diff --git a/src/apps/debugger/dwarf/DebugInfoEntries.cpp b/src/apps/debugger/dwarf/DebugInfoEntries.cpp
index dbc7509dc9..34b0b4c890 100644
--- a/src/apps/debugger/dwarf/DebugInfoEntries.cpp
+++ b/src/apps/debugger/dwarf/DebugInfoEntries.cpp
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 /*
  * Copyright 2009, Ingo Weinhold, ingo_weinhold@gmx.de.
+ * Copyright 2011, Rene Gollent, rene@gollent.com.
  * Distributed under the terms of the MIT License.
  */
 
@@ -2169,6 +2170,12 @@ DIEVariable::AddAttribute_specification(uint16 attributeName,
 	const AttributeValue& value)
 {
 	fSpecification = dynamic_cast<DIEVariable*>(value.reference);
+	// in the case of static variables declared within a compound type,
+	// the specification may point to a member entry rather than
+	// a variable entry
+	if (fSpecification == NULL)
+		fSpecification = dynamic_cast<DIEMember*>(value.reference);
+
 	return fSpecification != NULL ? B_OK : B_BAD_DATA;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/apps/debugger/dwarf/DebugInfoEntries.h b/src/apps/debugger/dwarf/DebugInfoEntries.h
index dbbc0b8ff8..6f7d904528 100644
--- a/src/apps/debugger/dwarf/DebugInfoEntries.h
+++ b/src/apps/debugger/dwarf/DebugInfoEntries.h
@@ -1413,7 +1413,7 @@ private:
 			LocationDescription	fLocationDescription;
 			ConstantAttributeValue fValue;
 			DIEType*			fType;
-			DIEVariable*		fSpecification;
+			DebugInfoEntry*		fSpecification;
 			DIEVariable*		fAbstractOrigin;
 			uint64				fStartScope;
 };