diff --git a/src/engine/target.js b/src/engine/target.js
index b67b42a5a..7b2f1d66f 100644
--- a/src/engine/target.js
+++ b/src/engine/target.js
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ class Target extends EventEmitter {
         const variable = this.lookupVariableById(id);
         if (variable) return variable;
         // No variable with this name exists - create it locally.
-        const newVariable = new Variable(id, name, '', false);
+        const newVariable = new Variable(id, name, Variable.SCALAR_TYPE, false);
         this.variables[id] = newVariable;
         return newVariable;
     }
diff --git a/src/engine/variable.js b/src/engine/variable.js
index a44324f6e..5896e593b 100644
--- a/src/engine/variable.js
+++ b/src/engine/variable.js
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ class Variable {
     /**
      * @param {string} id Id of the variable.
      * @param {string} name Name of the variable.
-     * @param {(string|number)} type Type of the variable, one of "" or "list"
+     * @param {string} type Type of the variable, one of '' or 'list'
      * @param {boolean} isCloud Whether the variable is stored in the cloud.
      * @constructor
      */
diff --git a/src/serialization/sb2.js b/src/serialization/sb2.js
index 0c6c37813..f7b7b30da 100644
--- a/src/serialization/sb2.js
+++ b/src/serialization/sb2.js
@@ -234,7 +234,7 @@ const parseScratchObject = function (object, runtime, extensions, topLevel) {
             const newVariable = new Variable(
                 getVariableId(variable.name),
                 variable.name,
-                '',
+                Variable.SCALAR_TYPE,
                 variable.isPersistent
             );
             newVariable.value = variable.value;
@@ -254,7 +254,7 @@ const parseScratchObject = function (object, runtime, extensions, topLevel) {
             const newVariable = new Variable(
                 getVariableId(list.listName),
                 list.listName,
-                'list',
+                Variable.LIST_TYPE,
                 list.isPersistent
             );
             newVariable.value = list.contents;