diff --git a/agent/canvas.py b/agent/canvas.py
index 4c3ca59192..bd5f364187 100644
--- a/agent/canvas.py
+++ b/agent/canvas.py
@@ -354,25 +354,20 @@ class Canvas(Graph):
                 key = k[4:]
                 if key in self.variables:
                     variable = self.variables[key]
-                    if variable["value"]:
-                        self.globals[k] = variable["value"]
+                    value = variable.get("value")
+                    if value is not None:
+                        self.globals[k] = value
                     else:
-                        if variable["type"] == "string":
-                            self.globals[k] = ""
-                            # variable["value"] = ""
-                        elif variable["type"] == "number":
+                        var_type = variable.get("type", "")
+                        if var_type == "number":
                             self.globals[k] = 0
-                            # variable["value"] = 0
-                        elif variable["type"] == "boolean":
+                        elif var_type == "boolean":
                             self.globals[k] = False
-                            # variable["value"] = False
-                        elif variable["type"] == "object":
+                        elif var_type == "object":
                             self.globals[k] = {}
-                            # variable["value"] = {}
-                        elif variable["type"].startswith("array"):
+                        elif var_type.startswith("array"):
                             self.globals[k] = []
-                            # variable["value"] = []
-                        else:
+                        else:  # "string" or unknown
                             self.globals[k] = ""
                 else:
                     self.globals[k] = ""