diff --git a/src/nvim/api/private/converter.c b/src/nvim/api/private/converter.c
index 36da6c13a9..e370c0d4d4 100644
--- a/src/nvim/api/private/converter.c
+++ b/src/nvim/api/private/converter.c
@@ -10,6 +10,9 @@
 #include "nvim/api/private/helpers.h"
 #include "nvim/assert.h"
 #include "nvim/eval/typval.h"
+#include "nvim/eval/userfunc.h"
+#include "nvim/lua/converter.h"
+#include "nvim/lua/executor.h"
 
 /// Helper structure for vim_to_object
 typedef struct {
@@ -228,6 +231,13 @@ static inline void typval_encode_dict_end(EncodedData *const edata)
 /// @return The converted value
 Object vim_to_object(typval_T *obj)
 {
+  if (obj->v_type == VAR_FUNC) {
+    ufunc_T *fp = find_func(obj->vval.v_string);
+    if (fp->uf_cb == nlua_CFunction_func_call) {
+      LuaRef ref = api_new_luaref(((LuaCFunctionState *)fp->uf_cb_state)->lua_callable.func_ref);
+      return LUAREF_OBJ(ref);
+    }
+  }
   EncodedData edata;
   kvi_init(edata.stack);
   const int evo_ret = encode_vim_to_object(&edata, obj,
@@ -340,6 +350,16 @@ bool object_to_vim(Object obj, typval_T *tv, Error *err)
     tv->vval.v_dict = dict;
     break;
   }
+
+  case kObjectTypeLuaRef: {
+    LuaCFunctionState *state = xmalloc(sizeof(LuaCFunctionState));
+    state->lua_callable.func_ref = api_new_luaref(obj.data.luaref);
+    char_u *name = register_cfunc(&nlua_CFunction_func_call, &nlua_CFunction_func_free, state);
+    tv->v_type = VAR_FUNC;
+    tv->vval.v_string = vim_strsave(name);
+    break;
+  }
+
   default:
     abort();
   }
diff --git a/src/nvim/lua/converter.c b/src/nvim/lua/converter.c
index 8a702ddd60..f9a2533d4e 100644
--- a/src/nvim/lua/converter.c
+++ b/src/nvim/lua/converter.c
@@ -617,6 +617,13 @@ bool nlua_push_typval(lua_State *lstate, typval_T *const tv, bool special)
     semsg(_("E1502: Lua failed to grow stack to %i"), initial_size + 4);
     return false;
   }
+  if (tv->v_type == VAR_FUNC) {
+    ufunc_T *fp = find_func(tv->vval.v_string);
+    if (fp->uf_cb == nlua_CFunction_func_call) {
+      nlua_pushref(lstate, ((LuaCFunctionState *)fp->uf_cb_state)->lua_callable.func_ref);
+      return true;
+    }
+  }
   if (encode_vim_to_lua(lstate, tv, "nlua_push_typval argument") == FAIL) {
     return false;
   }
diff --git a/test/functional/lua/vim_spec.lua b/test/functional/lua/vim_spec.lua
index 642dc59bbc..ddcf7687f5 100644
--- a/test/functional/lua/vim_spec.lua
+++ b/test/functional/lua/vim_spec.lua
@@ -987,6 +987,38 @@ describe('lua stdlib', function()
 
     matches([[attempt to index .* nil value]],
        pcall_err(exec_lua, 'return vim.g[0].testing'))
+
+    exec_lua [[
+      local counter = 0
+      vim.g.AddCounter = function() counter = counter + 1 end
+      vim.g.GetCounter = function() return counter end
+    ]]
+
+    eq(0, eval('g:GetCounter()'))
+    eval('g:AddCounter()')
+    eq(1, eval('g:GetCounter()'))
+    eval('g:AddCounter()')
+    eq(2, eval('g:GetCounter()'))
+    exec_lua([[vim.g.AddCounter()]])
+    eq(3, exec_lua([[return vim.g.GetCounter()]]))
+    exec_lua([[vim.api.nvim_get_var('AddCounter')()]])
+    eq(4, exec_lua([[return vim.api.nvim_get_var('GetCounter')()]]))
+
+    exec_lua [[
+      local counter = 0
+      vim.api.nvim_set_var('AddCounter', function() counter = counter + 1 end)
+      vim.api.nvim_set_var('GetCounter', function() return counter end)
+    ]]
+
+    eq(0, eval('g:GetCounter()'))
+    eval('g:AddCounter()')
+    eq(1, eval('g:GetCounter()'))
+    eval('g:AddCounter()')
+    eq(2, eval('g:GetCounter()'))
+    exec_lua([[vim.g.AddCounter()]])
+    eq(3, exec_lua([[return vim.g.GetCounter()]]))
+    exec_lua([[vim.api.nvim_get_var('AddCounter')()]])
+    eq(4, exec_lua([[return vim.api.nvim_get_var('GetCounter')()]]))
   end)
 
   it('vim.b', function()
@@ -1021,6 +1053,38 @@ describe('lua stdlib', function()
     ]]
     eq(NIL, funcs.luaeval "vim.b.to_delete")
 
