diff --git a/code/datums/datumvars.dm b/code/datums/datumvars.dm
index b7ec8f38dc..a9830e58dc 100644
--- a/code/datums/datumvars.dm
+++ b/code/datums/datumvars.dm
@@ -26,10 +26,10 @@
 /datum/proc/vv_get_dropdown()
 	. = list()
 	. += "---"
-	.["Call Proc"] = "?_src_=vars;[HrefToken()];proc_call=[REF(src)]"
-	.["Mark Object"] = "?_src_=vars;[HrefToken()];mark_object=[REF(src)]"
-	.["Delete"] = "?_src_=vars;[HrefToken()];delete=[REF(src)]"
-	.["Show VV To Player"] = "?_src_=vars;[HrefToken(TRUE)];expose=[REF(src)]"
+	.["Call Proc"] = "?_src_=vars;[HrefToken()];proc_call=\ref[src]"
+	.["Mark Object"] = "?_src_=vars;[HrefToken()];mark_object=\ref[src]"
+	.["Delete"] = "?_src_=vars;[HrefToken()];delete=\ref[src]"
+	.["Show VV To Player"] = "?_src_=vars;[HrefToken(TRUE)];expose=\ref[src]"
 
 
 /datum/proc/on_reagent_change(changetype)
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@
 		return
 
 	var/title = ""
-	var/refid = REF(D)
+	var/refid = "\ref[D]"
 	var/icon/sprite
 	var/hash
 
@@ -62,8 +62,6 @@
 	if (!islist)
 		type = D.type
 
-
-
 	if(istype(D, /atom))
 		var/atom/AT = D
 		if(AT.icon && AT.icon_state)
@@ -410,7 +408,7 @@
 
 
 /client/proc/vv_update_display(datum/D, span, content)
-	src << output("[span]:[content]", "variables[REF(D)].browser:replace_span")
+	src << output("[span]:[content]", "variables\ref[D].browser:replace_span")
 
 
 #define VV_HTML_ENCODE(thing) ( sanitize ? html_encode(thing) : thing )
@@ -423,9 +421,9 @@
 				name = DA[name] //name is really the index until this line
 			else
 				value = DA[name]
-			header = "<li style='backgroundColor:white'>(<a href='?_src_=vars;[HrefToken()];listedit=[REF(DA)];index=[index]'>E</a>) (<a href='?_src_=vars;[HrefToken()];listchange=[REF(DA)];index=[index]'>C</a>) (<a href='?_src_=vars;[HrefToken()];listremove=[REF(DA)];index=[index]'>-</a>) "
+			header = "<li style='backgroundColor:white'>(<a href='?_src_=vars;[HrefToken()];listedit=\ref[DA];index=[index]'>E</a>) (<a href='?_src_=vars;[HrefToken()];listchange=\ref[DA];index=[index]'>C</a>) (<a href='?_src_=vars;[HrefToken()];listremove=\ref[DA];index=[index]'>-</a>) "
 		else
-			header = "<li style='backgroundColor:white'>(<a href='?_src_=vars;[HrefToken()];datumedit=[REF(DA)];varnameedit=[name]'>E</a>) (<a href='?_src_=vars;[HrefToken()];datumchange=[REF(DA)];varnamechange=[name]'>C</a>) (<a href='?_src_=vars;[HrefToken()];datummass=[REF(DA)];varnamemass=[name]'>M</a>) "
+			header = "<li style='backgroundColor:white'>(<a href='?_src_=vars;[HrefToken()];datumedit=\ref[DA];varnameedit=[name]'>E</a>) (<a href='?_src_=vars;[HrefToken()];datumchange=\ref[DA];varnamechange=[name]'>C</a>) (<a href='?_src_=vars;[HrefToken()];datummass=\ref[DA];varnamemass=[name]'>M</a>) "
 	else
 		header = "<li>"
 
@@ -440,7 +438,7 @@
 		#ifdef VARSICON
 		var/icon/I = new/icon(value)
 		var/rnd = rand(1,10000)
-		var/rname = "tmp[REF(I)][rnd].png"
+		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]\">"
 		#else
@@ -453,9 +451,9 @@
 	else if (istype(value, /datum))
 		var/datum/D = value
 		if ("[D]" != "[D.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> = [D] [D.type]"
+			item = "<a href='?_src_=vars;[HrefToken()];Vars=\ref[value]'>[VV_HTML_ENCODE(name)] [REF(value)]</a> = [D] [D.type]"
 		else
-			item = "<a href='?_src_=vars;[HrefToken()];Vars=[REF(value)]'>[VV_HTML_ENCODE(name)] [REF(value)]</a> = [D.type]"
+			item = "<a href='?_src_=vars;[HrefToken()];Vars=\ref[value]'>[VV_HTML_ENCODE(name)] [REF(value)]</a> = [D.type]"
 
 	else if (islist(value))
 		var/list/L = value
@@ -473,9 +471,9 @@
 
 				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 = "<a href='?_src_=vars;[HrefToken()];Vars=\ref[value]'>[VV_HTML_ENCODE(name)] = /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 = "<a href='?_src_=vars;[HrefToken()];Vars=\ref[value]'>[VV_HTML_ENCODE(name)] = /list ([L.len])</a>"
 
 	else if (name in GLOB.bitfields)
 		var/list/flags = list()
@@ -587,7 +585,7 @@
 		var/prompt = alert("Do you want to grant [C] access to view this VV window? (they will not be able to edit or change anything nor open nested vv windows unless they themselves are an admin)", "Confirm", "Yes", "No")
 		if (prompt != "Yes" || !usr.client)
 			return
-		message_admins("[key_name_admin(usr)] Showed [key_name_admin(C)] a <a href='?_src_=vars;[HrefToken(TRUE)];datumrefresh=[REF(thing)]'>VV window</a>")
+		message_admins("[key_name_admin(usr)] Showed [key_name_admin(C)] a <a href='?_src_=vars;[HrefToken(TRUE)];datumrefresh=\ref[thing]'>VV window</a>")
 		log_admin("Admin [key_name(usr)] Showed [key_name(C)] a VV window of a [thing]")
 		to_chat(C, "[usr.client.holder.fakekey ? "an Administrator" : "[usr.client.key]"] has granted you access to view a View Variables window")
 		C.debug_variables(thing)