diff --git a/internal/testrunner/runners/system/runner.go b/internal/testrunner/runners/system/runner.go
index 9654b6c2e8..089522ba79 100644
--- a/internal/testrunner/runners/system/runner.go
+++ b/internal/testrunner/runners/system/runner.go
@@ -639,14 +639,15 @@ func createInputPackageDatastream(
 	return r
 }
 
-func setKibanaVariables(definitions []packages.Variable, values map[string]packages.VarValue) kibana.Vars {
+func setKibanaVariables(definitions []packages.Variable, values common.MapStr) kibana.Vars {
 	vars := kibana.Vars{}
 	for _, definition := range definitions {
 		val := definition.Default
 
-		value, exists := values[definition.Name]
-		if exists {
-			val = value
+		value, err := values.GetValue(definition.Name)
+		if err == nil {
+			val = packages.VarValue{}
+			val.Unpack(value)
 		}
 
 		vars[definition.Name] = kibana.Var{
diff --git a/internal/testrunner/runners/system/test_config.go b/internal/testrunner/runners/system/test_config.go
index 59203f34b3..12d0512b6f 100644
--- a/internal/testrunner/runners/system/test_config.go
+++ b/internal/testrunner/runners/system/test_config.go
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/elastic/go-ucfg"
 	"github.com/elastic/go-ucfg/yaml"
 
-	"github.com/elastic/elastic-package/internal/packages"
+	"github.com/elastic/elastic-package/internal/common"
 	"github.com/elastic/elastic-package/internal/testrunner"
 	"github.com/elastic/elastic-package/internal/testrunner/runners/system/servicedeployer"
 )
@@ -33,9 +33,9 @@ type testConfig struct {
 	ServiceNotifySignal string        `config:"service_notify_signal"` // Signal to send when the agent policy is applied.
 	WaitForDataTimeout  time.Duration `config:"wait_for_data_timeout"`
 
-	Vars       map[string]packages.VarValue `config:"vars"`
+	Vars       common.MapStr `config:"vars"`
 	DataStream struct {
-		Vars map[string]packages.VarValue `config:"vars"`
+		Vars common.MapStr `config:"vars"`
 	} `config:"data_stream"`
 
 	// NumericKeywordFields holds a list of fields that have keyword