diff --git a/cmd/frostfs-adm/internal/modules/morph/ape/ape.go b/cmd/frostfs-adm/internal/modules/morph/ape/ape.go
index c08dc512..957c7a15 100644
--- a/cmd/frostfs-adm/internal/modules/morph/ape/ape.go
+++ b/cmd/frostfs-adm/internal/modules/morph/ape/ape.go
@@ -22,8 +22,8 @@ const (
 	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"
+	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"
@@ -99,10 +99,10 @@ 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.Flags().String(chainNameFlag, ingress, chainNameFlagDesc)
-	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 7f23e375..fe09776e 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"
 	"strings"
 
 	"git.frostfs.info/TrueCloudLab/frostfs-node/cmd/frostfs-adm/internal/commonflags"
@@ -63,29 +61,19 @@ 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
 }