+    exec_lua [[
+      local counter = 0
+      vim.b.AddCounter = function() counter = counter + 1 end
+      vim.b.GetCounter = function() return counter end
+    ]]
+
+    eq(0, eval('b:GetCounter()'))
+    eval('b:AddCounter()')
+    eq(1, eval('b:GetCounter()'))
+    eval('b:AddCounter()')
+    eq(2, eval('b:GetCounter()'))
+    exec_lua([[vim.b.AddCounter()]])
+    eq(3, exec_lua([[return vim.b.GetCounter()]]))
+    exec_lua([[vim.api.nvim_buf_get_var(0, 'AddCounter')()]])
+    eq(4, exec_lua([[return vim.api.nvim_buf_get_var(0, 'GetCounter')()]]))
+
+    exec_lua [[
+      local counter = 0
+      vim.api.nvim_buf_set_var(0, 'AddCounter', function() counter = counter + 1 end)
+      vim.api.nvim_buf_set_var(0, 'GetCounter', function() return counter end)
+    ]]
+
+    eq(0, eval('b:GetCounter()'))
+    eval('b:AddCounter()')
+    eq(1, eval('b:GetCounter()'))
+    eval('b:AddCounter()')
+    eq(2, eval('b:GetCounter()'))
+    exec_lua([[vim.b.AddCounter()]])
+    eq(3, exec_lua([[return vim.b.GetCounter()]]))
+    exec_lua([[vim.api.nvim_buf_get_var(0, 'AddCounter')()]])
+    eq(4, exec_lua([[return vim.api.nvim_buf_get_var(0, 'GetCounter')()]]))
+
     exec_lua [[
     vim.cmd "vnew"
     ]]
@@ -1058,6 +1122,38 @@ describe('lua stdlib', function()
     ]]
     eq(NIL, funcs.luaeval "vim.w.to_delete")
 
+    exec_lua [[
+      local counter = 0
+      vim.w.AddCounter = function() counter = counter + 1 end
+      vim.w.GetCounter = function() return counter end
+    ]]
+
+    eq(0, eval('w:GetCounter()'))
+    eval('w:AddCounter()')
+    eq(1, eval('w:GetCounter()'))
+    eval('w:AddCounter()')
+    eq(2, eval('w:GetCounter()'))
+    exec_lua([[vim.w.AddCounter()]])
+    eq(3, exec_lua([[return vim.w.GetCounter()]]))
+    exec_lua([[vim.api.nvim_win_get_var(0, 'AddCounter')()]])
+    eq(4, exec_lua([[return vim.api.nvim_win_get_var(0, 'GetCounter')()]]))
+
+    exec_lua [[
+      local counter = 0
+      vim.api.nvim_win_set_var(0, 'AddCounter', function() counter = counter + 1 end)
+      vim.api.nvim_win_set_var(0, 'GetCounter', function() return counter end)
+    ]]
+
+    eq(0, eval('w:GetCounter()'))
+    eval('w:AddCounter()')
+    eq(1, eval('w:GetCounter()'))
+    eval('w:AddCounter()')
+    eq(2, eval('w:GetCounter()'))
+    exec_lua([[vim.w.AddCounter()]])
+    eq(3, exec_lua([[return vim.w.GetCounter()]]))
+    exec_lua([[vim.api.nvim_win_get_var(0, 'AddCounter')()]])
+    eq(4, exec_lua([[return vim.api.nvim_win_get_var(0, 'GetCounter')()]]))
+
     exec_lua [[
     vim.cmd "vnew"
     ]]
@@ -1090,6 +1186,38 @@ describe('lua stdlib', function()
     ]]
     eq(NIL, funcs.luaeval "vim.t.to_delete")
 
+    exec_lua [[
+      local counter = 0
+      vim.t.AddCounter = function() counter = counter + 1 end
+      vim.t.GetCounter = function() return counter end
+    ]]
+
+    eq(0, eval('t:GetCounter()'))
+    eval('t:AddCounter()')
+    eq(1, eval('t:GetCounter()'))
+    eval('t:AddCounter()')
+    eq(2, eval('t:GetCounter()'))
+    exec_lua([[vim.t.AddCounter()]])
+    eq(3, exec_lua([[return vim.t.GetCounter()]]))
+    exec_lua([[vim.api.nvim_tabpage_get_var(0, 'AddCounter')()]])
+    eq(4, exec_lua([[return vim.api.nvim_tabpage_get_var(0, 'GetCounter')()]]))
+
+    exec_lua [[
+      local counter = 0
+      vim.api.nvim_tabpage_set_var(0, 'AddCounter', function() counter = counter + 1 end)
+      vim.api.nvim_tabpage_set_var(0, 'GetCounter', function() return counter end)
+    ]]
+
+    eq(0, eval('t:GetCounter()'))
+    eval('t:AddCounter()')
+    eq(1, eval('t:GetCounter()'))
+    eval('t:AddCounter()')
+    eq(2, eval('t:GetCounter()'))
+    exec_lua([[vim.t.AddCounter()]])
+    eq(3, exec_lua([[return vim.t.GetCounter()]]))
+    exec_lua([[vim.api.nvim_tabpage_get_var(0, 'AddCounter')()]])
+    eq(4, exec_lua([[return vim.api.nvim_tabpage_get_var(0, 'GetCounter')()]]))
+
     exec_lua [[
     vim.cmd "tabnew"
     ]]