diff --git a/automation/service/service.go b/automation/service/service.go
index 06671e783..70f957d23 100644
--- a/automation/service/service.go
+++ b/automation/service/service.go
@@ -113,6 +113,7 @@ func Initialize(ctx context.Context, log *zap.Logger, s store.Storer, c Config)
 		&expr.KV{},
 		&expr.KVV{},
 		&expr.Reader{},
+		&expr.Vars{},
 
 		&automation.EmailMessage{},
 	)
diff --git a/pkg/expr/vars_test.go b/pkg/expr/vars_test.go
index 0bb52a269..4627e6555 100644
--- a/pkg/expr/vars_test.go
+++ b/pkg/expr/vars_test.go
@@ -58,6 +58,22 @@ func TestVars_Decode(t *testing.T) {
 		req.NoError(vars.Decode(dst))
 	})
 
+	t.Run("vars-in-vars", func(t *testing.T) {
+		var (
+			req = require.New(t)
+
+			dst = &struct {
+				Vars RVars `var:"vars"`
+			}{}
+
+			vars = RVars{
+				"vars": RVars{"foo": Must(NewString("bar"))}.Vars(),
+			}.Vars()
+		)
+
+		req.NoError(vars.Decode(dst))
+	})
+
 	t.Run("int-uint", func(t *testing.T) {
 		var (
 			req = require.New(t)
diff --git a/system/automation/expr_types.gen.go b/system/automation/expr_types.gen.go
index ed469963b..70db21ccf 100644
--- a/system/automation/expr_types.gen.go
+++ b/system/automation/expr_types.gen.go
@@ -224,44 +224,6 @@ func (t *RenderOptions) Assign(val interface{}) error {
 	}
 }
 
-// RenderVariables is an expression type, wrapper for map[string]interface{} type
-type RenderVariables struct{ value map[string]interface{} }
-
-// NewRenderVariables creates new instance of RenderVariables expression type
-func NewRenderVariables(val interface{}) (*RenderVariables, error) {
-	if c, err := CastToRenderVariables(val); err != nil {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("unable to create RenderVariables: %w", err)
-	} else {
-		return &RenderVariables{value: c}, nil
-	}
-}
-
-// Return underlying value on RenderVariables
-func (t RenderVariables) Get() interface{} { return t.value }
-
-// Return underlying value on RenderVariables
-func (t RenderVariables) GetValue() map[string]interface{} { return t.value }
-
-// Return type name
-func (RenderVariables) Type() string { return "RenderVariables" }
-
-// Convert value to map[string]interface{}
-func (RenderVariables) Cast(val interface{}) (TypedValue, error) {
-	return NewRenderVariables(val)
-}
-
-// Assign new value to RenderVariables
-//
-// value is first passed through CastToRenderVariables
-func (t *RenderVariables) Assign(val interface{}) error {
-	if c, err := CastToRenderVariables(val); err != nil {
-		return err
-	} else {
-		t.value = c
-		return nil
-	}
-}
-
 // Role is an expression type, wrapper for *types.Role type
 type Role struct{ value *types.Role }
 
diff --git a/system/automation/expr_types.yaml b/system/automation/expr_types.yaml
index 60832c4b2..f65635620 100644
--- a/system/automation/expr_types.yaml
+++ b/system/automation/expr_types.yaml
@@ -61,7 +61,5 @@ types:
       - { name: 'document', exprType: 'Reader', goType: 'io.Reader' }
       - { name: 'name',     exprType: 'string', goType: 'string' }
       - { name: 'type',     exprType: 'string', goType: 'string' }
-  RenderVariables:
-    as: 'map[string]interface{}'
   RenderOptions:
     as: 'map[string]string'
diff --git a/system/automation/templates_handler.gen.go b/system/automation/templates_handler.gen.go
index 5cdea4e97..5395797bf 100644
--- a/system/automation/templates_handler.gen.go
+++ b/system/automation/templates_handler.gen.go
@@ -746,7 +746,7 @@ type (
 		DocumentType    string
 
 		hasVariables bool
-		Variables    map[string]interface{}
+		Variables    expr.RVars
 
 		hasOptions bool
 		Options    map[string]string
@@ -791,7 +791,7 @@ func (h templatesHandler) Render() *atypes.Function {
 			},
 			{
 				Name:  "variables",
-				Types: []string{"RenderVariables"},
+				Types: []string{"Vars"},
 			},
 			{
 				Name:  "options",
diff --git a/system/automation/templates_handler.go b/system/automation/templates_handler.go
index b1c7f6bbf..180cd347c 100644
--- a/system/automation/templates_handler.go
+++ b/system/automation/templates_handler.go
@@ -163,12 +163,9 @@ func (h templatesHandler) recover(ctx context.Context, args *templatesRecoverArg
 func (h templatesHandler) render(ctx context.Context, args *templatesRenderArgs) (*templatesRenderResults, error) {
 	var err error
 
-	vars := make(map[string]interface{})
-	if args.hasVariables {
-		vars, err = cast.ToStringMapE(args.Variables)
-		if err != nil {
-			return nil, err
-		}
+	vars := args.Variables.Vars().Dict()
+	if vars == nil {
+		vars = make(map[string]interface{})
 	}
 
 	opts := make(map[string]string)
diff --git a/system/automation/templates_handler.yaml b/system/automation/templates_handler.yaml
index 1c3d9720c..ffd6e9181 100644
--- a/system/automation/templates_handler.yaml
+++ b/system/automation/templates_handler.yaml
@@ -153,7 +153,7 @@ functions:
           - { wf: String }
       variables:
         types:
-          - { wf: RenderVariables }
+          - { wf: Vars }
       options:
         types:
           - { wf: RenderOptions }
diff --git a/system/service/service.go b/system/service/service.go
index b3fa1a298..630550343 100644
--- a/system/service/service.go
+++ b/system/service/service.go
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@ package service
 import (
 	"context"
 	"errors"
+	"time"
+
 	automationService "github.com/cortezaproject/corteza-server/automation/service"
 	"github.com/cortezaproject/corteza-server/pkg/actionlog"
 	intAuth "github.com/cortezaproject/corteza-server/pkg/auth"
@@ -19,7 +21,6 @@ import (
 	"github.com/cortezaproject/corteza-server/system/automation"
 	"github.com/cortezaproject/corteza-server/system/types"
 	"go.uber.org/zap"
-	"time"
 )
 
 type (
@@ -173,7 +174,6 @@ func Initialize(ctx context.Context, log *zap.Logger, s store.Storer, c Config)
 		automation.User{},
 		automation.Role{},
 		automation.Template{},
-		automation.RenderVariables{},
 		automation.RenderOptions{},
 		automation.Document{},
 	)