diff --git a/src/lrdbDebug.ts b/src/lrdbDebug.ts
index 86ee61ec..ce22daf1 100644
--- a/src/lrdbDebug.ts
+++ b/src/lrdbDebug.ts
@@ -511,7 +511,7 @@ export class LuaDebugSession extends DebugSession {
       variablesData.forEach((v,i) => {
         const typename = typeof v
         const k = i + 1
-        const varRef = (typename == 'object') ? this._variableHandles.create(evalParam(k)) : undefined
+        const varRef = (typename == 'object') ? this._variableHandles.create(evalParam(k)) : 0
         variables.push({
           name: `${k}`,
           type: typename,
@@ -522,7 +522,7 @@ export class LuaDebugSession extends DebugSession {
     } else if (typeof variablesData === 'object') {
       for (const k in variablesData) {
         const typename = typeof variablesData[k]
-        const varRef =  (typename == 'object') ? this._variableHandles.create(evalParam(k)) : undefined
+        const varRef =  (typename == 'object') ? this._variableHandles.create(evalParam(k)) : 0
         variables.push({
           name: k,
           type: typename,
diff --git a/test/__snapshots__/debugadapter.test.ts.snap b/test/__snapshots__/debugadapter.test.ts.snap
index e7d96f8d..05a1a7bd 100644
--- a/test/__snapshots__/debugadapter.test.ts.snap
+++ b/test/__snapshots__/debugadapter.test.ts.snap
@@ -8,16 +8,19 @@ Object {
         "name": "local_value1",
         "type": "number",
         "value": "1",
+        "variablesReference": 0,
       },
       Object {
         "name": "local_value2",
         "type": "string",
         "value": "\\"abc\\"",
+        "variablesReference": 0,
       },
       Object {
         "name": "local_value3",
         "type": "number",
         "value": "1",
+        "variablesReference": 0,
       },
       Object {
         "name": "local_value4",
@@ -40,5 +43,6 @@ Object {
   "name": "a",
   "type": "number",
   "value": "1",
+  "variablesReference": 0,
 }
 `;
diff --git a/test/debugadapter.test.ts b/test/debugadapter.test.ts
index 84903314..e07a39de 100644
--- a/test/debugadapter.test.ts
+++ b/test/debugadapter.test.ts
@@ -283,6 +283,7 @@ describe('Lua Debug Adapter', () => {
               name: '_VERSION',
               type: 'string',
               value: '"Lua 5.3"',
+              variablesReference: 0
             })
         ))
     })