diff --git a/modules/benchmarks/README.md b/modules/benchmarks/README.md
index 2acb18b650..a6d01d208f 100644
--- a/modules/benchmarks/README.md
+++ b/modules/benchmarks/README.md
@@ -23,3 +23,23 @@ yarn bazel test modules/benchmarks/...
 
 The `*_aot.ts` files are used as entry-points within Google to run the benchmark
 tests. These are still built as part of the corresponding `ng_module` rule.
+
+## Specifying benchmark options
+
+There are options that can be specified in order to control how a given benchmark target
+runs. The following options can be set through [test environment variables](https://docs.bazel.build/versions/master/command-line-reference.html#flag--test_env):
+
+* `PERF_SAMPLE_SIZE`: Benchpress performs measurements until `scriptTime` predictively no longer
+  decreases. It does this by using a simple linear regression with the amount of samples specified.
+  Defaults to `20` samples.
+* `PERF_FORCE_GC`: If set to `true`, `@angular/benchpress` will run run the garbage collector
+  before and after performing measurements. Benchpress will measure and report the garbage
+  collection time.
+* `PERF_DRYRUN`: If set to `true`, no results are printed and stored in a `json` file. Also
+  benchpress only performs a single measurement (unlike with the simple linear regression).
+  
+Here is an example command that sets the `PERF_DRYRUN` option:
+
+```bash
+yarn bazel test modules/benchmarks/src/tree/baseline:perf --test_env=PERF_DRYRUN=true
+```
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/modules/benchmarks/benchmark_test.bzl b/modules/benchmarks/benchmark_test.bzl
index c213e6b90d..ca0fcb0ca4 100644
--- a/modules/benchmarks/benchmark_test.bzl
+++ b/modules/benchmarks/benchmark_test.bzl
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ load("//tools:defaults.bzl", "protractor_web_test_suite")
   unless explicitly requested.
 """
 
-def benchmark_test(name, server, deps, tags = []):
+def benchmark_test(name, server, tags = [], **kwargs):
     protractor_web_test_suite(
         name = name,
         configuration = "//:protractor-perf.conf.js",
@@ -19,7 +19,5 @@ def benchmark_test(name, server, deps, tags = []):
         # Benchmark targets should not run on CI by default.
         tags = tags + ["manual"],
         test_suite_tags = ["manual"],
-        deps = [
-            "@npm//yargs",
-        ] + deps,
+        **kwargs
     )
diff --git a/modules/benchmarks/e2e_test.bzl b/modules/benchmarks/e2e_test.bzl
index 67bcd89ab2..0f405654dc 100644
--- a/modules/benchmarks/e2e_test.bzl
+++ b/modules/benchmarks/e2e_test.bzl
@@ -6,12 +6,10 @@ load("//tools:defaults.bzl", "protractor_web_test_suite")
   with `@angular/benchpress`.
 """
 
-def e2e_test(name, server, deps, **kwargs):
+def e2e_test(name, server, **kwargs):
     protractor_web_test_suite(
         name = name,
         on_prepare = "//modules/benchmarks:start-server.js",
         server = server,
-        # `yargs` is needed as runtime dependency for the e2e utils.
-        deps = ["@npm//yargs"] + deps,
         **kwargs
     )
diff --git a/modules/e2e_util/e2e_util.ts b/modules/e2e_util/e2e_util.ts
index 6ed2bebed1..f9d3ffeff5 100644
--- a/modules/e2e_util/e2e_util.ts
+++ b/modules/e2e_util/e2e_util.ts
@@ -8,28 +8,10 @@
 
 /* tslint:disable:no-console  */
 import {browser} from 'protractor';
-
-const yargs = require('yargs');
 import * as webdriver from 'selenium-webdriver';
 
-let cmdArgs: {'bundles': boolean}|undefined;
-
 declare var expect: any;
 
-export function readCommandLine(extraOptions?: {[key: string]: any}) {
-  const options: {[key: string]: any} = {
-    'bundles': {describe: 'Whether to use the angular bundles or not.', default: false}
-  };
-  if (extraOptions) {
-    for (const key in extraOptions) {
-      options[key] = extraOptions[key];
-    }
-  }
-
-  cmdArgs = yargs.usage('Angular e2e test options.').options(options).help('ng-help').wrap(40).argv;
-  return cmdArgs;
-}
-
 export function openBrowser(config: {
   url: string,
   params?: {name: string, value: any}[],
@@ -38,13 +20,10 @@ export function openBrowser(config: {
   if (config.ignoreBrowserSynchronization) {
     browser.ignoreSynchronization = true;
   }
-  let params = config.params || [];
-  if (cmdArgs !== undefined && !params.some((param) => param.name === 'bundles')) {
-    params = params.concat([{name: 'bundles', value: cmdArgs.bundles}]);
-  }
-
   const urlParams: string[] = [];
-  params.forEach((param) => { urlParams.push(param.name + '=' + param.value); });
+  if (config.params) {
+    config.params.forEach((param) => urlParams.push(param.name + '=' + param.value));
+  }
   const url = encodeURI(config.url + '?' + urlParams.join('&'));
   browser.get(url);
   if (config.ignoreBrowserSynchronization) {
diff --git a/modules/e2e_util/perf_util.ts b/modules/e2e_util/perf_util.ts
index 2b6b85ee6a..c2970e02a8 100644
--- a/modules/e2e_util/perf_util.ts
+++ b/modules/e2e_util/perf_util.ts
@@ -11,20 +11,16 @@ const nodeUuid = require('node-uuid');
 import * as fs from 'fs-extra';
 
 import {SeleniumWebDriverAdapter, Options, JsonFileReporter, Validator, RegressionSlopeValidator, ConsoleReporter, SizeValidator, MultiReporter, MultiMetric, Runner, StaticProvider} from '@angular/benchpress';
-import {readCommandLine as readE2eCommandLine, openBrowser} from './e2e_util';
+import {openBrowser} from './e2e_util';
 
-let cmdArgs: {'sample-size': number, 'force-gc': boolean, 'dryrun': boolean, 'bundles': boolean};
-let runner: Runner;
+// Note: Keep the `modules/benchmarks/README.md` file in sync with the supported options.
+const globalOptions = {
+  sampleSize: process.env.PERF_SAMPLE_SIZE || 20,
+  forceGc: process.env.PERF_FORCE_GC === 'true',
+  dryRun: process.env.PERF_DRYRUN === 'true',
+};
 
-export function readCommandLine() {
-  cmdArgs = <any>readE2eCommandLine({
-    'sample-size': {describe: 'Used for perf: sample size.', default: 20},
-    'force-gc': {describe: 'Used for perf: force gc.', default: false, type: 'boolean'},
-    'dryrun': {describe: 'If true, only run performance benchmarks once.', default: false},
-    'bundles': {describe: 'Whether to use the angular bundles or not.', default: false}
-  });
-  runner = createBenchpressRunner();
-}
+const runner = createBenchpressRunner();
 
 export function runBenchmark(config: {
   id: string,
@@ -40,15 +36,14 @@ export function runBenchmark(config: {
   if (config.setup) {
     config.setup();
   }
-  if (!cmdArgs) readCommandLine();
-  const description: {[key: string]: any} = {'bundles': cmdArgs.bundles};
-  config.params.forEach((param) => { description[param.name] = param.value; });
+  const description: {[key: string]: any} = {};
+  config.params.forEach((param) => description[param.name] = param.value);
   return runner.sample({
     id: config.id,
     execute: config.work,
     prepare: config.prepare,
     microMetrics: config.microMetrics,
-    providers: [{provide: Options.SAMPLE_DESCRIPTION, useValue: description}]
+    providers: [{provide: Options.SAMPLE_DESCRIPTION, useValue: {}}]
   });
 }
 
@@ -61,14 +56,14 @@ function createBenchpressRunner(): Runner {
   fs.ensureDirSync(resultsFolder);
   const providers: StaticProvider[] = [
     SeleniumWebDriverAdapter.PROTRACTOR_PROVIDERS,
-    {provide: Options.FORCE_GC, useValue: cmdArgs['force-gc']},
+    {provide: Options.FORCE_GC, useValue: globalOptions.forceGc},
     {provide: Options.DEFAULT_DESCRIPTION, useValue: {'runId': runId}}, JsonFileReporter.PROVIDERS,
     {provide: JsonFileReporter.PATH, useValue: resultsFolder}
   ];
-  if (!cmdArgs['dryrun']) {
+  if (!globalOptions.dryRun) {
     providers.push({provide: Validator, useExisting: RegressionSlopeValidator});
     providers.push(
-        {provide: RegressionSlopeValidator.SAMPLE_SIZE, useValue: cmdArgs['sample-size']});
+        {provide: RegressionSlopeValidator.SAMPLE_SIZE, useValue: globalOptions.sampleSize});
     providers.push(MultiReporter.provideWith([ConsoleReporter, JsonFileReporter]));
   } else {
     providers.push({provide: Validator, useExisting: SizeValidator});
diff --git a/protractor-perf.conf.js b/protractor-perf.conf.js
index 748ea12c2b..6bbd427185 100644
--- a/protractor-perf.conf.js
+++ b/protractor-perf.conf.js
@@ -6,10 +6,6 @@
  * found in the LICENSE file at https://angular.io/license
  */
 
-// Make sure that the command line is read as the first thing
-// as this could exit node if the help script should be printed.
-require('angular/modules/e2e_util/perf_util').readCommandLine();
-
 const CHROME_OPTIONS = {
   'args': ['--js-flags=--expose-gc', '--no-sandbox', '--headless', '--disable-dev-shm-usage'],
   'perfLoggingPrefs': {