diff --git a/compiler/vm.nim b/compiler/vm.nim
index ba3677cf1bcb..bb0c3256d8c0 100644
--- a/compiler/vm.nim
+++ b/compiler/vm.nim
@@ -844,6 +844,9 @@ proc rawExecute(c: PCtx, start: int, tos: PStackFrame): TFullReg =
       of nkObjConstr:
         let n = src[rc + 1].skipColon
         regs[ra].node = n
+      of nkTupleConstr:
+        let n = src[rc].skipColon
+        regs[ra].node = n
       else:
         let n = src[rc]
         regs[ra].node = n
diff --git a/compiler/vmgen.nim b/compiler/vmgen.nim
index 067965469ca1..26239fbe3187 100644
--- a/compiler/vmgen.nim
+++ b/compiler/vmgen.nim
@@ -1888,7 +1888,13 @@ proc getNullValue(typ: PType, info: TLineInfo; conf: ConfigRef): PNode =
   of tyTuple:
     result = newNodeIT(nkTupleConstr, info, t)
     for i in 0..<t.len:
-      result.add getNullValue(t[i], info, conf)
+      if t.n == nil:
+        result.add getNullValue(t[i], info, conf)
+      else:
+        result.add newTree(nkExprColonExpr,
+          t.n[i],
+          getNullValue(t[i], info, conf)
+        )
   of tySet:
     result = newNodeIT(nkCurly, info, t)
   of tySequence, tyOpenArray:
diff --git a/tests/vm/tvmmisc.nim b/tests/vm/tvmmisc.nim
index f41a918f95b4..9e32c9249362 100644
--- a/tests/vm/tvmmisc.nim
+++ b/tests/vm/tvmmisc.nim
@@ -688,3 +688,13 @@ block: # bug #7590
   # const c=(foo:(bar1: 0.0))
   const c=(foo:(bar1:"foo1"))
   fun2(c)
+
+block: # bug #21708
+  type
+    Tup = tuple[name: string]
+
+  const X: array[2, Tup] = [(name: "foo",), (name: "bar",)]
+
+  static:
+    let s = X[0]
+    doAssert s[0] == "foo"