diff --git a/src/plugins/debugger/cdb/cdbengine.cpp b/src/plugins/debugger/cdb/cdbengine.cpp
index 15d82c3436b..5afd9da1a1b 100644
--- a/src/plugins/debugger/cdb/cdbengine.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/debugger/cdb/cdbengine.cpp
@@ -1217,7 +1217,7 @@ void CdbEngine::activateFrame(int index)
 void CdbEngine::doUpdateLocals(const UpdateParameters &updateParameters)
 {
     if (m_pythonVersion > 0x030000) {
-        watchHandler()->notifyUpdateStarted(updateParameters.partialVariables());
+        watchHandler()->notifyUpdateStarted(updateParameters);
 
         DebuggerCommand cmd("theDumper.fetchVariables", ScriptCommand);
         watchHandler()->appendFormatRequests(&cmd);
@@ -1270,7 +1270,7 @@ void CdbEngine::doUpdateLocals(const UpdateParameters &updateParameters)
             return;
         }
 
-        watchHandler()->notifyUpdateStarted(updateParameters.partialVariables());
+        watchHandler()->notifyUpdateStarted(updateParameters);
 
         /* Watchers: Forcibly discard old symbol group as switching from
      * thread 0/frame 0 -> thread 1/assembly -> thread 0/frame 0 will otherwise re-use it
diff --git a/src/plugins/debugger/debuggerengine.cpp b/src/plugins/debugger/debuggerengine.cpp
index b91130a034d..9f196c98959 100644
--- a/src/plugins/debugger/debuggerengine.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/debugger/debuggerengine.cpp
@@ -2061,7 +2061,7 @@ void DebuggerEngine::updateItem(const QString &iname)
         WatchModelBase *model = handler->model();
         QTC_CHECK(model);
         if (item && !model->hasChildren(model->indexForItem(item))) {
-            handler->notifyUpdateStarted({iname});
+            handler->notifyUpdateStarted(UpdateParameters(iname));
             item->setValue(decodeData({}, "notaccessible"));
             item->setHasChildren(false);
             item->outdated = false;
diff --git a/src/plugins/debugger/debuggerengine.h b/src/plugins/debugger/debuggerengine.h
index e2dfd41d32b..770d079c445 100644
--- a/src/plugins/debugger/debuggerengine.h
+++ b/src/plugins/debugger/debuggerengine.h
@@ -122,7 +122,8 @@ public:
 class UpdateParameters
 {
 public:
-    UpdateParameters() {}
+    UpdateParameters(const QString &partialVariable = QString()) :
+        partialVariable(partialVariable) {}
 
     QStringList partialVariables() const
     {
diff --git a/src/plugins/debugger/gdb/gdbengine.cpp b/src/plugins/debugger/gdb/gdbengine.cpp
index cdcdb13c55c..53f94c4f6b3 100644
--- a/src/plugins/debugger/gdb/gdbengine.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/debugger/gdb/gdbengine.cpp
@@ -4493,7 +4493,7 @@ void GdbEngine::doUpdateLocals(const UpdateParameters &params)
 {
     m_pendingBreakpointRequests = 0;
 
-    watchHandler()->notifyUpdateStarted(params.partialVariables());
+    watchHandler()->notifyUpdateStarted(params);
 
     DebuggerCommand cmd("fetchVariables", Discardable|InUpdateLocals|PythonCommand);
     watchHandler()->appendFormatRequests(&cmd);
diff --git a/src/plugins/debugger/lldb/lldbengine.cpp b/src/plugins/debugger/lldb/lldbengine.cpp
index 0b79fdbb0aa..eba04d0ca16 100644
--- a/src/plugins/debugger/lldb/lldbengine.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/debugger/lldb/lldbengine.cpp
@@ -796,7 +796,7 @@ void LldbEngine::assignValueInDebugger(WatchItem *,
 
 void LldbEngine::doUpdateLocals(const UpdateParameters &params)
 {
-    watchHandler()->notifyUpdateStarted(params.partialVariables());
+    watchHandler()->notifyUpdateStarted(params);
 
     DebuggerCommand cmd("fetchVariables");
     watchHandler()->appendFormatRequests(&cmd);
diff --git a/src/plugins/debugger/qml/qmlengine.cpp b/src/plugins/debugger/qml/qmlengine.cpp
index 638f97f35af..83f3fed071a 100644
--- a/src/plugins/debugger/qml/qmlengine.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/debugger/qml/qmlengine.cpp
@@ -2156,7 +2156,7 @@ void QmlEnginePrivate::handleFrame(const QVariantMap &response)
 
     StackHandler *stackHandler = engine->stackHandler();
     WatchHandler * watchHandler = engine->watchHandler();
-    watchHandler->notifyUpdateStarted({"local"});
+    watchHandler->notifyUpdateStarted();
 
     const int frameIndex = stackHandler->currentIndex();
     if (frameIndex < 0)
diff --git a/src/plugins/debugger/watchhandler.cpp b/src/plugins/debugger/watchhandler.cpp
index 1b47b7cf950..e965ba9fedc 100644
--- a/src/plugins/debugger/watchhandler.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/debugger/watchhandler.cpp
@@ -1999,8 +1999,12 @@ void WatchHandler::resetWatchers()
     loadSessionData();
 }
 
-void WatchHandler::notifyUpdateStarted(const QStringList &inames)
+void WatchHandler::notifyUpdateStarted(const UpdateParameters &updateParameters)
 {
+    QStringList inames = updateParameters.partialVariables();
+    if (inames.isEmpty())
+        inames.append("local");
+
     auto marker = [](WatchItem *item) { item->outdated = true; };
 
     if (inames.isEmpty()) {
diff --git a/src/plugins/debugger/watchhandler.h b/src/plugins/debugger/watchhandler.h
index cf62cf2aede..e47fa012fdb 100644
--- a/src/plugins/debugger/watchhandler.h
+++ b/src/plugins/debugger/watchhandler.h
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@
 #pragma once
 
 #include "watchdata.h"
+#include "debuggerengine.h"
 
 #include <QVector>
 
@@ -111,7 +112,7 @@ public:
     void resetValueCache();
     void resetWatchers();
 
-    void notifyUpdateStarted(const QStringList &inames = {});
+    void notifyUpdateStarted(const UpdateParameters &updateParameters = UpdateParameters());
     void notifyUpdateFinished();
 
     void reexpandItems();