diff --git a/hcl2template/common_test.go b/hcl2template/common_test.go
index 9c77cbd7a..0d15e714b 100644
--- a/hcl2template/common_test.go
+++ b/hcl2template/common_test.go
@@ -219,11 +219,25 @@ var (
 	}
 )
 
+var ctyValueComparer = cmp.Comparer(func(x, y cty.Value) bool {
+	return x.RawEquals(y)
+})
+
+var ctyTypeComparer = cmp.Comparer(func(x, y cty.Type) bool {
+	if x == cty.NilType && y == cty.NilType {
+		return true
+	}
+	if x == cty.NilType || y == cty.NilType {
+		return false
+	}
+	return x.Equals(y)
+})
+
 var cmpOpts = []cmp.Option{
+	ctyValueComparer,
+	ctyTypeComparer,
 	cmpopts.IgnoreUnexported(
 		PackerConfig{},
-		cty.Value{},
-		cty.Type{},
 		Variable{},
 		SourceBlock{},
 		ProvisionerBlock{},
diff --git a/hcl2template/types.packer_config_test.go b/hcl2template/types.packer_config_test.go
index 992e6e80b..662026da1 100644
--- a/hcl2template/types.packer_config_test.go
+++ b/hcl2template/types.packer_config_test.go
@@ -27,14 +27,17 @@ func TestParser_complete(t *testing.T) {
 					"foo": &Variable{
 						Name:   "foo",
 						Values: []VariableAssignment{{From: "default", Value: cty.StringVal("value")}},
+						Type:   cty.String,
 					},
 					"image_id": &Variable{
 						Name:   "image_id",
 						Values: []VariableAssignment{{From: "default", Value: cty.StringVal("image-id-default")}},
+						Type:   cty.String,
 					},
 					"port": &Variable{
 						Name:   "port",
 						Values: []VariableAssignment{{From: "default", Value: cty.NumberIntVal(42)}},
+						Type:   cty.Number,
 					},
 					"availability_zone_names": &Variable{
 						Name: "availability_zone_names",
@@ -46,12 +49,14 @@ func TestParser_complete(t *testing.T) {
 								cty.StringVal("C"),
 							}),
 						}},
+						Type: cty.List(cty.String),
 					},
 				},
 				LocalVariables: Variables{
 					"feefoo": &Variable{
 						Name:   "feefoo",
 						Values: []VariableAssignment{{From: "default", Value: cty.StringVal("value_image-id-default")}},
+						Type:   cty.String,
 					},
 					"standard_tags": &Variable{
 						Name: "standard_tags",
@@ -61,6 +66,10 @@ func TestParser_complete(t *testing.T) {
 								"Environment": cty.StringVal("production"),
 							}),
 						}},
+						Type: cty.Object(map[string]cty.Type{
+							"Component":   cty.String,
+							"Environment": cty.String,
+						}),
 					},
 					"abc_map": &Variable{
 						Name: "abc_map",
@@ -77,6 +86,17 @@ func TestParser_complete(t *testing.T) {
 								}),
 							}),
 						}},
+						Type: cty.Tuple([]cty.Type{
+							cty.Object(map[string]cty.Type{
+								"id": cty.String,
+							}),
+							cty.Object(map[string]cty.Type{
+								"id": cty.String,
+							}),
+							cty.Object(map[string]cty.Type{
+								"id": cty.String,
+							}),
+						}),
 					},
 				},
 				Sources: map[SourceRef]SourceBlock{
diff --git a/hcl2template/types.variables_test.go b/hcl2template/types.variables_test.go
index a6a71d99e..105c0b8c9 100644
--- a/hcl2template/types.variables_test.go
+++ b/hcl2template/types.variables_test.go
@@ -26,22 +26,27 @@ func TestParse_variables(t *testing.T) {
 				InputVariables: Variables{
 					"image_name": &Variable{
 						Name:   "image_name",
+						Type:   cty.String,
 						Values: []VariableAssignment{{From: "default", Value: cty.StringVal("foo-image-{{user `my_secret`}}")}},
 					},
 					"key": &Variable{
 						Name:   "key",
+						Type:   cty.String,
 						Values: []VariableAssignment{{From: "default", Value: cty.StringVal("value")}},
 					},
 					"my_secret": &Variable{
 						Name:   "my_secret",
+						Type:   cty.String,
 						Values: []VariableAssignment{{From: "default", Value: cty.StringVal("foo")}},
 					},
 					"image_id": &Variable{
 						Name:   "image_id",
+						Type:   cty.String,
 						Values: []VariableAssignment{{From: "default", Value: cty.StringVal("image-id-default")}},
 					},
 					"port": &Variable{
 						Name:   "port",
+						Type:   cty.Number,
 						Values: []VariableAssignment{{From: "default", Value: cty.NumberIntVal(42)}},
 					},
 					"availability_zone_names": &Variable{
@@ -52,6 +57,7 @@ func TestParse_variables(t *testing.T) {
 								cty.StringVal("us-west-1a"),
 							}),
 						}},
+						Type:        cty.List(cty.String),
 						Description: fmt.Sprintln("Describing is awesome ;D"),
 					},
 					"super_secret_password": &Variable{
@@ -61,6 +67,7 @@ func TestParse_variables(t *testing.T) {
 							From:  "default",
 							Value: cty.NullVal(cty.String),
 						}},
+						Type:        cty.String,
 						Description: fmt.Sprintln("Handle with care plz"),
 					},
 				},
@@ -71,6 +78,7 @@ func TestParse_variables(t *testing.T) {
 							From:  "default",
 							Value: cty.StringVal("Community Team"),
