diff --git a/cmd/influxd/launcher/pkger_test.go b/cmd/influxd/launcher/pkger_test.go
index d439de3d4c..c06ad5fbc0 100644
--- a/cmd/influxd/launcher/pkger_test.go
+++ b/cmd/influxd/launcher/pkger_test.go
@@ -192,7 +192,7 @@ func TestLauncher_Pkger(t *testing.T) {
 
 		vars := sum.Variables
 		require.Len(t, vars, 1)
-		assert.Equal(t, "var_query_1", vars[0].Name)
+		assert.Equal(t, "query var", vars[0].Name)
 		hasLabelAssociations(t, vars[0].LabelAssociations, 1, "label_1")
 		varArgs := vars[0].Arguments
 		require.NotNil(t, varArgs)
@@ -344,7 +344,7 @@ spec:
 			if !exportAllSum {
 				assert.NotZero(t, vars[0].ID)
 			}
-			assert.Equal(t, "var_query_1", vars[0].Name)
+			assert.Equal(t, "query var", vars[0].Name)
 			hasLabelAssociations(t, vars[0].LabelAssociations, 1, "label_1")
 			varArgs := vars[0].Arguments
 			require.NotNil(t, varArgs)
@@ -1040,6 +1040,7 @@ kind: Variable
 metadata:
   name:  var_query_1
 spec:
+  name: query var
   description: var_query_1 desc
   type: query
   language: flux
@@ -1200,7 +1201,7 @@ kind: Variable
 metadata:
   name:  var_query_1
 spec:
-  descriptin: new desc
+  description: new desc
   type: query
   language: flux
   query: |
diff --git a/pkger/models.go b/pkger/models.go
index 68ddfdb104..d4d1ac9c10 100644
--- a/pkger/models.go
+++ b/pkger/models.go
@@ -2059,6 +2059,7 @@ type variable struct {
 	id          influxdb.ID
 	OrgID       influxdb.ID
 	name        *references
+	displayName *references
 	Description string
 	Type        string
 	Query       string
@@ -2087,6 +2088,13 @@ func (v *variable) Labels() []*label {
 }
 
 func (v *variable) Name() string {
+	if displayName := v.displayName.String(); displayName != "" {
+		return displayName
+	}
+	return v.name.String()
+}
+
+func (v *variable) PkgName() string {
 	return v.name.String()
 }
 
@@ -2161,7 +2169,13 @@ func (v *variable) valid() []validationErr {
 			})
 		}
 	}
-	return failures
+	if len(failures) > 0 {
+		return []validationErr{
+			objectValidationErr(fieldSpec, failures...),
+		}
+	}
+
+	return nil
 }
 
 type mapperVariables []*variable
diff --git a/pkger/parser.go b/pkger/parser.go
index 295c8bea51..b8a13fff03 100644
--- a/pkger/parser.go
+++ b/pkger/parser.go
@@ -1060,17 +1060,37 @@ func (p *Pkg) graphTelegrafs() *parseErr {
 
 func (p *Pkg) graphVariables() *parseErr {
 	p.mVariables = make(map[string]*variable)
+	uniqNames := make(map[string]bool)
 	return p.eachResource(KindVariable, 1, func(o Object) []validationErr {
 		nameRef := p.getRefWithKnownEnvs(o.Metadata, fieldName)
 		if _, ok := p.mVariables[nameRef.String()]; ok {
-			return []validationErr{{
-				Field: fieldName,
-				Msg:   "duplicate name: " + nameRef.String(),
-			}}
+			return []validationErr{
+				objectValidationErr(fieldMetadata, validationErr{
+					Field: fieldName,
+					Msg:   "duplicate name: " + nameRef.String(),
+				}),
+			}
 		}
 
+		displayNameRef := p.getRefWithKnownEnvs(o.Spec, fieldName)
+
+		name := nameRef.String()
+		if displayName := displayNameRef.String(); displayName != "" {
+			name = displayName
+		}
+		if uniqNames[name] {
+			return []validationErr{
+				objectValidationErr(fieldSpec, validationErr{
+					Field: fieldName,
+					Msg:   "duplicate name: " + nameRef.String(),
+				}),
+			}
+		}
+		uniqNames[name] = true
+
 		newVar := &variable{
 			name:        nameRef,
+			displayName: displayNameRef,
 			Description: o.Spec.stringShort(fieldDescription),
 			Type:        normStr(o.Spec.stringShort(fieldType)),
 			Query:       strings.TrimSpace(o.Spec.stringShort(fieldQuery)),
@@ -1086,8 +1106,8 @@ func (p *Pkg) graphVariables() *parseErr {
 		})
 		sort.Sort(newVar.labels)
 
