diff --git a/client/src/app/App.js b/client/src/app/App.js
index 8110f1fc7e..b2d551c962 100644
--- a/client/src/app/App.js
+++ b/client/src/app/App.js
@@ -1945,6 +1945,11 @@ export class App extends PureComponent {
       return this.emitWithTab(type, activeTab, payload);
     }
 
+    if (action === 'open-variables-panel') {
+      const { panel } = this.state.layout;
+      return panel.open ? this.closePanel() : this.openPanel('variable-outline');
+    }
+
     const tab = this.tabRef.current;
 
     return tab.triggerAction(action, options);
diff --git a/client/src/app/tabs/bpmn/getBpmnWindowMenu.js b/client/src/app/tabs/bpmn/getBpmnWindowMenu.js
index 7c6c4d364b..55edc04408 100644
--- a/client/src/app/tabs/bpmn/getBpmnWindowMenu.js
+++ b/client/src/app/tabs/bpmn/getBpmnWindowMenu.js
@@ -11,7 +11,8 @@
 export default function getBpmnWindowMenu(state) {
   return [
     ...getZoomEntries(state),
-    ...getPropertiesPanelEntries(state)
+    ...getPropertiesPanelEntries(state),
+    ...getVariableEntries(state)
   ];
 }
 
@@ -51,3 +52,12 @@ function getPropertiesPanelEntries({ propertiesPanel }) {
     action: 'resetProperties'
   } ] : [];
 }
+
+function getVariableEntries({ variablePanel }) {
+  return variablePanel ? [ {
+    label: 'Toggle Variables Tab',
+    accelerator: 'CommandOrControl+Shift+V',
+    action: 'open-variables-panel'
+  }
+  ] : [];
+}
diff --git a/client/src/app/tabs/cloud-bpmn/BpmnEditor.js b/client/src/app/tabs/cloud-bpmn/BpmnEditor.js
index 9cab0ce7ed..0a2025fcbb 100644
--- a/client/src/app/tabs/cloud-bpmn/BpmnEditor.js
+++ b/client/src/app/tabs/cloud-bpmn/BpmnEditor.js
@@ -432,7 +432,8 @@ export class BpmnEditor extends CachedComponent {
       setColor: !!selectionLength,
       spaceTool: !inputActive,
       undo: commandStack.canUndo(),
-      zoom: true
+      zoom: true,
+      variablePanel: true
     };
 
     // ensure backwards compatibility