diff --git a/src/backends/R/rbackend.cpp b/src/backends/R/rbackend.cpp
--- a/src/backends/R/rbackend.cpp
+++ b/src/backends/R/rbackend.cpp
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@
 
     new RScriptExtension(this);
     new RPlotExtension(this);
+    new RVariableManagementExtension(this);
 }
 
 RBackend::~RBackend()
@@ -66,7 +67,8 @@
     qDebug()<<"Requesting capabilities of RSession";
     return  Cantor::Backend::InteractiveMode |
             Cantor::Backend::SyntaxHighlighting |
-            Cantor::Backend::Completion;
+            Cantor::Backend::Completion |
+            Cantor::Backend::VariableManagement;
 }
 
 bool RBackend::requirementsFullfilled() const
diff --git a/src/backends/R/rextensions.h b/src/backends/R/rextensions.h
--- a/src/backends/R/rextensions.h
+++ b/src/backends/R/rextensions.h
@@ -51,4 +51,17 @@
     QString plotCommand() const  override { return QLatin1String("plot"); }
 };
 
+class RVariableManagementExtension : public Cantor::VariableManagementExtension
+{
+    public:
+    RVariableManagementExtension(QObject* parent);
+    ~RVariableManagementExtension();
+    QString addVariable(const QString& name, const QString& value) Q_DECL_OVERRIDE;
+    QString setValue(const QString& name, const QString& value) Q_DECL_OVERRIDE;
+    QString removeVariable(const QString& name) Q_DECL_OVERRIDE;
+    QString saveVariables(const QString& fileName) Q_DECL_OVERRIDE;
+    QString loadVariables(const QString& fileName) Q_DECL_OVERRIDE;
+    QString clearVariables() Q_DECL_OVERRIDE;
+};
+
 #endif /* _REXTENSIONS_H */
diff --git a/src/backends/R/rextensions.cpp b/src/backends/R/rextensions.cpp
--- a/src/backends/R/rextensions.cpp
+++ b/src/backends/R/rextensions.cpp
@@ -65,3 +65,46 @@
 {
     return QLatin1String("xlim=range(")+QString::number(directive.min())+QLatin1String(",")+QString::number(directive.max())+QLatin1String(")");
 }
+
+RVariableManagementExtension::RVariableManagementExtension(QObject* parent) : Cantor::VariableManagementExtension(parent)
+{
+
+}
+
+
+RVariableManagementExtension::~RVariableManagementExtension()
+{
+
+}
+
+QString RVariableManagementExtension::addVariable(const QString& name, const QString& value)
+    {
+        return setValue(name, value);
+    }
+
+QString RVariableManagementExtension::setValue(const QString& name, const QString& value)
+    {
+        return QString::fromLatin1("%1 = %2").arg(name).arg(value);
+    }
+
+QString RVariableManagementExtension::removeVariable(const QString& name)
+    {
+        return QString::fromLatin1("remove(%1)").arg(name);
+    }
+
+QString RVariableManagementExtension::saveVariables(const QString& fileName)
+    {
+        Q_UNUSED(fileName);
+        return QString();
+    }
+
+QString RVariableManagementExtension::loadVariables(const QString& fileName)
+    {
+        Q_UNUSED(fileName);
+        return QString();
+    }
+
+QString RVariableManagementExtension::clearVariables()
+    {
+        return QLatin1String("rm(list=ls())");
+    }
diff --git a/src/backends/R/rserver/org.kde.Cantor.R.xml b/src/backends/R/rserver/org.kde.Cantor.R.xml
--- a/src/backends/R/rserver/org.kde.Cantor.R.xml
+++ b/src/backends/R/rserver/org.kde.Cantor.R.xml
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
     </signal>
     <signal name="symbolList">
       <arg name="variables" type="as" direction="out"/>
+      <arg name="values" type="as" direction="out"/>
       <arg name="functions" type="as" direction="out"/>
     </signal>
     <signal name="showFilesNeeded">
diff --git a/src/backends/R/rserver/rserver.h b/src/backends/R/rserver/rserver.h
--- a/src/backends/R/rserver/rserver.h
+++ b/src/backends/R/rserver/rserver.h
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@
     void inputRequested(const QString& prompt);
 
     void requestAnswered();
-    void symbolList(const QStringList& variables, const QStringList& functions);
+    void symbolList(const QStringList& variables, const QStringList& values, const QStringList& functions);
 
   public Q_SLOTS:
     void runCommand(const QString& cmd, bool internal=false);
diff --git a/src/backends/R/rserver/rserver.cpp b/src/backends/R/rserver/rserver.cpp
--- a/src/backends/R/rserver/rserver.cpp
+++ b/src/backends/R/rserver/rserver.cpp
@@ -426,13 +426,19 @@
 {
 //     setStatus(RServer::Busy);
 
-    QStringList vars,funcs, namespaces;
+    QStringList vars, values, funcs;
     int errorOccurred; // TODO: error checks
 
