diff --git a/cmd/frostfs-adm/internal/modules/morph/ape/ape.go b/cmd/frostfs-adm/internal/modules/morph/ape/ape.go
index 8395fd4ba..9f9ea330e 100644
--- a/cmd/frostfs-adm/internal/modules/morph/ape/ape.go
+++ b/cmd/frostfs-adm/internal/modules/morph/ape/ape.go
@@ -14,22 +14,22 @@ import (
 )
 
 const (
-	namespaceTarget  = "namespace"
-	containerTarget  = "container"
-	jsonFlag         = "json"
-	jsonFlagDesc     = "Output rule chains in JSON format"
-	chainIDFlag      = "chain-id"
-	chainIDDesc      = "Rule chain ID"
-	ruleFlag         = "rule"
-	ruleFlagDesc     = "Rule chain in text format"
-	ruleJSONFlag     = "rule-json"
-	ruleJSONFlagDesc = "Chain rule in JSON format or path to the file"
-	targetNameFlag   = "target-name"
-	targetNameDesc   = "Resource name in APE resource name format"
-	targetTypeFlag   = "target-type"
-	targetTypeDesc   = "Resource type(container/namespace)"
-	addrAdminFlag    = "addr"
-	addrAdminDesc    = "The address of the admins wallet"
+	namespaceTarget = "namespace"
+	containerTarget = "container"
+	jsonFlag        = "json"
+	jsonFlagDesc    = "Output rule chains in JSON format"
+	chainIDFlag     = "chain-id"
+	chainIDDesc     = "Rule chain ID"
+	ruleFlag        = "rule"
+	ruleFlagDesc    = "Rule chain in text format"
+	pathFlag        = "path"
+	pathFlagDesc    = "path to encoded chain in JSON or binary format"
+	targetNameFlag  = "target-name"
+	targetNameDesc  = "Resource name in APE resource name format"
+	targetTypeFlag  = "target-type"
+	targetTypeDesc  = "Resource type(container/namespace)"
+	addrAdminFlag   = "addr"
+	addrAdminDesc   = "The address of the admins wallet"
 )
 
 var (
@@ -97,10 +97,10 @@ func initAddRuleChainCmd() {
 
 	addRuleChainCmd.Flags().String(chainIDFlag, "", chainIDDesc)
 	_ = addRuleChainCmd.MarkFlagRequired(chainIDFlag)
-	addRuleChainCmd.Flags().String(ruleFlag, "", ruleFlagDesc)
-	addRuleChainCmd.Flags().String(ruleJSONFlag, "", ruleJSONFlagDesc)
+	addRuleChainCmd.Flags().StringArray(ruleFlag, []string{}, ruleFlagDesc)
+	addRuleChainCmd.Flags().String(pathFlag, "", pathFlagDesc)
 
-	addRuleChainCmd.MarkFlagsMutuallyExclusive(ruleFlag, ruleJSONFlag)
+	addRuleChainCmd.MarkFlagsMutuallyExclusive(ruleFlag, pathFlag)
 }
 
 func initRemoveRuleChainCmd() {
diff --git a/cmd/frostfs-adm/internal/modules/morph/ape/ape_util.go b/cmd/frostfs-adm/internal/modules/morph/ape/ape_util.go
index bbbdf7805..32cd3c336 100644
--- a/cmd/frostfs-adm/internal/modules/morph/ape/ape_util.go
+++ b/cmd/frostfs-adm/internal/modules/morph/ape/ape_util.go
@@ -1,9 +1,7 @@
 package ape
 
 import (
-	"encoding/json"
 	"fmt"
-	"os"
 
 	"git.frostfs.info/TrueCloudLab/frostfs-node/cmd/frostfs-adm/internal/commonflags"
 	"git.frostfs.info/TrueCloudLab/frostfs-node/cmd/frostfs-adm/internal/modules/config"
@@ -52,29 +50,19 @@ func parseChainID(cmd *cobra.Command) apechain.ID {
 func parseChain(cmd *cobra.Command) *apechain.Chain {
 	chain := new(apechain.Chain)
 
-	if ruleStmt, _ := cmd.Flags().GetString(ruleFlag); ruleStmt != "" {
-		parseErr := parseutil.ParseAPEChain(chain, []string{ruleStmt})
-		commonCmd.ExitOnErr(cmd, "ape chain parser error: %w", parseErr)
-	} else if ruleJSON, _ := cmd.Flags().GetString(ruleJSONFlag); ruleJSON != "" {
-		var rule []byte
-		if _, err := os.Stat(ruleJSON); err == nil {
-			rule, err = os.ReadFile(ruleJSON)
-			commonCmd.ExitOnErr(cmd, "read file error: %w", err)
-		} else {
-			rule = []byte(ruleJSON)
-			if !json.Valid(rule) {
-				commonCmd.ExitOnErr(cmd, "read raw rule error: %w",
-					fmt.Errorf("invalid JSON"))
-			}
-		}
-		err := chain.DecodeBytes(rule)
-		commonCmd.ExitOnErr(cmd, "chain decode error: %w", err)
+	if rules, _ := cmd.Flags().GetStringArray(ruleFlag); len(rules) > 0 {
+		commonCmd.ExitOnErr(cmd, "parser error: %w", parseutil.ParseAPEChain(chain, rules))
+	} else if encPath, _ := cmd.Flags().GetString(pathFlag); encPath != "" {
+		commonCmd.ExitOnErr(cmd, "decode binary or json error: %w", parseutil.ParseAPEChainBinaryOrJSON(chain, encPath))
 	} else {
-		commonCmd.ExitOnErr(cmd, "", fmt.Errorf("rule is not passed"))
+		commonCmd.ExitOnErr(cmd, "parser error: %w", fmt.Errorf("rule is not passed"))
 	}
 
 	chain.ID = parseChainID(cmd)
 
+	cmd.Println("Parsed chain:")
+	parseutil.PrintHumanReadableAPEChain(cmd, chain)
+
 	return chain
 }