 						}},
+						Type: cty.String,
 					},
 					"service_name": &Variable{
 						Name: "service_name",
@@ -78,6 +86,7 @@ func TestParse_variables(t *testing.T) {
 							From:  "default",
 							Value: cty.StringVal("forum"),
 						}},
+						Type: cty.String,
 					},
 				},
 			},
@@ -97,6 +106,7 @@ func TestParse_variables(t *testing.T) {
 							From:  "default",
 							Value: cty.BoolVal(false),
 						}},
+						Type: cty.Bool,
 					},
 				},
 			},
@@ -116,6 +126,7 @@ func TestParse_variables(t *testing.T) {
 							From:  "default",
 							Value: cty.BoolVal(false),
 						}},
+						Type: cty.Bool,
 					},
 				},
 			},
@@ -135,6 +146,7 @@ func TestParse_variables(t *testing.T) {
 							From:  "default",
 							Value: cty.UnknownVal(cty.DynamicPseudoType),
 						}},
+						Type: cty.List(cty.String),
 					},
 				},
 			},
@@ -152,6 +164,7 @@ func TestParse_variables(t *testing.T) {
 					"broken_variable": &Variable{
 						Name:   "broken_variable",
 						Values: []VariableAssignment{{From: "default", Value: cty.BoolVal(true)}},
+						Type:   cty.Bool,
 					},
 				},
 			},
@@ -168,6 +181,7 @@ func TestParse_variables(t *testing.T) {
 				InputVariables: Variables{
 					"foo": &Variable{
 						Name: "foo",
+						Type: cty.String,
 					},
 				},
 			},
@@ -184,6 +198,7 @@ func TestParse_variables(t *testing.T) {
 				InputVariables: Variables{
 					"foo": &Variable{
 						Name: "foo",
+						Type: cty.String,
 					},
 				},
 				Sources: map[SourceRef]SourceBlock{
@@ -222,24 +237,29 @@ func TestParse_variables(t *testing.T) {
 					"name_prefix": &Variable{
 						Name:   "name_prefix",
 						Values: []VariableAssignment{{From: "default", Value: cty.StringVal("foo")}},
+						Type:   cty.String,
 					},
 				},
 				LocalVariables: Variables{
 					"name_prefix": &Variable{
 						Name:   "name_prefix",
 						Values: []VariableAssignment{{From: "default", Value: cty.StringVal("foo")}},
+						Type:   cty.String,
 					},
 					"foo": &Variable{
 						Name:   "foo",
 						Values: []VariableAssignment{{From: "default", Value: cty.StringVal("foo")}},
+						Type:   cty.String,
 					},
 					"bar": &Variable{
 						Name:   "bar",
 						Values: []VariableAssignment{{From: "default", Value: cty.StringVal("foo")}},
+						Type:   cty.String,
 					},
 					"for_var": &Variable{
 						Name:   "for_var",
 						Values: []VariableAssignment{{From: "default", Value: cty.StringVal("foo")}},
+						Type:   cty.String,
 					},
 					"bar_var": &Variable{
 						Name: "bar_var",
@@ -251,6 +271,11 @@ func TestParse_variables(t *testing.T) {
 								cty.StringVal("foo"),
 							}),
 						}},
+						Type: cty.Tuple([]cty.Type{
+							cty.String,
+							cty.String,
+							cty.String,
+						}),
 					},
 				},
 			},
@@ -282,6 +307,7 @@ func TestParse_variables(t *testing.T) {
 							VariableAssignment{"default", cty.StringVal("bar"), nil},
 							VariableAssignment{"varfile", cty.StringVal("wee"), nil},
 						},
+						Type: cty.String,
 					},
 				},
 			},
@@ -398,6 +424,7 @@ func TestParse_variables(t *testing.T) {
 							{"default", cty.StringVal("ami-something-something"), nil},
 						},
 						Name: "image_id",
+						Type: cty.String,
 						Validations: []*VariableValidation{
 							&VariableValidation{
 								ErrorMessage: `The image_id value must be a valid AMI id, starting with "ami-".`,
@@ -418,8 +445,9 @@ func TestParse_variables(t *testing.T) {
 				Basedir: filepath.Join("testdata", "variables", "validation"),
 				InputVariables: Variables{
 					"image_id": &Variable{
-						Values: []VariableAssignment{{"default", cty.StringVal("ami-something-something"), nil}},
+						Values: []VariableAssignment{{"default", cty.StringVal("potato"), nil}},
 						Name:   "image_id",
+						Type:   cty.String,
 						Validations: []*VariableValidation{
 							&VariableValidation{
 								ErrorMessage: `The image_id value must be a valid AMI id, starting with "ami-".`,
@@ -477,11 +505,11 @@ func TestVariables_collectVariableValues(t *testing.T) {
 				"used_string": &Variable{
 					Type: cty.String,
 					Values: []VariableAssignment{
-						{"default", cty.StringVal(`"default_value"`), nil},
-						{"env", cty.StringVal(`"env_value"`), nil},
-						{"varfile", cty.StringVal(`"xy"`), nil},
-						{"varfile", cty.StringVal(`"varfile_value"`), nil},
-						{"cmd", cty.StringVal(`"cmd_value"`), nil},
+						{"default", cty.StringVal(`default_value`), nil},
+						{"env", cty.StringVal(`env_value`), nil},
+						{"varfile", cty.StringVal(`xy`), nil},
+						{"varfile", cty.StringVal(`varfile_value`), nil},
+						{"cmd", cty.StringVal(`cmd_value`), nil},
 					},
 				},
 			},