diff --git a/applications/utilities/postProcessing/lagrangian/particleTracks/createControls.H b/applications/utilities/postProcessing/lagrangian/particleTracks/createControls.H
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..aa675c9013
--- /dev/null
+++ b/applications/utilities/postProcessing/lagrangian/particleTracks/createControls.H
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+// Read particleTrackProperties dictionary and extract values from it
+
+const word dictName("particleTrackProperties");
+
+#include "setConstantMeshDictionaryIO.H"
+
+IOdictionary propsDict(dictIO);
+
+const word cloudName(propsDict.get<word>("cloud"));
+
+label sampleFrequency(propsDict.get<label>("sampleFrequency"));
+
+label maxPositions(propsDict.get<label>("maxPositions"));
+
+label maxTracks(propsDict.getOrDefault<label>("maxTracks", -1));
+
+word setFormat(propsDict.getOrDefault<word>("setFormat", "vtk"));
+
+// Optional - if empty, select all
+const wordRes fieldNames(propsDict.getOrDefault<wordRes>("fields", wordRes()));
+
+const word UName(propsDict.getOrDefault<word>("U", "U"));
+
+const dictionary formatOptions
+(
+    propsDict.subOrEmptyDict("formatOptions", keyType::LITERAL)
+);
+
+
+// ************************************************************************* //
diff --git a/applications/utilities/postProcessing/lagrangian/particleTracks/createFields.H b/applications/utilities/postProcessing/lagrangian/particleTracks/createFields.H
deleted file mode 100644
index 36186a9e92..0000000000
--- a/applications/utilities/postProcessing/lagrangian/particleTracks/createFields.H
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,26 +0,0 @@
-IOdictionary propsDict
-(
-    IOobject
-    (
-        "particleTrackProperties",
-        runTime.constant(),
-        mesh,
-        IOobject::MUST_READ_IF_MODIFIED
-    )
-);
-
-const word cloudName(propsDict.get<word>("cloud"));
-
-const label sampleFrequency(propsDict.get<label>("sampleFrequency"));
-
-const label maxPositions(propsDict.get<label>("maxPositions"));
-
-const label maxTracks(propsDict.getOrDefault<label>("maxTracks", -1));
-
-const word setFormat(propsDict.getOrDefault<word>("setFormat", "vtk"));
-
-const wordRes fieldNames(propsDict.getOrDefault<wordRes>("fields", wordRes()));
-
-const word UName(propsDict.getOrDefault<word>("U", "U"));
-
-const dictionary formatOptions = propsDict.subOrEmptyDict("formatOptions");
diff --git a/applications/utilities/postProcessing/lagrangian/particleTracks/particleTracks.C b/applications/utilities/postProcessing/lagrangian/particleTracks/particleTracks.C
index c66fe1995f..36d00b872f 100644
--- a/applications/utilities/postProcessing/lagrangian/particleTracks/particleTracks.C
+++ b/applications/utilities/postProcessing/lagrangian/particleTracks/particleTracks.C
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
      \\/     M anipulation  |
 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
     Copyright (C) 2011-2016 OpenFOAM Foundation
-    Copyright (C) 2021 OpenCFD Ltd.
+    Copyright (C) 2021-2022 OpenCFD Ltd.
 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 License
     This file is part of OpenFOAM.
@@ -247,16 +247,48 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
         "Generate a file of particle tracks for cases that were"
         " computed using a tracked-parcel-type cloud"
     );
-
     timeSelector::addOptions();
     #include "addRegionOption.H"
 
-    #include "setRootCase.H"
+    // Less frequently used - reduce some clutter
+    argList::setAdvanced("decomposeParDict");
+    argList::setAdvanced("noFunctionObjects");
 
+    argList::addOption
+    (
+        "dict",
+        "file",
+        "Alternative particleTracksProperties dictionary"
+    );
+    argList::addOption
+    (
+        "stride",
+        "int",
+        "Override the sample-frequency"
+    );
+    argList::addOption
+    (
+        "format",
+        "name",
+        "The writer format "
+        "(default: vtk or 'setFormat' from dictionary)"
+    );
+    argList::addVerboseOption("Additional verbosity");
+
+    #include "setRootCase.H"
     #include "createTime.H"
     instantList timeDirs = timeSelector::select0(runTime, args);
     #include "createNamedMesh.H"
-    #include "createFields.H"
+
+    // ------------------------------------------------------------------------
+    // Control properties
+
+    #include "createControls.H"
+
+    args.readIfPresent("format", setFormat);
+
+    args.readIfPresent("stride", sampleFrequency);
+    sampleFrequency = max(1, sampleFrequency);  // sanity
 
     // * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * //
 
diff --git a/applications/utilities/postProcessing/lagrangian/steadyParticleTracks/createControls.H b/applications/utilities/postProcessing/lagrangian/steadyParticleTracks/createControls.H
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..9a0e41adcd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/applications/utilities/postProcessing/lagrangian/steadyParticleTracks/createControls.H
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+// Read particleTrackDict dictionary and extract values from it
+
+const word dictName("particleTrackDict");
+
+#include "setConstantMeshDictionaryIO.H"
+
+IOdictionary propsDict(dictIO);
+
+const word cloudName(propsDict.get<word>("cloud"));
+
+List<word> userFields(propsDict.lookup("fields"));
+
+const dictionary formatOptions
+(
+    propsDict.subOrEmptyDict("formatOptions", keyType::LITERAL)
+);
+
+
+// ************************************************************************* //
diff --git a/applications/utilities/postProcessing/lagrangian/steadyParticleTracks/createFields.H b/applications/utilities/postProcessing/lagrangian/steadyParticleTracks/createFields.H
deleted file mode 100644
index c8d497a084..0000000000
--- a/applications/utilities/postProcessing/lagrangian/steadyParticleTracks/createFields.H
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,9 +0,0 @@
-const word dictName("particleTrackDict");
-
-#include "setConstantMeshDictionaryIO.H"
-
-IOdictionary propsDict(dictIO);
-
-word cloudName(propsDict.get<word>("cloud"));
-
-List<word> userFields(propsDict.lookup("fields"));
diff --git a/applications/utilities/postProcessing/lagrangian/steadyParticleTracks/steadyParticleTracks.C b/applications/utilities/postProcessing/lagrangian/steadyParticleTracks/steadyParticleTracks.C
index 3984a7a9ab..3c71b10145 100644
--- a/applications/utilities/postProcessing/lagrangian/steadyParticleTracks/steadyParticleTracks.C
+++ b/applications/utilities/postProcessing/lagrangian/steadyParticleTracks/steadyParticleTracks.C
@@ -132,12 +132,13 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
         "file",
         "Alternative particleTrackDict dictionary"
     );
+    argList::addVerboseOption("Additional verbosity");
 
     #include "setRootCase.H"
     #include "createTime.H"
     instantList timeDirs = timeSelector::select0(runTime, args);
     #include "createNamedMesh.H"
-    #include "createFields.H"
+    #include "createControls.H"
 
     // * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * //