diff --git a/app/frontend/src/elements/Variables.svelte b/app/frontend/src/elements/Variables.svelte
index f17ecd70b..fab3f7059 100644
--- a/app/frontend/src/elements/Variables.svelte
+++ b/app/frontend/src/elements/Variables.svelte
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 <script>
-	import { onMount, createEventDispatcher } from 'svelte'
+	import { createEventDispatcher } from 'svelte'
     import { refreshAllPlugins } from '../rpc.svelte'
-    import Button from './Button.svelte'
 
     // dispatch handles the following events:
     // 		on:change - fired when the values change
@@ -13,6 +12,21 @@
     export let values
     export let disabled = false
 
+    let onChangeDebounceTimeout
+    function onChange() {
+        clearTimeout(onChangeDebounceTimeout)
+        onChangeDebounceTimeout = setTimeout(fireOnChangeEvent, 300)
+    }
+
+    function fireOnChangeEvent() {
+        dispatch('change')
+    }
+
+    function refresh() {
+        dispatch('change')
+        setTimeout(refreshAllPlugins, 100)
+    }
+
 </script>
 
 {#if variables && variables.length && values}
@@ -29,6 +43,7 @@
                     </td>
                     <td class='py-3 pr-6'>
 						<VariableInput 
+                            on:change={onChange}
 							values={values}
 							variable={variable}
                             disabled={disabled}
@@ -41,7 +56,7 @@
             {/each}
         </table>
         <p class='pt-3 pb-6 opacity-75 text-sm'>
-            <span class='bg-yellow-100 bg-opacity-50 dark:bg-transparent'>💡 You must refresh the plugin for changes to take effect.</span>
+            <span class='bg-yellow-100 bg-opacity-50 dark:bg-transparent'>💡 You must <a href='#/refresh-all' class='underline' on:click|preventDefault={refresh}>refresh the plugin</a> for changes to take effect.</span>
         </p>
     </div>
 {/if}
diff --git a/pkg/plugins/plugin.go b/pkg/plugins/plugin.go
index c387b4066..92aba9832 100644
--- a/pkg/plugins/plugin.go
+++ b/pkg/plugins/plugin.go
@@ -321,7 +321,7 @@ func (p *Plugin) loadVariablesFromJSONFile() ([]string, error) {
 	f, err := os.Open(variablesJSONFilename)
 	if err != nil && os.IsNotExist(err) {
 		// no .vars.json file - no probs
-		p.Debugf("%s, no such file:", variablesJSONFilename)
+		p.Debugf("(skipping) no variable file: %s", variablesJSONFilename)
 		return nil, nil
 	} else if err != nil {
 		p.Debugf("ERR: %s", variablesJSONFilename, err)
@@ -332,7 +332,7 @@ func (p *Plugin) loadVariablesFromJSONFile() ([]string, error) {
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
-	p.Debugf("vars json: %s", string(b))
+	p.Debugf("%s: %s", variablesJSONFilename, string(b))
 	var varmap map[string]interface{}
 	if err := json.Unmarshal(b, &varmap); err != nil {
 		return nil, errors.Wrap(err, "json.Unmarshal")
diff --git a/pkg/plugins/plugin_test.go b/pkg/plugins/plugin_test.go
index 5527fb1c9..c18d85905 100644
--- a/pkg/plugins/plugin_test.go
+++ b/pkg/plugins/plugin_test.go
@@ -2,8 +2,6 @@ package plugins
 
 import (
 	"context"
-	"log"
-	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
 	"strings"
 	"sync"
@@ -265,38 +263,6 @@ It also contains a very long line which should be wrapped, because otherwise it
 	is.Equal(len(p.Items.ExpandedItems), 3)
 
 }
-
-func TestEnvironmentVariables(t *testing.T) {
-	is := is.New(t)
-
-	err := os.Setenv("XBAR_TEST_EXPLICIT_VAR", "explicit")
-	is.NoErr(err)
-	t.Cleanup(func() {
-		err := os.Unsetenv("XBAR_TEST_EXPLICIT_VAR")
-		is.NoErr(err)
-	})
-
-	ctx := context.Background()
-	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(ctx, 1*time.Second)
-	defer cancel()
-
-	p := &Plugin{
-		Command:         filepath.Join("testdata", "vars-test", "plugin.sh"),
-		Debugf:          DebugfNoop,
-		Timeout:         1 * time.Second,
-		RefreshInterval: RefreshInterval{N: 250, Unit: "milliseconds"},
-		CycleInterval:   500 * time.Millisecond,
-	}
-	p.Run(ctx)
-
-	log.Printf("%+v\n", p.Items.ExpandedItems)
-
-	is.Equal(len(p.Items.CycleItems), 2)
-	is.Equal(p.Items.CycleItems[0].Text, `XBAR_TEST_EXPLICIT_VAR=explicit`)
-	is.Equal(p.Items.CycleItems[1].Text, `XBAR_TEST_SET_IN_VARS_JSON=json`)
-
-}
-
 func TestCleanFilename(t *testing.T) {
 	is := is.New(t)
 
diff --git a/pkg/plugins/variables_test.go b/pkg/plugins/variables_test.go
index 164a6a2e7..057dc2d83 100644
--- a/pkg/plugins/variables_test.go
+++ b/pkg/plugins/variables_test.go
@@ -1,13 +1,45 @@
 package plugins
 
 import (
+	"context"
 	"io/ioutil"
 	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
 	"testing"
+	"time"
 
 	"github.com/matryer/is"
 )
 
+func TestEnvironmentVariables(t *testing.T) {
+	is := is.New(t)
+
+	err := os.Setenv("XBAR_TEST_EXPLICIT_VAR", "explicit")
+	is.NoErr(err)
+	t.Cleanup(func() {
+		err := os.Unsetenv("XBAR_TEST_EXPLICIT_VAR")
+		is.NoErr(err)
+	})
+
+	ctx := context.Background()
+	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(ctx, 1*time.Second)
+	defer cancel()
+
+	p := &Plugin{
+		Command:         filepath.Join("testdata", "vars-test", "plugin.sh"),
+		Debugf:          DebugfNoop,
+		Timeout:         1 * time.Second,
+		RefreshInterval: RefreshInterval{N: 250, Unit: "milliseconds"},
+		CycleInterval:   500 * time.Millisecond,
+	}
+	p.Run(ctx)
+
+	is.Equal(len(p.Items.CycleItems), 2)
+	is.Equal(p.Items.CycleItems[0].Text, `XBAR_TEST_EXPLICIT_VAR=explicit`) // inherited
+	is.Equal(p.Items.CycleItems[1].Text, `XBAR_TEST_SET_IN_VARS_JSON=json`) // in vars.json file
+
+}
+
 func TestVariablesPersistence(t *testing.T) {
 	is := is.New(t)