+	}
+
+	return slice, nil
+}
+
+func decodeArg[T any](arg *ast.Term) (T, error) {
+	iface, err := ast.ValueToInterface(arg.Value, nil)
+	if err != nil {
+		return *new(T), fmt.Errorf("ast.ValueToInterface: %w", err)
+	}
+	v, ok := iface.(T)
+	if !ok {
+		return *new(T), fmt.Errorf("argument is not expected type, have %T", iface)
+	}
+
+	return v, nil
+}
+
+func decodeArgs[T any](args ...*ast.Term) ([]T, error) {
 	decoded := make([]T, len(args))
 	for i, arg := range args {
-		iface, err := ast.ValueToInterface(arg.Value, nil)
+		v, err := decodeArg[T](arg)
 		if err != nil {
-			return nil, fmt.Errorf("ast.ValueToInterface: %w", err)
-		}
-		v, ok := iface.(T)
-		if !ok {
-			return nil, fmt.Errorf("argument %d is not type %T, have %T", i, ty, iface)
+			return nil, err
 		}
 		decoded[i] = v
 	}