diff --git a/code/__HELPERS/unsorted.dm b/code/__HELPERS/unsorted.dm
index 207e69fa9b..28b31f4e98 100644
--- a/code/__HELPERS/unsorted.dm
+++ b/code/__HELPERS/unsorted.dm
@@ -1514,3 +1514,20 @@ GLOBAL_DATUM_INIT(dview_mob, /mob/dview, new)
 	for(var/V in GLOB.player_list)
 		if(is_servant_of_ratvar(V) || isobserver(V))
 			. += V
+
+//datum may be null, but it does need to be a typed var
+#define NAMEOF(datum, X) (list(##datum.##X, #X)[2])
+
+#define VARSET_LIST_CALLBACK(target, var_name, var_value) CALLBACK(GLOBAL_PROC, /proc/___callbackvarset, ##target, ##var_name, ##var_value)
+//dupe code because dm can't handle 3 level deep macros
+#define VARSET_CALLBACK(datum, var, var_value) CALLBACK(GLOBAL_PROC, /proc/___callbackvarset, ##datum, NAMEOF(##datum, ##var), ##var_value)
+
+/proc/___callbackvarset(list_or_datum, var_name, var_value)
+	if(length(list_or_datum))
+		list_or_datum[var_name] = var_value
+		return
+	var/datum/D = list_or_datum
+	if(IsAdminAdvancedProcCall())
+		D.vv_edit_var(var_name, var_value)	//same result generally, unless badmemes
+	else
+		D.vars[var_name] = var_value