diff --git a/src/plugins/coreplugin/variablechooser.cpp b/src/plugins/coreplugin/variablechooser.cpp
index 8553b9e0ceb..9dc79a15294 100644
--- a/src/plugins/coreplugin/variablechooser.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/coreplugin/variablechooser.cpp
@@ -161,12 +161,19 @@ public:
     MacroExpanderProvider m_provider;
 };
 
-class VariableItem : public TreeItem
+class VariableItem : public TypedTreeItem<TreeItem, VariableGroupItem>
 {
 public:
     VariableItem() {}
 
-    QVariant data(int column, int role) const
+    Qt::ItemFlags flags(int) const override
+    {
+        if (m_variable == parent()->m_chooser->m_currentVariableName)
+            return Qt::ItemIsSelectable;
+        return Qt::ItemIsSelectable|Qt::ItemIsEnabled;
+    }
+
+    QVariant data(int column, int role) const override
     {
         if (role == Qt::DisplayRole || role == Qt::EditRole) {
             if (column == 0)
@@ -174,28 +181,27 @@ public:
         }
 
         if (role == Qt::ToolTipRole) {
-            const QByteArray var = m_variable.toUtf8();
-            QString description = m_expander->variableDescription(var);
+            QString description = m_expander->variableDescription(m_variable);
             QString value;
-            if (!m_expander->isPrefixVariable(var))
-                value = m_expander->value(var).toHtmlEscaped();
+            if (!m_expander->isPrefixVariable(m_variable))
+                value = m_expander->value(m_variable).toHtmlEscaped();
             if (!value.isEmpty())
                 description += QLatin1String("<p>") + VariableChooser::tr("Current Value: %1").arg(value);
             return description;
         }
 
         if (role == UnexpandedTextRole)
-            return QString(QLatin1String("%{") + m_variable + QLatin1Char('}'));
+            return QString::fromUtf8("%{" + m_variable + '}');
 
         if (role == ExpandedTextRole)
-            return m_expander->expand(QLatin1String("%{") + m_variable + QLatin1Char('}'));
+            return m_expander->expand(QString::fromUtf8("%{" + m_variable + '}'));
 
         return QVariant();
     }
 
 public:
     MacroExpander *m_expander;
-    QString m_variable;
+    QByteArray m_variable;
 };
 
 void VariableTreeView::contextMenuEvent(QContextMenuEvent *ev)
@@ -279,10 +285,8 @@ void VariableGroupItem::populateGroup(MacroExpander *expander)
 
     foreach (const QByteArray &variable, expander->visibleVariables()) {
         auto item = new VariableItem;
-        item->m_variable = QString::fromUtf8(variable);
+        item->m_variable = variable;
         item->m_expander = expander;
-        if (variable == m_chooser->m_currentVariableName)
-            item->setFlags(Qt::ItemIsSelectable); // not ItemIsEnabled
         appendChild(item);
     }