diff --git a/extensions/bintools/jit_call_x64.cpp b/extensions/bintools/jit_call_x64.cpp
index a2a47fad02..a867aa2b78 100644
--- a/extensions/bintools/jit_call_x64.cpp
+++ b/extensions/bintools/jit_call_x64.cpp
@@ -725,7 +725,7 @@ inline void Write_PushObject(JitWriter *jit, const SourceHook::PassInfo *info, u
 		ObjectClass classes[MAX_CLASSES];
 		int numWords = ClassifyObject(smInfo, classes);
 
-		if (classes[0] == ObjectClass::Pointer)
+		if (classes[0] == ObjectClass::Pointer || classes[0] == ObjectClass::Memory)
 			goto push_byref;
 
 		int neededIntRegs = 0;
diff --git a/extensions/sdktools/AMBuilder b/extensions/sdktools/AMBuilder
index 9f024b5dce..0b5dca0164 100644
--- a/extensions/sdktools/AMBuilder
+++ b/extensions/sdktools/AMBuilder
@@ -49,6 +49,18 @@ for sdk_name in SM.sdks:
       os.path.join(builder.sourcePath, 'public', 'jit'),
       os.path.join(builder.sourcePath, 'public', 'jit', 'x86'),
     ]
+
+    if sdk['name'] in ('episode1', 'darkm'):
+      binary.compiler.cxxincludes += [os.path.join(builder.options.hl2sdk_root, sdk['path'], 'game_shared')]
+      binary.compiler.cxxincludes += [os.path.join(builder.options.hl2sdk_root, sdk['path'], 'dlls')]
+    else:
+      binary.compiler.cxxincludes += [
+        os.path.join(builder.options.hl2sdk_root, sdk['path'], 'game', 'shared'),
+        os.path.join(builder.options.hl2sdk_root, sdk['path'], 'game', 'server'),
+      ]
+
+    #binary.sources += [os.path.join(builder.options.hl2sdk_root, sdk['path'], 'game', 'server', 'variant_t.cpp')]
+
     binary.compiler.defines += ['HAVE_STRING_H']
 
     if sdk['name'] != 'episode1':
diff --git a/extensions/sdktools/variant-t.cpp b/extensions/sdktools/variant-t.cpp
index 5c9aecab45..adb8b0f8cf 100644
--- a/extensions/sdktools/variant-t.cpp
+++ b/extensions/sdktools/variant-t.cpp
@@ -33,7 +33,14 @@
 #include "variant-t.h"
 #include <datamap.h>
 
-unsigned char g_Variant_t[SIZEOF_VARIANT_T] = {0};
+variant_t g_Variant_t;
+
+// copy this definition as the original file includes cbase.h which explodes in a shower of compile errors
+void variant_t::SetEntity( CBaseEntity *val ) 
+{ 
+	eVal = val;
+	fieldType = FIELD_EHANDLE; 
+}
 
 #define ENTINDEX_TO_CBASEENTITY(ref, buffer) \
 	buffer = gamehelpers->ReferenceToEntity(ref); \
@@ -42,132 +49,66 @@ unsigned char g_Variant_t[SIZEOF_VARIANT_T] = {0};
 		return pContext->ThrowNativeError("Entity %d (%d) is not a CBaseEntity", gamehelpers->ReferenceToIndex(ref), ref); \
 	}
 
-/* Hack to init the variant_t object for the first time */
-class VariantFirstTimeInit
-{
-public:
-	VariantFirstTimeInit()
-	{
-		*(unsigned int *)(&g_Variant_t[12]) = INVALID_EHANDLE_INDEX;
-	}
-} g_VariantFirstTimeInit;
-
 static cell_t SetVariantBool(IPluginContext *pContext, const cell_t *params)
 {
-	unsigned char *vptr = g_Variant_t;
-
-	*(bool *)vptr = (params[1]) ? true : false;
-	vptr += sizeof(int)*3 + sizeof(unsigned long);
-	*(fieldtype_t *)vptr = FIELD_BOOLEAN;
-
+	g_Variant_t.SetBool((params[1]) ? true : false);
 	return 1;
 }
 
 static cell_t SetVariantString(IPluginContext *pContext, const cell_t *params)
 {
 	char *str;
-	unsigned char *vptr = g_Variant_t;
-
 	pContext->LocalToString(params[1], &str);
-
-	*(string_t *)vptr = MAKE_STRING(str);
-	vptr += sizeof(int)*3 + sizeof(unsigned long);
-	*(fieldtype_t *)vptr = FIELD_STRING;
-
+	g_Variant_t.SetString(MAKE_STRING(str));
 	return 1;
 }
 
 static cell_t SetVariantInt(IPluginContext *pContext, const cell_t *params)
 {
-	unsigned char *vptr = g_Variant_t;
-
-	*(int *)vptr = params[1];
-	vptr += sizeof(int)*3 + sizeof(unsigned long);
-	*(fieldtype_t *)vptr = FIELD_INTEGER;
-
+	g_Variant_t.SetInt(params[1]);
 	return 1;
 }
 
 static cell_t SetVariantFloat(IPluginContext *pContext, const cell_t *params)
 {
-	unsigned char *vptr = g_Variant_t;
-
-	*(float *)vptr = sp_ctof(params[1]);
-	vptr += sizeof(int)*3 + sizeof(unsigned long);
-	*(fieldtype_t *)vptr = FIELD_FLOAT;
-
+	g_Variant_t.SetFloat(sp_ctof(params[1]));
 	return 1;
 }
 
 static cell_t SetVariantVector3D(IPluginContext *pContext, const cell_t *params)
 {
 	cell_t *val;
-	unsigned char *vptr = g_Variant_t;
-
 	pContext->LocalToPhysAddr(params[1], &val);
 
