diff --git a/code/modules/admin/view_variables/debug_variables.dm b/code/modules/admin/view_variables/debug_variables.dm
index 5116cd5cd6..ab9f4a534c 100644
--- a/code/modules/admin/view_variables/debug_variables.dm
+++ b/code/modules/admin/view_variables/debug_variables.dm
@@ -16,11 +16,19 @@
 		header = "<li>"
 
 	var/item
+	var/name_part = VV_HTML_ENCODE(name)
+	if(level > 0 || islist(D)) //handling keys in assoc lists
+		if(istype(name,/datum))
+			name_part = "<a href='?_src_=vars;[HrefToken()];Vars=[REF(name)]'>[VV_HTML_ENCODE(name)] [REF(name)]</a>"
+		else if(islist(name))
+			var/list/L = name
+			name_part = "<a href='?_src_=vars;[HrefToken()];Vars=[REF(name)]'> /list ([length(L)]) [REF(name)]</a>"
+
 	if (isnull(value))
-		item = "[VV_HTML_ENCODE(name)] = <span class='value'>null</span>"
+		item = "[name_part] = <span class='value'>null</span>"
 
 	else if (istext(value))
-		item = "[VV_HTML_ENCODE(name)] = <span class='value'>\"[VV_HTML_ENCODE(value)]\"</span>"
+		item = "[name_part] = <span class='value'>\"[VV_HTML_ENCODE(value)]\"</span>"
 
 	else if (isicon(value))
 		#ifdef VARSICON
@@ -28,33 +36,31 @@
 		var/rnd = rand(1,10000)
 		var/rname = "tmp[REF(I)][rnd].png"
 		usr << browse_rsc(I, rname)
-		item = "[VV_HTML_ENCODE(name)] = (<span class='value'>[value]</span>) <img class=icon src=\"[rname]\">"
+		item = "[name_part] = (<span class='value'>[value]</span>) <img class=icon src=\"[rname]\">"
 		#else
-		item = "[VV_HTML_ENCODE(name)] = /icon (<span class='value'>[value]</span>)"
+		item = "[name_part] = /icon (<span class='value'>[value]</span>)"
 		#endif
 
 	else if (isfile(value))
-		item = "[VV_HTML_ENCODE(name)] = <span class='value'>'[value]'</span>"
+		item = "[name_part] = <span class='value'>'[value]'</span>"
 
-	else if(istype(value, /matrix)) // Needs to be before datum
+	else if(istype(value,/matrix)) // Needs to be before datum
 		var/matrix/M = value
-		item = {"[VV_HTML_ENCODE(name)] = <span class='value'>
-			<table class='matrixbrak'><tbody><tr>
-				<td class='lbrak'>&nbsp;</td>
-				<td><table class='matrix'><tbody>
-					<tr><td>[M.a]</td><td>[M.d]</td><td>0</td></tr>
-					<tr><td>[M.b]</td><td>[M.e]</td><td>0</td></tr>
-					<tr><td>[M.c]</td><td>[M.f]</td><td>1</td></tr>
-				</tbody></table></td>
-				<td class='rbrak'>&nbsp;</td>
-			</tr></tbody></table></span>"} //TODO link to modify_transform wrapper for all matrices
-	
+		item = {"[name_part] = <span class='value'>
+			<table class='matrixbrak'><tbody><tr><td class='lbrak'>&nbsp;</td><td>
+			<table class='matrix'>
+			<tbody>
+				<tr><td>[M.a]</td><td>[M.d]</td><td>0</td></tr>
+				<tr><td>[M.b]</td><td>[M.e]</td><td>0</td></tr>
+				<tr><td>[M.c]</td><td>[M.f]</td><td>1</td></tr>
+			</tbody>
+			</table></td><td class='rbrak'>&nbsp;</td></tr></tbody></table></span>"} //TODO link to modify_transform wrapper for all matrices
 	else if (istype(value, /datum))
 		var/datum/DV = value
 		if ("[DV]" != "[DV.type]") //if the thing as a name var, lets use it.
-			item = "<a href='?_src_=vars;[HrefToken()];Vars=[REF(value)]'>[VV_HTML_ENCODE(name)] [REF(value)]</a> = [DV] [DV.type]"
+			item = "[name_part] = <a href='?_src_=vars;[HrefToken()];Vars=[REF(value)]'>[DV] [DV.type] [REF(value)]</a>"
 		else
-			item = "<a href='?_src_=vars;[HrefToken()];Vars=[REF(value)]'>[VV_HTML_ENCODE(name)] [REF(value)]</a> = [DV.type]"
+			item = "[name_part] = <a href='?_src_=vars;[HrefToken()];Vars=[REF(value)]'>[DV.type] [REF(value)]</a>"
 
 	else if (islist(value))
 		var/list/L = value
@@ -72,19 +78,19 @@
 
 				items += debug_variable(key, val, level + 1, sanitize = sanitize)
 
-			item = "<a href='?_src_=vars;[HrefToken()];Vars=[REF(value)]'>[VV_HTML_ENCODE(name)] = /list ([L.len])</a><ul>[items.Join()]</ul>"
+			item = "[name_part] = <a href='?_src_=vars;[HrefToken()];Vars=[REF(value)]'>/list ([L.len])</a><ul>[items.Join()]</ul>"
 		else
-			item = "<a href='?_src_=vars;[HrefToken()];Vars=[REF(value)]'>[VV_HTML_ENCODE(name)] = /list ([L.len])</a>"
+			item = "[name_part] = <a href='?_src_=vars;[HrefToken()];Vars=[REF(value)]'>/list ([L.len])</a>"
 
 	else if (name in GLOB.bitfields)
 		var/list/flags = list()
 		for (var/i in GLOB.bitfields[name])
 			if (value & GLOB.bitfields[name][i])
 				flags += i
-			item = "[VV_HTML_ENCODE(name)] = [VV_HTML_ENCODE(jointext(flags, ", "))]"
+			item = "[name_part] = [VV_HTML_ENCODE(jointext(flags, ", "))]"
 	else
-		item = "[VV_HTML_ENCODE(name)] = <span class='value'>[VV_HTML_ENCODE(value)]</span>"
+		item = "[name_part] = <span class='value'>[VV_HTML_ENCODE(value)]</span>"
 
 	return "[header][item]</li>"
 
-#undef VV_HTML_ENCODE
+#undef VV_HTML_ENCODE
\ No newline at end of file