diff --git a/util/build_scripts/runtime_parameters.py b/util/build_scripts/runtime_parameters.py
index d44d18bed0..6480376765 100755
--- a/util/build_scripts/runtime_parameters.py
+++ b/util/build_scripts/runtime_parameters.py
@@ -99,7 +99,6 @@ def get_struct_entry(self, indent=4):
 
         ostr = ""
 
-        print("here: ", self.cpp_var_name)
         if not self.debug_default is None:
             ostr += "#ifdef AMREX_DEBUG\n"
             ostr += f"{' '*indent}{self.get_cxx_decl()} {self.cpp_var_name}{{{self.default_format(lang='C++', debug=True)}}};\n"
@@ -128,27 +127,51 @@ def get_default_string(self):
 
         return ostr
 
-    def get_query_string(self, language):
+    def get_query_string(self):
         """this is the line that queries the ParmParse object to get
         the value of the runtime parameter from the inputs file.
         This goes into, e.g., castro_queries.H included into Castro.cpp"""
 
         ostr = ""
-        if language == "C++":
-            if self.is_array():
-                # we need to create an amrex::Vector to read and then
-                # copy into our managed array
-                ostr += "\n"
-                ostr += f"        amrex::Vector<{self.get_cxx_decl()}> {self.name}_tmp({self.size}, {self.default_format(lang='C++')});\n"
-                ostr += f"        if (pp.queryarr(\"{self.name}\", {self.name}_tmp, 0, {self.size})) {{\n"
-                ostr += f"            for (int n = 0; n < {self.size}; n++) {{\n"
-                ostr += f"                {self.nm_pre}{self.cpp_var_name}[n] = {self.name}_tmp[n];\n"
-                ostr += "            }\n\n"
-                ostr += "        }\n\n"
-            else:
-                ostr += f"pp.query(\"{self.name}\", {self.nm_pre}{self.cpp_var_name});\n"
+        if self.is_array():
+            # we need to create an amrex::Vector to read and then
+            # copy into our managed array
+            ostr += "\n"
+            ostr += f"        amrex::Vector<{self.get_cxx_decl()}> {self.name}_tmp({self.size}, {self.default_format(lang='C++')});\n"
+            ostr += f"        if (pp.queryarr(\"{self.name}\", {self.name}_tmp, 0, {self.size})) {{\n"
+            ostr += f"            for (int n = 0; n < {self.size}; n++) {{\n"
+            ostr += f"                {self.nm_pre}{self.cpp_var_name}[n] = {self.name}_tmp[n];\n"
+            ostr += "            }\n\n"
+            ostr += "        }\n\n"
         else:
-            sys.exit("invalid language choice in get_query_string")
+            ostr += f"pp.query(\"{self.name}\", {self.nm_pre}{self.cpp_var_name});\n"
+
+        return ostr
+
+    def get_query_struct_string(self, struct_name="params", class_name=None):
+        """this is the line that queries the ParmParse object to get
+        the value of the runtime parameter from the inputs file.
+        This is intended to use when we have a struct holding the runtime parameters,
+        and will have the form class_name::struct_name.namespace.param"""
+
+        if class_name is None:
+            cname = ""
+        else:
+            cname = f"{class_name}::"
+
+        ostr = ""
+        if self.is_array():
+            # we need to create an amrex::Vector to read and then
+            # copy into our managed array
+            ostr += "\n"
+            ostr += f"        amrex::Vector<{self.get_cxx_decl()}> {self.name}_tmp({self.size}, {self.default_format(lang='C++')});\n"
+            ostr += f"        if (pp.queryarr(\"{self.name}\", {self.name}_tmp, 0, {self.size})) {{\n"
+            ostr += f"            for (int n = 0; n < {self.size}; n++) {{\n"
+            ostr += f"                {cname}{struct_name}.{self.namespace}{self.namespace_suffix}.{self.cpp_var_name}[n] = {self.name}_tmp[n];\n"
+            ostr += "            }\n\n"
+            ostr += "        }\n\n"
+        else:
+            ostr += f"pp.query(\"{self.name}\", {cname}{struct_name}.{self.namespace}{self.namespace_suffix}.{self.cpp_var_name});\n"
 
         return ostr
 
diff --git a/util/build_scripts/write_probin.py b/util/build_scripts/write_probin.py
index 1852b97c54..1b2371cc3d 100755
--- a/util/build_scripts/write_probin.py
+++ b/util/build_scripts/write_probin.py
@@ -255,7 +255,7 @@ def write_probin(param_files,
             fout.write(f"      amrex::ParmParse pp(\"{nm}\");\n")
             for p in params_nm:
                 fout.write(f"      {p.get_default_string()}")
-                fout.write(f"      {p.get_query_string('C++')}\n")
+                fout.write(f"      {p.get_query_string()}\n")
             fout.write("    }\n")
 
         fout.write("  }\n")