diff --git a/gstlal-ugly/bin/gstlal_inspiral_create_prior_diststats b/gstlal-ugly/bin/gstlal_inspiral_create_prior_diststats
index f6314473132a42bb47c55c93a4f68ec461a60661..f487ae6ed6127e6972a8a23ecfacdbda245ea485 100755
--- a/gstlal-ugly/bin/gstlal_inspiral_create_prior_diststats
+++ b/gstlal-ugly/bin/gstlal_inspiral_create_prior_diststats
@@ -67,6 +67,7 @@ def parse_command_line():
 	parser.add_option("-v", "--verbose", action = "store_true", help = "Be verbose.")
 	parser.add_option("-s", "--synthesize-injection-count", metavar = "N", default = 10000000, type = "int", help = "Synthesize an injection distribution with N injections. default 1000000")
 	parser.add_option("--write-likelihood", metavar = "filename", help = "Write merged raw likelihood data to this file.")
+	parser.add_option("--instrument", action = "append", help = "append to a list of instruments to create dist stats for.  Must be whatever instruments you intend to analyze")
 	parser.add_option("-p", "--background-prior", metavar = "N", default = 1, type = "float", help = "include an exponential background prior with the maximum bin count = N, default 1")
 	options, filenames = parser.parse_args()
 
@@ -96,18 +97,17 @@ options, filenames = parse_command_line()
 #
 
 coincparamsdistributions = far.DistributionsStats()
+
 if options.background_prior != 0:
-	coincparamsdistributions.add_background_prior(options.background_prior)
-coincparamsdistributions.add_foreground_prior(verbose = options.verbose, n = options.synthesize_injection_count)
+	coincparamsdistributions.add_background_prior(options.background_prior, instruments = options.instrument)
 
-# FIXME don't hard code. DistributionsStats should know about instruments some how??
-ifos = ("H1","H2","L1","V1")
+coincparamsdistributions.add_foreground_prior(verbose = options.verbose, n = options.synthesize_injection_count, instruments = options.instrument)
 
 # no segments, this file is independent of time
 FAR = far.LocalRankingData(segments.segment(None, None), coincparamsdistributions)
 
 # initialize the trials table to 1
-FAR.trials_table.initialize_from_sngl_ifos(ifos, val = 1)
+FAR.trials_table.initialize_from_sngl_ifos(options.instrument, val = 1)
 
-xmldoc = inspiral.gen_likelihood_control_doc(FAR, ifos)
+xmldoc = inspiral.gen_likelihood_control_doc(FAR, options.instrument)
 utils.write_filename(xmldoc, options.write_likelihood, gz = options.write_likelihood.endswith('.gz'), verbose = options.verbose)