diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 2ff1e06..e9d88de 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -5,3 +5,4 @@ dist/
 npm-debug.log*
 .DS_Store
 .nyc_output
+package-lock.json
diff --git a/index.js b/index.js
index df2afef..d03fd36 100644
--- a/index.js
+++ b/index.js
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ function nanographql (str) {
   var name = getOpname.exec(str)
   return function (variables) {
     var data = { query: str }
-    if (variables) data.variables = JSON.stringify(variables)
+    if (variables) data.variables = variables
     if (name && name.length) {
       var operationName = name[2]
       if (operationName) data.operationName = name[2]
diff --git a/test.js b/test.js
index 4117c19..b34fb34 100644
--- a/test.js
+++ b/test.js
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ tape('should create a query', function (assert) {
   var data = query(variables)
   spok(assert, JSON.parse(data), {
     query: spok.string,
-    variables: JSON.stringify(variables)
+    variables
   })
   assert.end()
 })
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ tape('should have a name', function (assert) {
   spok(assert, JSON.parse(data), {
     query: spok.string,
     operationName: 'foo',
-    variables: JSON.stringify(variables)
+    variables
   })
   assert.end()
 })