diff --git a/src/components/wired-tools/WiredCreatorToolsView.tsx b/src/components/wired-tools/WiredCreatorToolsView.tsx
index 5ada188..f5cefcd 100644
--- a/src/components/wired-tools/WiredCreatorToolsView.tsx
+++ b/src/components/wired-tools/WiredCreatorToolsView.tsx
@@ -77,8 +77,10 @@ export const WiredCreatorToolsView: FC<{}> = () =>
     const setIsManagedGiveOpen = useWiredCreatorToolsUiStore(s => s.setIsManagedGiveOpen);
     const [ managedGiveVariableItemId, setManagedGiveVariableItemId ] = useState(0);
     const [ managedGiveValue, setManagedGiveValue ] = useState('0');
-    const [ isVariableHighlightActive, setIsVariableHighlightActive ] = useState(false);
-    const [ variableHighlightOverlays, setVariableHighlightOverlays ] = useState<VariableHighlightOverlay[]>([]);
+    const isVariableHighlightActive = useWiredCreatorToolsUiStore(s => s.isVariableHighlightActive);
+    const setIsVariableHighlightActive = useWiredCreatorToolsUiStore(s => s.setIsVariableHighlightActive);
+    const variableHighlightOverlays = useWiredCreatorToolsUiStore(s => s.variableHighlightOverlays);
+    const setVariableHighlightOverlays = useWiredCreatorToolsUiStore(s => s.setVariableHighlightOverlays);
     const variableHighlightObjectsRef = useRef<Array<{ category: number; objectId: number; }>>([]);
     const shouldPauseVariableSnapshotRefresh = (!!editingVariable || !!editingManagedHolderVariableId || isInspectionGiveOpen || isManagedGiveOpen);
     const [ selectedVariableKeys, setSelectedVariableKeys ] = useState<Record<VariablesElementType, string>>({
@@ -3145,8 +3147,6 @@ export const WiredCreatorToolsView: FC<{}> = () =>
                             selectedVariableDefinition={ selectedVariableDefinition }
                             onPickVariable={ key => setSelectedVariableKeys(prev => ({ ...prev, [variablesType]: key })) }
                             canVariableHighlight={ canVariableHighlight }
-                            isVariableHighlightActive={ isVariableHighlightActive }
-                            onToggleVariableHighlight={ () => setIsVariableHighlightActive(value => !value) }
                             variableManageCanOpen={ variableManageCanOpen }
                             onOpenManagePanel={ () =>
                             {
diff --git a/src/components/wired-tools/WiredVariablesTabView.tsx b/src/components/wired-tools/WiredVariablesTabView.tsx
index 2ca1ed9..163a53d 100644
--- a/src/components/wired-tools/WiredVariablesTabView.tsx
+++ b/src/components/wired-tools/WiredVariablesTabView.tsx
@@ -10,8 +10,6 @@ export interface WiredVariablesTabViewProps
     selectedVariableDefinition: VariableDefinition | null;
     onPickVariable: (key: string) => void;
     canVariableHighlight: boolean;
-    isVariableHighlightActive: boolean;
-    onToggleVariableHighlight: () => void;
     variableManageCanOpen: boolean;
     onOpenManagePanel: () => void;
     selectedVariableProperties: { key: string; value: string; }[];
@@ -30,8 +28,6 @@ export const WiredVariablesTabView: FC<WiredVariablesTabViewProps> = ({
     selectedVariableDefinition,
     onPickVariable,
     canVariableHighlight,
-    isVariableHighlightActive,
-    onToggleVariableHighlight,
     variableManageCanOpen,
     onOpenManagePanel,
     selectedVariableProperties,
@@ -40,6 +36,8 @@ export const WiredVariablesTabView: FC<WiredVariablesTabViewProps> = ({
 {
     const variablesType = useWiredCreatorToolsUiStore(s => s.variablesType);
     const setVariablesType = useWiredCreatorToolsUiStore(s => s.setVariablesType);
+    const isVariableHighlightActive = useWiredCreatorToolsUiStore(s => s.isVariableHighlightActive);
+    const setIsVariableHighlightActive = useWiredCreatorToolsUiStore(s => s.setIsVariableHighlightActive);
 
