diff --git a/src/serialization/sb2.js b/src/serialization/sb2.js
index 60978eea3..a1533b67f 100644
--- a/src/serialization/sb2.js
+++ b/src/serialization/sb2.js
@@ -668,13 +668,6 @@ const sb2import = function (json, runtime, optForceSprite, zip) {
     };
 
     return parseScratchObject(json, runtime, extensions, !optForceSprite, zip)
-        .then(targets => {
-            if (optForceSprite && targets.length === 1) {
-                const target = targets[0];
-                target.fixUpVariableReferences();
-            }
-            return targets;
-        })
         .then(targets => ({
             targets,
             extensions
diff --git a/src/serialization/sb3.js b/src/serialization/sb3.js
index fb4cbeffd..0ecff4ed5 100644
--- a/src/serialization/sb3.js
+++ b/src/serialization/sb3.js
@@ -937,13 +937,6 @@ const deserialize = function (json, runtime, zip, isSingleSprite) {
         ((isSingleSprite ? [json] : json.targets) || []).map(target =>
             parseScratchObject(target, runtime, extensions, zip))
     )
-        .then(targets => {
-            if (isSingleSprite && targets.length === 1) {
-                const target = targets[0];
-                target.fixUpVariableReferences();
-            }
-            return targets;
-        })
         .then(targets => ({
             targets,
             extensions
diff --git a/src/virtual-machine.js b/src/virtual-machine.js
index 378f9021a..b0571e52c 100644
--- a/src/virtual-machine.js
+++ b/src/virtual-machine.js
@@ -386,6 +386,10 @@ class VirtualMachine extends EventEmitter {
                 this.editingTarget = targets[0];
             }
 
+            if (!wholeProject) {
+                this.editingTarget.fixUpVariableReferences();
+            }
+
             // Update the VM user's knowledge of targets and blocks on the workspace.
             this.emitTargetsUpdate();
             this.emitWorkspaceUpdate();