diff --git a/src/Model/ViewModel.php b/src/Model/ViewModel.php
index 04e76498..5609a091 100644
--- a/src/Model/ViewModel.php
+++ b/src/Model/ViewModel.php
@@ -239,8 +239,13 @@ public function clearOptions()
     public function getVariable($name, $default = null)
     {
         $name = (string) $name;
-        if (array_key_exists($name, $this->variables)) {
-            return $this->variables[$name];
+
+        if (is_array($this->variables)) {
+            if (array_key_exists($name, $this->variables)) {
+                return $this->variables[$name];
+            }
+        } elseif ($this->variables->offsetExists($name)) {
+            return $this->variables->offsetGet($name);
         }
 
         return $default;
diff --git a/test/Helper/_files/modules/application/views/scripts/partialLoopChildObject.phtml b/test/Helper/_files/modules/application/views/scripts/partialLoopChildObject.phtml
index e5babd65..1463771b 100644
--- a/test/Helper/_files/modules/application/views/scripts/partialLoopChildObject.phtml
+++ b/test/Helper/_files/modules/application/views/scripts/partialLoopChildObject.phtml
@@ -1,12 +1,12 @@
 <?php
 
-$vars = $this->vars();
+$vars = (array) $this->vars();
 
 if (empty($vars)) {
 	echo "No object model passed";
 } elseif (isset($vars['message'])) {
 	echo $vars['message'];
 } else {
-	$objKey = current($this->vars())->helper->getObjectKey();
+	$objKey = current($vars)->helper->getObjectKey();
 	echo 'This is an iteration with objectKey: ' . $objKey;
 }
diff --git a/test/Model/ViewModelTest.php b/test/Model/ViewModelTest.php
index 318825f8..e922a0e8 100644
--- a/test/Model/ViewModelTest.php
+++ b/test/Model/ViewModelTest.php
@@ -361,4 +361,56 @@ public function testCloneWithArray()
         $this->assertEquals('foo', $model1->getVariable('a'));
         $this->assertEquals('bar', $model2->getVariable('a'));
     }
+
+    public function variableValue()
+    {
+        return [
+            // variables                     default   expected
+
+            // if it is set always get the value
+            [['foo' => 'bar'],                  'baz', 'bar'],
+            [['foo' => 'bar'],                  null,  'bar'],
+            [new ArrayObject(['foo' => 'bar']), 'baz', 'bar'],
+            [new ArrayObject(['foo' => 'bar']), null,  'bar'],
+
+            // if it is null always get null value
+            [['foo' => null],                   null,  null],
+            [['foo' => null],                   'baz', null],
+            [new ArrayObject(['foo' => null]),  null,  null],
+            [new ArrayObject(['foo' => null]),  'baz', null],
+
+            // when it is not set always get default value
+            [[],                                'baz', 'baz'],
+            [new ArrayObject(),                 'baz', 'baz'],
+        ];
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * @dataProvider variableValue
+     *
+     * @param array|ArrayObject $variables
+     * @param string|null $default
+     * @param string|null $expected
+     */
+    public function testGetVariableSetByConstruct($variables, $default, $expected)
+    {
+        $model = new ViewModel($variables);
+
+        self::assertSame($expected, $model->getVariable('foo', $default));
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * @dataProvider variableValue
+     *
+     * @param array|ArrayObject $variables
+     * @param string|null $default
+     * @param string|null $expected
+     */
+    public function testGetVariableSetBySetter($variables, $default, $expected)
+    {
+        $model = new ViewModel();
+        $model->setVariables($variables);
+
+        self::assertSame($expected, $model->getVariable('foo', $default));
+    }
 }