-		p.mVariables[o.Name()] = newVar
-		p.setRefs(newVar.name)
+		p.mVariables[newVar.PkgName()] = newVar
+		p.setRefs(newVar.name, newVar.displayName)
 
 		return append(failures, newVar.valid()...)
 	})
diff --git a/pkger/parser_test.go b/pkger/parser_test.go
index 32eb9fe3ec..3ac00eb795 100644
--- a/pkger/parser_test.go
+++ b/pkger/parser_test.go
@@ -3483,28 +3483,28 @@ spec:
 					assert.Equal(t, vals, v.Arguments.Values)
 				}
 
+				varEquals(t,
+					"query var",
+					"query",
+					influxdb.VariableQueryValues{
+						Query:    `buckets()  |> filter(fn: (r) => r.name !~ /^_/)  |> rename(columns: {name: "_value"})  |> keep(columns: ["_value"])`,
+						Language: "flux",
+					},
+					sum.Variables[0],
+				)
+
 				// validates we support all known variable types
 				varEquals(t,
 					"var_const_3",
 					"constant",
 					influxdb.VariableConstantValues([]string{"first val"}),
-					sum.Variables[0],
+					sum.Variables[1],
 				)
 
 				varEquals(t,
 					"var_map_4",
 					"map",
 					influxdb.VariableMapValues{"k1": "v1"},
-					sum.Variables[1],
-				)
-
-				varEquals(t,
-					"var_query_1",
-					"query",
-					influxdb.VariableQueryValues{
-						Query:    `buckets()  |> filter(fn: (r) => r.name !~ /^_/)  |> rename(columns: {name: "_value"})  |> keep(columns: ["_value"])`,
-						Language: "flux",
-					},
 					sum.Variables[2],
 				)
 
@@ -3539,7 +3539,7 @@ spec:
 				{
 					name:           "map var missing values",
 					validationErrs: 1,
-					valFields:      []string{"values"},
+					valFields:      []string{fieldSpec, fieldValues},
 					pkgStr: `apiVersion: influxdata.com/v2alpha1
 kind: Variable
 metadata:
@@ -3552,7 +3552,7 @@ spec:
 				{
 					name:           "const var missing values",
 					validationErrs: 1,
-					valFields:      []string{"values"},
+					valFields:      []string{fieldSpec, fieldValues},
 					pkgStr: `apiVersion: influxdata.com/v2alpha1
 kind: Variable
 metadata:
@@ -3565,7 +3565,7 @@ spec:
 				{
 					name:           "query var missing query",
 					validationErrs: 1,
-					valFields:      []string{"query"},
+					valFields:      []string{fieldSpec, fieldQuery},
 					pkgStr: `apiVersion: influxdata.com/v2alpha1
 kind: Variable
 metadata:
@@ -3579,7 +3579,7 @@ spec:
 				{
 					name:           "query var missing query language",
 					validationErrs: 1,
-					valFields:      []string{"language"},
+					valFields:      []string{fieldSpec, fieldLanguage},
 					pkgStr: `apiVersion: influxdata.com/v2alpha1
 kind: Variable
 metadata:
@@ -3593,7 +3593,7 @@ spec:
 				{
 					name:           "query var provides incorrect query language",
 					validationErrs: 1,
-					valFields:      []string{"language"},
+					valFields:      []string{fieldSpec, fieldLanguage},
 					pkgStr: `apiVersion: influxdata.com/v2alpha1
 kind: Variable
 metadata:
@@ -3608,7 +3608,7 @@ spec:
 				{
 					name:           "duplicate var names",
 					validationErrs: 1,
-					valFields:      []string{"name"},
+					valFields:      []string{fieldMetadata, fieldName},
 					pkgStr: `apiVersion: influxdata.com/v2alpha1
 kind: Variable
 metadata:
@@ -3628,6 +3628,32 @@ spec:
   type: query
   query: an influxql query of sorts
   language: influxql
+`,
+				},
+				{
+					name:           "duplicate meta name and spec name",
+					validationErrs: 1,
+					valFields:      []string{fieldSpec, fieldName},
+					pkgStr: `apiVersion: influxdata.com/v2alpha1
+kind: Variable
+metadata:
+  name:  var_query_2
+spec:
+  description: var_query_2 desc
+  type: query
+  query: an influxql query of sorts
+  language: influxql
+---
+apiVersion: influxdata.com/v2alpha1
+kind: Variable
+metadata:
+  name:  valid_query
+spec:
+  name: var_query_2
+  description: var_query_2 desc
+  type: query
+  query: an influxql query of sorts
+  language: influxql
 `,
 				},
 			}
diff --git a/pkger/service_test.go b/pkger/service_test.go
index afe3c324c4..4d926f3c3f 100644
--- a/pkger/service_test.go
+++ b/pkger/service_test.go
@@ -403,7 +403,7 @@ func TestService(t *testing.T) {
 						},
 					},
 				}
-				assert.Equal(t, expected, diff.Variables[0])
+				assert.Equal(t, expected, diff.Variables[1])
 
