diff --git a/gui_variable_tab.c b/gui_variable_tab.c
index 7ec65ee..48be082 100644
--- a/gui_variable_tab.c
+++ b/gui_variable_tab.c
@@ -192,16 +192,20 @@ void gui_vartab_add_var(struct tdc_var *var)
 			COL_TYPE, typestr,
 			COL_NAME, var->name,
 			-1);
+
+	var->privdata = gtk_tree_iter_copy(&it);
 }
 
 void gui_vartab_update_var(struct tdc_var *var)
 {
-	// FIXME: don't update *all* columns when only *one* value changed
-	gtk_tree_model_foreach(GTK_TREE_MODEL(list_store), header_toggle_update, NULL);
+	/* do a dummy write to update cells */
+	GtkTreeIter *it = (GtkTreeIter *)var->privdata;
+	gtk_list_store_set(list_store, it, -1);
 }
 
 void gui_vartab_remove_var(struct tdc_var *var)
 {
-	// FIXME: don't remove *all* columns when only *one* should be removed
-	gtk_list_store_clear(list_store);
+	GtkTreeIter *it = (GtkTreeIter *)var->privdata;
+	gtk_list_store_remove(list_store, it);
+	gtk_tree_iter_free(it);
 }
diff --git a/tdc_variable.h b/tdc_variable.h
index ec8f8b5..da18a92 100644
--- a/tdc_variable.h
+++ b/tdc_variable.h
@@ -15,6 +15,8 @@ struct tdc_var {
 		float data_float;
 		double data_double;
 	};
+
+	void *privdata;
 	char name[0];
 };