diff --git a/playbooks/inventory/dynamic_inventory.py b/playbooks/inventory/dynamic_inventory.py
index 18fba95030..fa0649715b 100755
--- a/playbooks/inventory/dynamic_inventory.py
+++ b/playbooks/inventory/dynamic_inventory.py
@@ -1166,9 +1166,17 @@ def get_inventory(config_path, inventory_file_path):
     return dynamic_inventory
 
 
-def main(all_args):
-    """Run the main application."""
-    if all_args.get('debug'):
+def main(config=None, check=False, debug=False, **kwargs):
+    """Run the main application.
+
+    :param config: ``str`` Directory from which to pull configs and overrides
+    :param check: ``bool`` Flag to enable check mode
+    :param debug: ``bool`` Flag to enable debug logging
+    :param kwargs: ``dict`` Dictionary of arbitrary arguments; mostly for
+        catching Ansible's required `--list` parameter without name shadowing
+        the `list` built-in.
+    """
+    if debug:
         log_fmt = "%(lineno)d - %(funcName)s: %(message)s"
         logging.basicConfig(format=log_fmt, filename='inventory.log')
         logger.setLevel(logging.DEBUG)
@@ -1176,7 +1184,7 @@ def main(all_args):
 
     # Get the path to the user configuration files
     config_path = find_config_path(
-        user_config_path=all_args.get('config')
+        user_config_path=config
     )
 
     user_defined_config = load_user_configuration(config_path)
@@ -1247,7 +1255,6 @@ def main(all_args):
         sort_keys=True
     )
 
-    check = all_args.get('check')
     if check:
         return 'Configuration ok!'
 
@@ -1284,5 +1291,5 @@ def main(all_args):
 
 if __name__ == '__main__':
     all_args = args(sys.argv[1:])
-    output = main(all_args)
+    output = main(**all_args)
     print(output)
diff --git a/releasenotes/notes/inventory-main-function-arguments-8c43e4c7175937d3.yaml b/releasenotes/notes/inventory-main-function-arguments-8c43e4c7175937d3.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b4733266f4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/releasenotes/notes/inventory-main-function-arguments-8c43e4c7175937d3.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+---
+deprecations:
+  - The ``main`` function in ``dynamic_inventory.py`` now
+    takes named arguments instead of dictionary. This is to support
+    future code changes that will move construction logic into
+    separate files.
diff --git a/tests/test_inventory.py b/tests/test_inventory.py
index b69d8d9d2f..a0d9b64a81 100644
--- a/tests/test_inventory.py
+++ b/tests/test_inventory.py
@@ -89,11 +89,13 @@ def cleanup():
 
 def get_inventory(clean=True, extra_args=None):
     "Return the inventory mapping in a dict."
-    args = {'config': TARGET_DIR}
+    # Use the list argument to more closely mirror
+    # Ansible's use of the callable.
+    args = {'config': TARGET_DIR, 'list': True}
     if extra_args:
         args.update(extra_args)
     try:
-        inventory_string = di.main(args)
+        inventory_string = di.main(**args)
         inventory = json.loads(inventory_string)
         return inventory
     finally:
@@ -1106,14 +1108,14 @@ class TestConfigCheckFunctional(TestConfigCheckBase):
         self.user_defined_config['log_hosts']['bogus'] = ip
 
     def test_checking_good_config(self):
-        output = di.main({'config': TARGET_DIR, 'check': True})
+        output = di.main(config=TARGET_DIR, check=True)
         self.assertEqual(output, 'Configuration ok!')
 
     def test_duplicated_ip(self):
         self.duplicate_ip()
         self.write_config()
         with self.assertRaises(di.MultipleHostsWithOneIPError) as context:
-            di.main({'config': TARGET_DIR, 'check': True})
+            di.main(config=TARGET_DIR, check=True)
         self.assertEqual(context.exception.ip, '172.29.236.100')