     return (
         <div className="p-3 min-h-[360px] flex gap-4">
@@ -83,7 +81,7 @@ export const WiredVariablesTabView: FC<WiredVariablesTabViewProps> = ({
                     <Button
                         disabled={ !canVariableHighlight }
                         variant="secondary"
-                        onClick={ onToggleVariableHighlight }>
+                        onClick={ () => setIsVariableHighlightActive(value => !value) }>
                         { isVariableHighlightActive ? 'Undo' : 'Highlight' }
                     </Button>
                     <Button
diff --git a/src/components/wired-tools/wiredCreatorToolsUiStore.test.ts b/src/components/wired-tools/wiredCreatorToolsUiStore.test.ts
index b1ce3f5..1058b20 100644
--- a/src/components/wired-tools/wiredCreatorToolsUiStore.test.ts
+++ b/src/components/wired-tools/wiredCreatorToolsUiStore.test.ts
@@ -22,7 +22,9 @@ const INITIAL = {
     selectedFurniLiveState: null,
     selectedUser: null,
     selectedUserLiveState: null,
-    selectedUserActionVersion: 0
+    selectedUserActionVersion: 0,
+    isVariableHighlightActive: false,
+    variableHighlightOverlays: []
 };
 
 describe('useWiredCreatorToolsUiStore', () =>
@@ -56,6 +58,8 @@ describe('useWiredCreatorToolsUiStore', () =>
         expect(state.selectedUser).toBeNull();
         expect(state.selectedUserLiveState).toBeNull();
         expect(state.selectedUserActionVersion).toBe(0);
+        expect(state.isVariableHighlightActive).toBe(false);
+        expect(state.variableHighlightOverlays).toEqual([]);
     });
 
     describe('setIsVisible', () =>
@@ -314,4 +318,42 @@ describe('useWiredCreatorToolsUiStore', () =>
             expect(useWiredCreatorToolsUiStore.getState().selectedFurni).toEqual(furniSelection);
         });
     });
+
+    describe('variable highlight', () =>
+    {
+        const overlay = { itemId: 1, key: 'foo', x: 100, y: 200, screenX: 100, screenY: 200, value: '42', objectId: 7, category: 10 } as never;
+
+        it('setIsVariableHighlightActive accepts a direct boolean and a toggle updater', () =>
+        {
+            useWiredCreatorToolsUiStore.getState().setIsVariableHighlightActive(true);
+            expect(useWiredCreatorToolsUiStore.getState().isVariableHighlightActive).toBe(true);
+
+            useWiredCreatorToolsUiStore.getState().setIsVariableHighlightActive(prev => !prev);
+            expect(useWiredCreatorToolsUiStore.getState().isVariableHighlightActive).toBe(false);
+
+            useWiredCreatorToolsUiStore.getState().setIsVariableHighlightActive(prev => !prev);
+            expect(useWiredCreatorToolsUiStore.getState().isVariableHighlightActive).toBe(true);
+        });
+
+        it('setVariableHighlightOverlays replaces the overlay array', () =>
+        {
+            useWiredCreatorToolsUiStore.getState().setVariableHighlightOverlays([ overlay ]);
+            expect(useWiredCreatorToolsUiStore.getState().variableHighlightOverlays).toEqual([ overlay ]);
+
+            useWiredCreatorToolsUiStore.getState().setVariableHighlightOverlays([]);
+            expect(useWiredCreatorToolsUiStore.getState().variableHighlightOverlays).toEqual([]);
+        });
+
+        it('the highlight survives a panel close/reopen lifecycle', () =>
+        {
+            useWiredCreatorToolsUiStore.getState().setIsVariableHighlightActive(true);
+            useWiredCreatorToolsUiStore.getState().setVariableHighlightOverlays([ overlay ]);
+
+            useWiredCreatorToolsUiStore.getState().setIsVisible(false);
+            useWiredCreatorToolsUiStore.getState().setIsVisible(true);
+
+            expect(useWiredCreatorToolsUiStore.getState().isVariableHighlightActive).toBe(true);
+            expect(useWiredCreatorToolsUiStore.getState().variableHighlightOverlays).toEqual([ overlay ]);
+        });
+    });
 });
diff --git a/src/components/wired-tools/wiredCreatorToolsUiStore.ts b/src/components/wired-tools/wiredCreatorToolsUiStore.ts
index e117eb5..ffe395d 100644
--- a/src/components/wired-tools/wiredCreatorToolsUiStore.ts
+++ b/src/components/wired-tools/wiredCreatorToolsUiStore.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import { createNitroStore } from '../../state/createNitroStore';
 import { createEmptyMonitorSnapshot } from './WiredCreatorTools.helpers';
-import { InspectionElementType, InspectionFurniLiveState, InspectionFurniSelection, InspectionUserLiveState, InspectionUserSelection, MonitorSnapshot, VariablesElementType, WiredToolsTab } from './WiredCreatorTools.types';
+import { InspectionElementType, InspectionFurniLiveState, InspectionFurniSelection, InspectionUserLiveState, InspectionUserSelection, MonitorSnapshot, VariableHighlightOverlay, VariablesElementType, WiredToolsTab } from './WiredCreatorTools.types';
 
