diff --git a/src/rougail/annotator/variable.py b/src/rougail/annotator/variable.py
index 2233faa3d..d8d1d60f4 100644
--- a/src/rougail/annotator/variable.py
+++ b/src/rougail/annotator/variable.py
@@ -76,6 +76,9 @@ class Annotator(Walk):  # pylint: disable=R0903
 
     def convert_variable(self):
         """convert variable"""
+        # default type inference from a default value with :term:`basic types`
+        basic_types = {str: "string", int: "number", bool: "boolean", float: "float"}
+
         for variable in self.get_variables():
             if variable.type == "symlink":
                 continue
@@ -86,28 +89,26 @@ class Annotator(Walk):  # pylint: disable=R0903
                         variable.type = "choice"
             self._convert_variable(variable)
 
-        multi = self.objectspace.multis.get(variable.path, False)
-        # default type inference from a default value with :term:`basic types`
-        basic_types = {str: "string", int: "number", bool: "boolean", float: "float"}
-        if variable.version == "1.0":
-            # - version: 1.0, the default value is of type "string" by default
-            if variable.type is None:
-                variable.type = "string"
-        else: #if variable.version != "1.0":
-            # - version: 1.1, the default value has no type by default
-            if multi is False and variable.type is None:
-                if type(variable.default) in basic_types:
-                    variable.type = basic_types[type(variable.default)]
-            elif isinstance(variable.default, list):
-                if variable.multi is None or variable.multi is False:
-                    variable.multi = True
+            multi = self.objectspace.multis.get(variable.path, False)
+            if variable.version == "1.0":
+                # - version: 1.0, the default value is of type "string" by default
                 if variable.type is None:
-                    variable.type = basic_types[type(variable.default[0])]
-            #else:
-            #    variable.type = "string"
-        # let's update the "multi" attribute in the tiramisu cache then
-        if variable.multi == True:
-            self.objectspace.multis[variable.path] = True
+                    variable.type = "string"
+            else: #if variable.version != "1.0":
+                # - version: 1.1, the default value has no type by default
+                if multi is False and variable.type is None:
+                    if type(variable.default) in basic_types:
+                        variable.type = basic_types[type(variable.default)]
+                elif isinstance(variable.default, list):
+                    if variable.multi is None or variable.multi is False:
+                        variable.multi = True
+                    if variable.type is None:
+                        variable.type = basic_types[type(variable.default[0])]
+                #else:
+                #    variable.type = "string"
+            # let's update the "multi" attribute in the tiramisu cache then
+            if variable.multi == True:
+                self.objectspace.multis[variable.path] = True
 
     def _convert_variable(
         self,
diff --git a/src/rougail/object_model.py b/src/rougail/object_model.py
index 1de66076a..cf4776830 100644
--- a/src/rougail/object_model.py
+++ b/src/rougail/object_model.py
@@ -442,7 +442,7 @@ class Variable(BaseModel):
     version: str
     # type will be set dynamically in `annotator/value.py`, default is None
     type: str = None
-    choices: Union[None, List[BASETYPE_CALC], Calculation]
+    choices: Union[None, List[BASETYPE_CALC], Calculation] = None
 
     model_config = ConfigDict(extra="forbid", arbitrary_types_allowed=True)