diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 3f3a852..777f809 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -142,7 +142,7 @@
       "debug/variables/context": [
         {
           "command": "memory-inspector.show-variable",
-          "when": "canViewMemory && memory-inspector.canRead"
+          "when": "canViewMemory && memory-inspector.canReadVariable"
         },
         {
           "command": "memory-inspector.store-file",
@@ -152,7 +152,7 @@
       "view/item/context": [
         {
           "command": "memory-inspector.show-variable",
-          "when": "canViewMemory && memory-inspector.canRead"
+          "when": "canViewMemory && memory-inspector.canReadVariable"
         }
       ],
       "explorer/context": [
diff --git a/src/common/messaging.ts b/src/common/messaging.ts
index 8a0af09..dd10429 100644
--- a/src/common/messaging.ts
+++ b/src/common/messaging.ts
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@ export interface SessionContext {
     sessionId?: string;
     canRead: boolean;
     canWrite: boolean;
+    canReadVariable: boolean;
 }
 
 // Notifications
diff --git a/src/plugin/adapter-registry/adapter-capabilities.ts b/src/plugin/adapter-registry/adapter-capabilities.ts
index 30e3d8b..85a9966 100644
--- a/src/plugin/adapter-registry/adapter-capabilities.ts
+++ b/src/plugin/adapter-registry/adapter-capabilities.ts
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ export interface AdapterCapabilities {
     writeMemory?(session: vscode.DebugSession, params: WriteMemoryArguments, context?: Context): Promise<WriteMemoryResult>;
     getContexts?(session: vscode.DebugSession): Promise<Context[]>;
     getCurrentContext?(session: vscode.DebugSession): Promise<Context | undefined>;
+    supportShowVariables?(session: vscode.DebugSession): boolean;
 }
 
 export type WithChildren<Original> = Original & { children?: Array<WithChildren<DebugProtocol.Variable>> };
@@ -143,6 +144,8 @@ export class AdapterVariableTracker implements vscode.DebugAdapterTracker {
 
     getContexts?(session: vscode.DebugSession): Promise<Context[]>;
     getCurrentContext?(session: vscode.DebugSession): Promise<Context | undefined>;
+
+    supportShowVariables?(session: vscode.DebugSession): boolean;
 }
 
 export class VariableTracker implements AdapterCapabilities {
diff --git a/src/plugin/adapter-registry/amalgamator-gdb-tracker.ts b/src/plugin/adapter-registry/amalgamator-gdb-tracker.ts
index 9176ed1..46c5b0b 100644
--- a/src/plugin/adapter-registry/amalgamator-gdb-tracker.ts
+++ b/src/plugin/adapter-registry/amalgamator-gdb-tracker.ts
@@ -57,6 +57,10 @@ export class AmalgamatorSessionManager extends VariableTracker implements Adapte
     async getCurrentContext(session: vscode.DebugSession): Promise<Context | undefined> {
         return this.sessions.get(session.id)?.getCurrentContext?.(session);
     }
+
+    supportShowVariables(_session: vscode.DebugSession): boolean {
+        return false;
+    }
 }
 
 export class AmalgamatorGdbVariableTransformer extends AdapterVariableTracker {
diff --git a/src/plugin/memory-provider.ts b/src/plugin/memory-provider.ts
index 1f0db7a..0315da1 100644
--- a/src/plugin/memory-provider.ts
+++ b/src/plugin/memory-provider.ts
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ export interface LabeledUint8Array extends Uint8Array {
 export class MemoryProvider {
     public static ReadKey = `${manifest.PACKAGE_NAME}.canRead`;
     public static WriteKey = `${manifest.PACKAGE_NAME}.canWrite`;
+    public static ReadVariableKey = `${manifest.PACKAGE_NAME}.canReadVariable`;
 
     private _onDidStopDebug = new vscode.EventEmitter<vscode.DebugSession>();
     public readonly onDidStopDebug = this._onDidStopDebug.event;
@@ -105,10 +106,12 @@ export class MemoryProvider {
     createContext(session = vscode.debug.activeDebugSession): SessionContext {
         const sessionId = session?.id;
         const capabilities = sessionId ? this.sessionDebugCapabilities.get(sessionId) : undefined;
+        const canReadVariable = this.supportShowVariables();
         return {
             sessionId,
             canRead: !!capabilities?.supportsReadMemoryRequest,
-            canWrite: !!capabilities?.supportsWriteMemoryRequest
+            canWrite: !!capabilities?.supportsWriteMemoryRequest,
+            canReadVariable: !!capabilities?.supportsReadMemoryRequest && !!canReadVariable
         };
     }
 
@@ -116,6 +119,7 @@ export class MemoryProvider {
         const newContext = this.createContext(session);
         vscode.commands.executeCommand('setContext', MemoryProvider.ReadKey, newContext.canRead);
         vscode.commands.executeCommand('setContext', MemoryProvider.WriteKey, newContext.canWrite);
+        vscode.commands.executeCommand('setContext', MemoryProvider.ReadVariableKey, newContext.canReadVariable);
         this._onDidChangeSessionContext.fire(newContext);
     }
 
@@ -206,4 +210,10 @@ export class MemoryProvider {
         const handler = this.adapterRegistry?.getHandlerForSession(session.type);
         return handler?.getCurrentContext?.(session);
     }
+
+    public supportShowVariables(): boolean {
+        const session = this.assertActiveSession('supports show variables');
+        const handler = this.adapterRegistry?.getHandlerForSession(session.type);
+        return handler?.supportShowVariables?.(session) ?? true;
+    }
 }
diff --git a/src/webview/memory-webview-view.tsx b/src/webview/memory-webview-view.tsx
index a2917b2..257348e 100644
--- a/src/webview/memory-webview-view.tsx
+++ b/src/webview/memory-webview-view.tsx
@@ -71,7 +71,8 @@ export interface MemoryAppState extends MemoryState, MemoryDisplayConfiguration
 
 const DEFAULT_SESSION_CONTEXT: SessionContext = {
     canRead: false,
-    canWrite: false
+    canWrite: false,
+    canReadVariable: false
 };
 
 const MEMORY_DISPLAY_CONFIGURATION_DEFAULTS: MemoryDisplayConfiguration = {