diff --git a/share/qtcreator/debugger/pdbbridge.py b/share/qtcreator/debugger/pdbbridge.py
index b90f4eadd38..6d9ffe6cc2b 100644
--- a/share/qtcreator/debugger/pdbbridge.py
+++ b/share/qtcreator/debugger/pdbbridge.py
@@ -233,6 +233,14 @@ def qdebug(cmd, args):
                 % (module, dir(module) if module else []))
         self.flushOutput()
 
+    def assignValue(self, args):
+        exp = args['expression']
+        value = args['value']
+        cmd = "%s=%s" % (exp, exp, value)
+        eval(cmd, {})
+        self.put("CMD: '%s'" % cmd)
+        self.flushOutput()
+
     def stackListFrames(self, args):
         #isNativeMixed = int(args.get('nativeMixed', 0))
         #result = 'stack={current-thread="%s"' % thread.GetThreadID()
diff --git a/src/plugins/debugger/pdb/pdbengine.cpp b/src/plugins/debugger/pdb/pdbengine.cpp
index 9c33102ee7d..c2f193aa21f 100644
--- a/src/plugins/debugger/pdb/pdbengine.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/debugger/pdb/pdbengine.cpp
@@ -454,18 +454,17 @@ bool PdbEngine::setToolTipExpression(TextEditor::TextEditorWidget *,
     return true;
 }
 
-void PdbEngine::assignValueInDebugger(const Internal::WatchData *, const QString &expression, const QVariant &value)
+void PdbEngine::assignValueInDebugger(const WatchData *, const QString &expression, const QVariant &value)
 {
-    Q_UNUSED(expression);
-    Q_UNUSED(value);
-    SDEBUG("ASSIGNING: " << (expression + QLatin1Char('=') + value.toString()));
-#if 0
-    m_scriptEngine->evaluate(expression + QLatin1Char('=') + value.toString());
+    //DebuggerCommand cmd("assignValue");
+    //cmd.arg("expression", expression);
+    //cmd.arg("value", value.toString());
+    //runCommand(cmd);
+    QByteArray exp = expression.toUtf8();
+    postDirectCommand("global " + exp + ';' + exp + "=" + value.toString().toUtf8());
     updateLocals();
-#endif
 }
 
-
 void PdbEngine::updateWatchData(const WatchData &data, const WatchUpdateFlags &flags)
 {
     Q_UNUSED(data);
diff --git a/src/plugins/debugger/watchhandler.cpp b/src/plugins/debugger/watchhandler.cpp
index 5ad5e9fc72d..7a5910bcf37 100644
--- a/src/plugins/debugger/watchhandler.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/debugger/watchhandler.cpp
@@ -673,7 +673,7 @@ QString WatchItem::expression() const
         if (!p->d.exp.isEmpty())
            return QString::fromLatin1("(%1).%2").arg(QString::fromLatin1(p->d.exp), d.name);
     }
-    return QString();
+    return d.name;
 }
 
 QString WatchItem::displayName() const
@@ -754,7 +754,7 @@ QVariant WatchItem::data(int column, int role) const
         case Qt::EditRole: {
             switch (column) {
                 case 0:
-                    return QVariant(expression());
+                    return expression();
                 case 1:
                     return editValue();
                 case 2:
@@ -785,7 +785,7 @@ QVariant WatchItem::data(int column, int role) const
                 return color();
 
         case LocalsExpressionRole:
-            return QVariant(expression());
+            return expression();
 
         case LocalsRawExpressionRole:
             return d.exp;