diff --git a/scripts/example-variables.toy b/scripts/example-variables.toy
index 22bca37..08d37bb 100644
--- a/scripts/example-variables.toy
+++ b/scripts/example-variables.toy
@@ -1,3 +1,7 @@
 //declare a variable
 var foobar = 42;
 
+//defaults as null
+var empty;
+
+
diff --git a/source/toy_parser.c b/source/toy_parser.c
index 977f8a8..862093b 100644
--- a/source/toy_parser.c
+++ b/source/toy_parser.c
@@ -551,7 +551,7 @@ static void makeVariableDeclarationStmt(Toy_Bucket** bucketHandle, Toy_Parser* p
 		makeExpr(bucketHandle, parser, &expr);
 	}
 	else {
-		Toy_private_emitAstValue(bucketHandle, rootHandle, TOY_VALUE_FROM_NULL());
+		Toy_private_emitAstValue(bucketHandle, &expr, TOY_VALUE_FROM_NULL());
 	}
 
 	//finally, emit the declaration as an Ast
diff --git a/tests/cases/test_vm.c b/tests/cases/test_vm.c
index e391a36..97851a2 100644
--- a/tests/cases/test_vm.c
+++ b/tests/cases/test_vm.c
@@ -306,7 +306,7 @@ int test_keywords(Toy_Bucket** bucketHandle) {
 }
 
 int test_scope(Toy_Bucket** bucketHandle) {
-	//test execution
+	//test declaration with initial value
 	{
 		//generate bytecode for testing
 		const char* source = "var foobar = 42;";
@@ -353,6 +353,51 @@ int test_scope(Toy_Bucket** bucketHandle) {
 		Toy_freeVM(&vm);
 	}
 
+	//test declaration with absent value
+	{
+		//generate bytecode for testing
+		const char* source = "var foobar;";
+
+		Toy_Lexer lexer;
+		Toy_bindLexer(&lexer, source);
+
+		Toy_Parser parser;
+		Toy_bindParser(&parser, &lexer);
+
+		Toy_Ast* ast = Toy_scanParser(bucketHandle, &parser);
+
+		Toy_Bytecode bc = Toy_compileBytecode(ast);
+
+		//run the setup
+		Toy_VM vm;
+		Toy_initVM(&vm);
+		Toy_bindVM(&vm, bc.ptr);
+
+		//run
+		Toy_runVM(&vm);
+
+		//check the final state of the stack
+		Toy_String* key = Toy_createNameStringLength(bucketHandle, "foobar", 6, TOY_VALUE_NULL);
+
+		if (vm.stack == NULL ||
+			vm.stack->count != 0 ||
+
+			vm.scope == NULL ||
+			Toy_isDeclaredScope(vm.scope, key) == false ||
+			TOY_VALUE_IS_NULL(Toy_accessScope(vm.scope, key)) != true
+		)
+		{
+			fprintf(stderr, TOY_CC_ERROR "ERROR: Unexpected result in 'Toy_VM' when testing scope, source: %s\n" TOY_CC_RESET, source);
+
+			//cleanup and return
+			Toy_freeVM(&vm);
+			return -1;
+		}
+
+		//teadown
+		Toy_freeVM(&vm);
+	}
+
 	return 0;
 }