     /* Obtaining a list of user namespace objects */
     SEXP usr=PROTECT(R_tryEval(lang1(install("ls")),NULL,&errorOccurred));
     for (int i=0;i<length(usr);i++)
-        vars<<QLatin1String(translateCharUTF8(STRING_ELT(usr,i)));
+        {
+        SEXP variable = STRING_ELT(usr,i);
+        vars << QString::fromUtf8(translateCharUTF8(variable));
+        SEXP value = findVar(installChar(variable), R_GlobalEnv);
+        SEXP valueAsString = PROTECT(R_tryEval(lang2(install("toString"),value),NULL,&errorOccurred));
+        values << QString::fromUtf8(translateCharUTF8(asChar(valueAsString)));
+        }
     UNPROTECT(1);
 
     /* Obtaining a list of active packages */
@@ -444,12 +450,12 @@
         sprintf(pos,"%d",i+1);
         SEXP f=PROTECT(R_tryEval(lang2(install("ls"),ScalarInteger(i+1)),NULL,&errorOccurred));
         for (int i=0;i<length(f);i++)
-            funcs<<QLatin1String(translateCharUTF8(STRING_ELT(f,i)));
+            funcs<<QString::fromUtf8(translateCharUTF8(STRING_ELT(f,i)));
         UNPROTECT(1);
     }
     UNPROTECT(1);
 
-    emit symbolList(vars,funcs);
+    emit symbolList(vars, values, funcs);
 
 //     setStatus(RServer::Idle);
 }
diff --git a/src/backends/R/rsession.h b/src/backends/R/rsession.h
--- a/src/backends/R/rsession.h
+++ b/src/backends/R/rsession.h
@@ -30,6 +30,10 @@
 class RExpression;
 class QProcess;
 
+namespace Cantor {
+class DefaultVariableModel;
+}
+
 class RSession : public Cantor::Session
 {
   Q_OBJECT
@@ -45,14 +49,15 @@
     Cantor::Expression* evaluateExpression(const QString& command, Cantor::Expression::FinishingBehavior behave) override;
     Cantor::CompletionObject* completionFor(const QString& command, int index=-1) override;
     QSyntaxHighlighter* syntaxHighlighter(QObject* parent) override;
+    QAbstractItemModel* variableModel() Q_DECL_OVERRIDE;
 
     void queueExpression(RExpression* expr);
     void sendInputToServer(const QString& input);
 
   protected Q_SLOTS:
     void serverChangedStatus(int status);
     void runNextExpression();
-    void receiveSymbols(const QStringList& v, const QStringList & f);
+    void receiveSymbols(const QStringList& vars, const QStringList& values, const QStringList & funcs);
     void fillSyntaxRegExps(QVector<QRegExp>& v, QVector<QRegExp>& f);
 
   Q_SIGNALS:
@@ -64,6 +69,7 @@
     QList<RExpression*> m_expressionQueue;
 
     /* Available variables and functions, TODO make full classes and type info */
+    Cantor::DefaultVariableModel* m_variableModel;
     QStringList m_variables;
     QStringList m_functions;
 };
diff --git a/src/backends/R/rsession.cpp b/src/backends/R/rsession.cpp
--- a/src/backends/R/rsession.cpp
+++ b/src/backends/R/rsession.cpp
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
 #include "rexpression.h"
 #include "rcompletionobject.h"
 #include "rhighlighter.h"
+#include <defaultvariablemodel.h>
 
 #include <QTimer>
 #include <QDebug>
@@ -32,7 +33,7 @@
 #include <signal.h>
 #endif
 
-RSession::RSession(Cantor::Backend* backend) : Session(backend), m_process(nullptr), m_rServer(nullptr)
+RSession::RSession(Cantor::Backend* backend) : Session(backend), m_process(nullptr), m_rServer(nullptr), m_variableModel(new Cantor::DefaultVariableModel(this))
 {
 }
 
@@ -59,7 +60,7 @@
     m_rServer = new org::kde::Cantor::R(QString::fromLatin1("org.kde.Cantor.R-%1").arg(m_process->pid()),  QLatin1String("/"), QDBusConnection::sessionBus(), this);
 
     connect(m_rServer, SIGNAL(statusChanged(int)), this, SLOT(serverChangedStatus(int)));
-    connect(m_rServer,SIGNAL(symbolList(const QStringList&,const QStringList&)),this,SLOT(receiveSymbols(const QStringList&,const QStringList&)));
+    connect(m_rServer, SIGNAL(symbolList(const QStringList&, const QStringList&, const QStringList&)),this,SLOT(receiveSymbols(const QStringList&, const QStringList&, const QStringList&)));
 
     emit loginDone();
     qDebug()<<"login done";
@@ -131,10 +132,14 @@
             f.append(QRegExp(QLatin1String("\\b")+s+QLatin1String("\\b")));
 }
 
-void RSession::receiveSymbols(const QStringList& v, const QStringList & f)
+void RSession::receiveSymbols(const QStringList& vars, const QStringList& values, const QStringList & funcs)
 {
-    m_variables=v;
-    m_functions=f;
+    m_variables = vars;
+    for (int i = 0; i < vars.count(); i++)
+        {
+        m_variableModel->addVariable(vars[i], values[i]);
+        }
+    m_functions = funcs;
 
     emit symbolsChanged();
 }
@@ -193,3 +198,8 @@
         s+=QLatin1Char('\n');
     m_rServer->answerRequest(s);
 }
+
+QAbstractItemModel* RSession::variableModel()
+{
+    return m_variableModel;
+}
\ No newline at end of file