diff --git a/src/systems/model_parsing.jl b/src/systems/model_parsing.jl
index 4a8d73652c..f772abbb00 100644
--- a/src/systems/model_parsing.jl
+++ b/src/systems/model_parsing.jl
@@ -219,7 +219,7 @@ function generate_var!(dict, a, b, varclass;
     vd isa Vector && (vd = first(vd))
     vd[a] = Dict{Symbol, Any}()
     var = if indices === nothing
-        Symbolics.variable(a, T = SymbolicUtils.FnType{Tuple{Real}, Real})(iv)
+        Symbolics.variable(a, T = SymbolicUtils.FnType{Tuple{Any}, Real})(iv)
     else
         vd[a][:size] = Tuple(lastindex.(indices))
         first(@variables $a(iv)[indices...])
diff --git a/test/model_parsing.jl b/test/model_parsing.jl
index f94d7483fd..f2a23037d3 100644
--- a/test/model_parsing.jl
+++ b/test/model_parsing.jl
@@ -329,10 +329,9 @@ end
 # Ensure that modules consisting MTKModels with component arrays and icons of
 # `Expr` type and `unit` metadata can be precompiled.
 module PrecompilationTest
-using Unitful, Test, ModelingToolkit
+push!(LOAD_PATH, joinpath(@__DIR__, "precompile_test"))
+using Unitful, Test, ModelParsingPrecompile, ModelingToolkit
 @testset "Precompile packages with MTKModels" begin
-    push!(LOAD_PATH, joinpath(@__DIR__, "precompile_test"))
-
     using ModelParsingPrecompile: ModelWithComponentArray
 
     @named model_with_component_array = ModelWithComponentArray()
@@ -539,3 +538,16 @@ end
     @test Equation[ternary_true.ternary_parameter_true ~ 0] == equations(ternary_true)
     @test Equation[ternary_false.ternary_parameter_false ~ 0] == equations(ternary_false)
 end
+
+_b = Ref{Any}()
+@mtkmodel MyModel begin
+    @variables begin
+        x___(t) = 0
+    end
+    begin
+        _b[] = x___
+    end
+end
+@named m = MyModel()
+@variables t x___(t)
+@test isequal(x___, _b[])