diff --git a/crates/openpencil-shell-core/src/document.rs b/crates/openpencil-shell-core/src/document.rs
index 896c4d9b2..2787c9039 100644
--- a/crates/openpencil-shell-core/src/document.rs
+++ b/crates/openpencil-shell-core/src/document.rs
@@ -286,6 +286,13 @@ pub struct DocumentSnapshot {
     pub active_page_index: usize,
     pub selected: NodeId,
     pub selected_set: Vec<NodeId>,
+    /// Variable table at snapshot time. Covers Variable definitions
+    /// + themed entries + active_theme + fill_refs / stroke_refs.
+    /// Without this, ColorPicker variable-mode edits would push an
+    /// undo entry that couldn't restore the variable (codex stop-
+    /// gate: "variable edits push undo entries that cannot restore
+    /// the variable").
+    pub var_table: VariableTable,
 }
 
 /// Chrome-level UI state — toggles for collapsible chrome surfaces.
@@ -477,11 +484,6 @@ pub struct ColorPickerState {
     /// the new field parallel avoids touching every ColorTarget
     /// pattern match.
     pub variable: Option<String>,
-    /// In variable mode, the resolved colour captured at open
-    /// time so `close_color_picker` can detect "did the variable
-    /// actually change?" without requiring the document snapshot
-    /// to carry var_table. Unused in node-target mode.
-    pub variable_pre_color: Option<crate::Color>,
 }
 
 #[derive(Debug, Clone, Copy, PartialEq, Eq)]
diff --git a/crates/openpencil-shell-core/src/document/color_picker.rs b/crates/openpencil-shell-core/src/document/color_picker.rs
index 1d1404e85..fbfa5352a 100644
--- a/crates/openpencil-shell-core/src/document/color_picker.rs
+++ b/crates/openpencil-shell-core/src/document/color_picker.rs
@@ -29,7 +29,6 @@ impl Document {
             drag: None,
             anchor_y,
             variable: None,
-            variable_pre_color: None,
         });
         true
     }
@@ -63,8 +62,10 @@ impl Document {
             drag: None,
             anchor_y,
             variable: Some(name),
-            variable_pre_color: Some(current),
         });
+        let _ = current; // resolved colour was just used to seed HSV
+                          // above; close-time comparison now reads
+                          // from the snapshot's var_table.
         true
     }
 
@@ -112,14 +113,13 @@ impl Document {
             return false;
         };
         if let Some(snap) = state.pre_snap {
-            // Variable-mode close: did the resolved colour
-            // actually change? `variable_pre_color` was captured
-            // when the picker opened; compare against the
-            // post-HSV-drag resolution. snapshot.var_table doesn't
-            // exist in the DocumentSnapshot shape, so we can't go
-            // through `snap`.
+            // Variable-mode close: compare the resolved colour
+            // BEFORE the picker opened (snap.var_table) against
+            // the post-drag resolution. DocumentSnapshot now
+            // carries `var_table` so undo can actually restore
+            // the variable (codex stop-gate fix).
             let changed = if let Some(name) = &state.variable {
-                let before = state.variable_pre_color;
+                let before = snap.var_table.resolve_color(name);
                 let after = self.var_table.resolve_color(name);
                 before != after
             } else {
@@ -184,7 +184,7 @@ mod tests {
         assert!(doc.open_color_picker_for_variable("brand", 100.0));
         let state = doc.ui.color_picker.as_ref().expect("picker open");
         assert!(state.variable.as_deref() == Some("brand"));
-        assert!(state.variable_pre_color.is_some());
+        assert!(state.pre_snap.is_some(), "undo snapshot must be captured");
         // HSV anchor: hue near 32° for #ff8800 (orange).
         assert!(state.hue > 20.0 && state.hue < 45.0, "hue {}", state.hue);
         assert!(state.sat > 0.95, "sat {}", state.sat);
@@ -221,6 +221,33 @@ mod tests {
         assert!(resolved.b < 0.01);
     }
 
+    #[test]
+    fn undo_after_variable_edit_restores_pre_edit_color() {
+        // Codex stop-gate: variable edits push undo entries that
+        // must actually restore the variable. Pre-fix the
+        // DocumentSnapshot didn't carry var_table, so the undo
+        // entry would restore pages + selection but leave the
+        // variable change in place. Now var_table is snapshotted +
+        // restored — undo round-trips the variable colour.
+        let mut doc = doc_with_color_var("brand", "#ff8800"); // orange
+        assert!(doc.open_color_picker_for_variable("brand", 0.0));
+        // Drag HSV to pure red.
+        assert!(doc.color_picker_set_hsv(0.0, 1.0, 1.0));
+        assert!(doc.close_color_picker());
+        // Mid-state: variable resolves to red.
+        let after_edit = doc.var_table.resolve_color("brand").unwrap();
+        assert!((after_edit.r - 1.0).abs() < 0.01 && after_edit.g < 0.01);
+        // Undo must restore the original orange.
+        assert!(doc.undo());
+        let restored = doc.var_table.resolve_color("brand").unwrap();
+        assert!(
+            (restored.r - 1.0).abs() < 0.01
+                && (restored.g - 0x88 as f32 / 255.0).abs() < 0.01
+                && restored.b < 0.01,
+            "undo must restore original #ff8800, got {restored:?}"
+        );
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn close_color_picker_after_variable_edit_pushes_history_only_when_changed() {
         let mut doc = doc_with_color_var("brand", "#ff8800");
diff --git a/crates/openpencil-shell-core/src/document/mutators.rs b/crates/openpencil-shell-core/src/document/mutators.rs
index 6fd62b0c1..ff7c3a24b 100644
--- a/crates/openpencil-shell-core/src/document/mutators.rs
+++ b/crates/openpencil-shell-core/src/document/mutators.rs
@@ -114,6 +114,7 @@ impl Document {
             active_page_index: self.active_page_index,
             selected: self.selected,
             selected_set: self.selected_set.clone(),
+            var_table: self.var_table.clone(),
         }
     }
 
@@ -122,6 +123,7 @@ impl Document {
         self.active_page_index = snap.active_page_index;
         self.selected = snap.selected;
         self.selected_set = snap.selected_set;
+        self.var_table = snap.var_table;
     }
 
     /// Capture without pushing; use with `history_push_past`.