 				expected = DiffVariable{
 					// no ID here since this one would be new
@@ -416,7 +416,7 @@ func TestService(t *testing.T) {
 						},
 					},
 				}
-				assert.Equal(t, expected, diff.Variables[1])
+				assert.Equal(t, expected, diff.Variables[2])
 			})
 		})
 	})
@@ -1330,11 +1330,7 @@ func TestService(t *testing.T) {
 				testfileRunner(t, "testdata/variables.yml", func(t *testing.T, pkg *Pkg) {
 					fakeVarSVC := mock.NewVariableService()
 					fakeVarSVC.CreateVariableF = func(_ context.Context, v *influxdb.Variable) error {
-						id, err := strconv.Atoi(v.Name[len(v.Name)-1:])
-						if err != nil {
-							return err
-						}
-						v.ID = influxdb.ID(id)
+						v.ID = influxdb.ID(fakeVarSVC.CreateVariableCalls.Count() + 1)
 						return nil
 					}
 
@@ -1346,8 +1342,8 @@ func TestService(t *testing.T) {
 					require.NoError(t, err)
 
 					require.Len(t, sum.Variables, 4)
-					expected := sum.Variables[0]
-					assert.Equal(t, SafeID(3), expected.ID)
+					expected := sum.Variables[1]
+					assert.True(t, expected.ID > 0 && expected.ID < 5)
 					assert.Equal(t, SafeID(orgID), expected.OrgID)
 					assert.Equal(t, "var_const_3", expected.Name)
 					assert.Equal(t, "var_const_3 desc", expected.Description)
@@ -1355,7 +1351,7 @@ func TestService(t *testing.T) {
 					assert.Equal(t, influxdb.VariableConstantValues{"first val"}, expected.Arguments.Values)
 
 					for _, actual := range sum.Variables {
-						assert.Contains(t, []SafeID{1, 2, 3, 4}, actual.ID)
+						assert.Containsf(t, []SafeID{1, 2, 3, 4}, actual.ID, "actual var: %+v", actual)
 					}
 				})
 			})
@@ -1419,7 +1415,7 @@ func TestService(t *testing.T) {
 					require.NoError(t, err)
 
 					require.Len(t, sum.Variables, 4)
-					expected := sum.Variables[0]
+					expected := sum.Variables[1]
 					assert.Equal(t, SafeID(1), expected.ID)
 					assert.Equal(t, "var_const_3", expected.Name)
 
diff --git a/pkger/testdata/variables.json b/pkger/testdata/variables.json
index b771958572..8d736f73ad 100644
--- a/pkger/testdata/variables.json
+++ b/pkger/testdata/variables.json
@@ -6,7 +6,8 @@
       "name": "var_query_1"
     },
     "spec": {
-      "description": "var_query_1 desc",
+      "name": "query var",
+      "description": "query var desc",
       "type": "query",
       "query": "buckets()  |> filter(fn: (r) => r.name !~ /^_/)  |> rename(columns: {name: \"_value\"})  |> keep(columns: [\"_value\"])",
       "language": "flux"
diff --git a/pkger/testdata/variables.yml b/pkger/testdata/variables.yml
index 62f4ae8f87..ff60038826 100644
--- a/pkger/testdata/variables.yml
+++ b/pkger/testdata/variables.yml
@@ -3,7 +3,8 @@ kind: Variable
 metadata:
   name:  var_query_1
 spec:
-  description: var_query_1 desc
+  name: query var
+  description: query var desc
   type: query
   language: flux
   query: |