diff --git a/cmd/argo/commands/submit.go b/cmd/argo/commands/submit.go
index 2017d005ea9b..acb8782dfdff 100644
--- a/cmd/argo/commands/submit.go
+++ b/cmd/argo/commands/submit.go
@@ -78,20 +78,11 @@ func SubmitWorkflows(filePaths []string, submitOpts *util.SubmitOpts, cliOpts *c
 	}
 	defaultWFClient := InitWorkflowClient()
 
-	var fileContents [][]byte
-	if len(filePaths) == 1 && filePaths[0] == "-" {
-		body, err := util.ReadFromStdin()
-		if err != nil {
-			log.Fatal(err)
-		}
-		fileContents = append(fileContents, body)
-	} else {
-		var err error
-		fileContents, err = util.ReadFromFilePathsOrUrls(filePaths...)
-		if err != nil {
-			log.Fatal(err)
-		}
+	fileContents, err := util.ReadManifest(filePaths...)
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Fatal(err)
 	}
+
 	var workflows []wfv1.Workflow
 	for _, body := range fileContents {
 		wfs := unmarshalWorkflows(body, cliOpts.strict)
diff --git a/cmd/argo/commands/template/create.go b/cmd/argo/commands/template/create.go
index affe891c59d2..d28befd999f5 100644
--- a/cmd/argo/commands/template/create.go
+++ b/cmd/argo/commands/template/create.go
@@ -45,19 +45,9 @@ func CreateWorkflowTemplates(filePaths []string, cliOpts *cliCreateOpts) {
 	}
 	defaultWFTmplClient := InitWorkflowTemplateClient()
 
-	var fileContents [][]byte
-	if len(filePaths) == 1 && filePaths[0] == "-" {
-		body, err := util.ReadFromStdin()
-		if err != nil {
-			log.Fatal(err)
-		}
-		fileContents = append(fileContents, body)
-	} else {
-		var err error
-		fileContents, err = util.ReadFromFilePathsOrUrls(filePaths...)
-		if err != nil {
-			log.Fatal(err)
-		}
+	fileContents, err := util.ReadManifest(filePaths...)
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Fatal(err)
 	}
 
 	var workflowTemplates []wfv1.WorkflowTemplate
diff --git a/workflow/util/util.go b/workflow/util/util.go
index 459e02f9b8b6..395c06ca1fa8 100644
--- a/workflow/util/util.go
+++ b/workflow/util/util.go
@@ -614,7 +614,7 @@ func ReadFromUrl(url string) ([]byte, error) {
 
 // ReadFromFilePathsOrUrls reads the content of a single or a list of file paths and/or urls
 func ReadFromFilePathsOrUrls(filePathsOrUrls ...string) ([][]byte, error) {
-	var contents [][]byte
+	var fileContents [][]byte
 	var body []byte
 	var err error
 	for _, filePathOrUrl := range filePathsOrUrls {
@@ -629,7 +629,27 @@ func ReadFromFilePathsOrUrls(filePathsOrUrls ...string) ([][]byte, error) {
 				return [][]byte{}, err
 			}
 		}
-		contents = append(contents, body)
+		fileContents = append(fileContents, body)
 	}
-	return contents, err
+	return fileContents, err
+}
+
+// ReadManifest reads from stdin, a single file/url, or a list of files and/or urls
+func ReadManifest(manifestPaths ...string) ([][]byte, error) {
+	var manifestContents [][]byte
+	var err error
+	if len(manifestPaths) == 1 && manifestPaths[0] == "-" {
+		body, err := ReadFromStdin()
+		if err != nil {
+			return [][]byte{}, err
+		}
+		manifestContents = append(manifestContents, body)
+	} else {
+		var err error
+		manifestContents, err = ReadFromFilePathsOrUrls(manifestPaths...)
+		if err != nil {
+			return [][]byte{}, err
+		}
+	}
+	return manifestContents, err
 }