diff --git a/crates/ark/src/variables/variable.rs b/crates/ark/src/variables/variable.rs
index 8019f98df..f4e16d96d 100644
--- a/crates/ark/src/variables/variable.rs
+++ b/crates/ark/src/variables/variable.rs
@@ -1431,28 +1431,9 @@ impl PositronVariable {
                 let list = List::new(value.sexp)?;
                 let n = unsafe { list.len() };
 
-                let r_names = unsafe { RObject::new(Rf_getAttrib(value.sexp, R_NamesSymbol)) };
-                let names = if r_is_null(r_names.sexp) {
-                    vec![None; n]
-                } else {
-                    let names = unsafe { CharacterVector::new_unchecked(r_names) };
-                    if unsafe { names.len() } != n {
-                        vec![None; n]
-                    } else {
-                        names
-                            .iter()
-                            .map(|v| match v {
-                                None => None,
-                                Some(s) => {
-                                    if s.len() == 0 {
-                                        None
-                                    } else {
-                                        Some(s)
-                                    }
-                                },
-                            })
-                            .collect()
-                    }
+                let names = match value.names() {
+                    None => vec![None; n],
+                    Some(names) => names,
                 };
 
                 let variables = list