-	*(float *)vptr = sp_ctof(val[0]);
-	vptr += sizeof(float);
-	*(float *)vptr = sp_ctof(val[1]);
-	vptr += sizeof(float);
-	*(float *)vptr = sp_ctof(val[2]);
-	vptr += sizeof(float) + sizeof(unsigned long);
-	*(fieldtype_t *)vptr = FIELD_VECTOR;
-
+	Vector v(sp_ctof(val[0]), sp_ctof(val[1]), sp_ctof(val[2]));
+	g_Variant_t.SetVector3D(v);
 	return 1;
 }
 
 static cell_t SetVariantPosVector3D(IPluginContext *pContext, const cell_t *params)
 {
 	cell_t *val;
-	unsigned char *vptr = g_Variant_t;
-
 	pContext->LocalToPhysAddr(params[1], &val);
 
-	*(float *)vptr = sp_ctof(val[0]);
-	vptr += sizeof(float);
-	*(float *)vptr = sp_ctof(val[1]);
-	vptr += sizeof(float);
-	*(float *)vptr = sp_ctof(val[2]);
-	vptr += sizeof(float) + sizeof(unsigned long);
-	*(fieldtype_t *)vptr = FIELD_POSITION_VECTOR;
-
+	Vector v(sp_ctof(val[0]), sp_ctof(val[1]), sp_ctof(val[2]));
+	g_Variant_t.SetPositionVector3D(v);
 	return 1;
 }
 
 static cell_t SetVariantColor(IPluginContext *pContext, const cell_t *params)
 {
 	cell_t *val;
-	unsigned char *vptr = g_Variant_t;
-
 	pContext->LocalToPhysAddr(params[1], &val);
 
-	*(unsigned char *)vptr = val[0];
-	vptr += sizeof(unsigned char);
-	*(unsigned char *)vptr = val[1];
-	vptr += sizeof(unsigned char);
-	*(unsigned char *)vptr = val[2];
-	vptr += sizeof(unsigned char);
-	*(unsigned char *)vptr = val[3];
-	vptr += sizeof(unsigned char) + sizeof(int)*2 + sizeof(unsigned long);
-	*(fieldtype_t *)vptr = FIELD_COLOR32;
-
+	g_Variant_t.SetColor32(val[0], val[1], val[2], val[3]);
 	return 1;
 }
 
 static cell_t SetVariantEntity(IPluginContext *pContext, const cell_t *params)
 {
 	CBaseEntity *pEntity;
-	unsigned char *vptr = g_Variant_t;
-	CBaseHandle bHandle;
-
 	ENTINDEX_TO_CBASEENTITY(params[1], pEntity);
-	bHandle = reinterpret_cast<IHandleEntity *>(pEntity)->GetRefEHandle();
-
-	vptr += sizeof(int)*3;
-	*(unsigned long *)vptr = (unsigned long)(bHandle.ToInt());
-	vptr += sizeof(unsigned long);
-	*(fieldtype_t *)vptr = FIELD_EHANDLE;
+	g_Variant_t.SetEntity(pEntity);
 
 	return 1;
 }
@@ -183,4 +124,4 @@ sp_nativeinfo_t g_VariantTNatives[] =
 	{"SetVariantColor",				SetVariantColor},
 	{"SetVariantEntity",			SetVariantEntity},
 	{NULL,							NULL},
-};
\ No newline at end of file
+};
diff --git a/extensions/sdktools/variant-t.h b/extensions/sdktools/variant-t.h
index 3e5f174914..4ce759dc59 100644
--- a/extensions/sdktools/variant-t.h
+++ b/extensions/sdktools/variant-t.h
@@ -32,26 +32,22 @@
 #ifndef _INCLUDE_SOURCEMOD_EXTENSION_VARIANT_T_H_
 #define _INCLUDE_SOURCEMOD_EXTENSION_VARIANT_T_H_
 
-#define SIZEOF_VARIANT_T		20
+#include "variant_t.h"
+
+#define SIZEOF_VARIANT_T		sizeof(variant_t)
 
 /**
  * @file variant-t.h
  * @brief SDK Tools extension gamerules natives header.
  */
 
-extern unsigned char g_Variant_t[SIZEOF_VARIANT_T];
+extern variant_t g_Variant_t;
 
 extern sp_nativeinfo_t g_VariantTNatives[];
 
 inline void _init_variant_t()
 {
-	unsigned char *vptr = g_Variant_t;
-
-	*(int *)vptr = 0;
-	vptr += sizeof(int)*3;
-	*(unsigned long *)vptr = INVALID_EHANDLE_INDEX;
-	vptr += sizeof(unsigned long);
-	*(fieldtype_t *)vptr = FIELD_VOID;
+	memset(&g_Variant_t, 0, sizeof(g_Variant_t));
 }
 
 #endif //_INCLUDE_SOURCEMOD_EXTENSION_VARIANT_T_H_
\ No newline at end of file