 type MonitorSeverityFilter = 'ALL' | 'ERROR' | 'WARNING';
 type Updater<T> = T | ((prev: T) => T);
@@ -55,6 +55,16 @@ interface WiredCreatorToolsUiState
     selectedUserLiveState: InspectionUserLiveState | null;
     selectedUserActionVersion: number;
 
+    /**
+     * Variable highlight feature: the toggle UI flag (`isActive`) plus
+     * the computed screen-space overlays the parent's effect populates
+     * from `WiredSelectionVisualizer` + `GetRoomObjectScreenLocation`.
+     * Stored together so a panel close/reopen cycle keeps the active
+     * highlight visible instead of re-toggling from scratch.
+     */
+    isVariableHighlightActive: boolean;
+    variableHighlightOverlays: VariableHighlightOverlay[];
+
     setIsVisible: (next: Updater<boolean>) => void;
     setActiveTab: (next: WiredToolsTab) => void;
     setInspectionType: (next: InspectionElementType) => void;
@@ -81,6 +91,9 @@ interface WiredCreatorToolsUiState
     setSelectedUser: (next: InspectionUserSelection | null) => void;
     setSelectedUserLiveState: (next: Updater<InspectionUserLiveState | null>) => void;
     setSelectedUserActionVersion: (next: Updater<number>) => void;
+
+    setIsVariableHighlightActive: (next: Updater<boolean>) => void;
+    setVariableHighlightOverlays: (next: VariableHighlightOverlay[]) => void;
 }
 
 export const useWiredCreatorToolsUiStore = createNitroStore<WiredCreatorToolsUiState>()((set) => ({
@@ -110,6 +123,9 @@ export const useWiredCreatorToolsUiStore = createNitroStore<WiredCreatorToolsUiS
     selectedUserLiveState: null,
     selectedUserActionVersion: 0,
 
+    isVariableHighlightActive: false,
+    variableHighlightOverlays: [],
+
     setIsVisible: (next) => set(state => ({ isVisible: apply(state.isVisible, next) })),
     setActiveTab: (next) => set({ activeTab: next }),
     setInspectionType: (next) => set({ inspectionType: next }),
@@ -135,5 +151,8 @@ export const useWiredCreatorToolsUiStore = createNitroStore<WiredCreatorToolsUiS
     setSelectedFurniLiveState: (next) => set(state => ({ selectedFurniLiveState: apply(state.selectedFurniLiveState, next) })),
     setSelectedUser: (next) => set({ selectedUser: next }),
     setSelectedUserLiveState: (next) => set(state => ({ selectedUserLiveState: apply(state.selectedUserLiveState, next) })),
-    setSelectedUserActionVersion: (next) => set(state => ({ selectedUserActionVersion: apply(state.selectedUserActionVersion, next) }))
+    setSelectedUserActionVersion: (next) => set(state => ({ selectedUserActionVersion: apply(state.selectedUserActionVersion, next) })),
+
+    setIsVariableHighlightActive: (next) => set(state => ({ isVariableHighlightActive: apply(state.isVariableHighlightActive, next) })),
+    setVariableHighlightOverlays: (next) => set({ variableHighlightOverlays: next })
 }));