diff --git a/compiler/tests-common-new/tests/org/jetbrains/kotlin/test/backend/handlers/DebugRunner.kt b/compiler/tests-common-new/tests/org/jetbrains/kotlin/test/backend/handlers/DebugRunner.kt
index ceb5e5661a8..ae3d1ce0282 100644
--- a/compiler/tests-common-new/tests/org/jetbrains/kotlin/test/backend/handlers/DebugRunner.kt
+++ b/compiler/tests-common-new/tests/org/jetbrains/kotlin/test/backend/handlers/DebugRunner.kt
@@ -16,9 +16,7 @@ import org.jetbrains.kotlin.test.model.FrontendKinds
 import org.jetbrains.kotlin.test.model.TestModule
 import org.jetbrains.kotlin.test.services.TestServices
 import org.jetbrains.kotlin.test.services.sourceProviders.MainFunctionForBlackBoxTestsSourceProvider.Companion.BOX_MAIN_FILE_NAME
-import org.jetbrains.kotlin.test.utils.SteppingTestLoggedData
-import org.jetbrains.kotlin.test.utils.checkSteppingTestResult
-import org.jetbrains.kotlin.test.utils.formatAsSteppingTestExpectation
+import org.jetbrains.kotlin.test.utils.*
 import java.io.File
 import java.net.URL
 
@@ -161,8 +159,8 @@ abstract class DebugRunner(testServices: TestServices) : JvmBoxRunner(testServic
         virtualMachine.resume()
     }
 
-    fun Location.formatAsExpectation() =
-        formatAsSteppingTestExpectation(sourceName(), lineNumber(), method().name(), method().isSynthetic)
+    fun Location.formatAsExpectation(visibleVars: List<LocalVariableRecord>? = null) =
+        formatAsSteppingTestExpectation(sourceName(), lineNumber(), method().name(), method().isSynthetic, visibleVars)
 
     fun setupMethodEntryAndExitRequests(virtualMachine: VirtualMachine) {
         val manager = virtualMachine.eventRequestManager()
@@ -204,40 +202,11 @@ class SteppingDebugRunner(testServices: TestServices) : DebugRunner(testServices
 }
 
 class LocalVariableDebugRunner(testServices: TestServices) : DebugRunner(testServices) {
-    interface LocalValue
-
-    class LocalPrimitive(val value: String, val valueType: String) : LocalValue {
-        override fun toString(): String {
-            return "$value:$valueType"
-        }
-    }
-
-    class LocalReference(val id: String, val referenceType: String) : LocalValue {
-        override fun toString(): String {
-            return referenceType
-        }
-    }
-
-    class LocalNullValue : LocalValue {
-        override fun toString(): String {
-            return "null"
-        }
-    }
-
-    class LocalVariableRecord(
-        val variable: String,
-        val variableType: String,
-        val value: LocalValue
-    ) {
-        override fun toString(): String {
-            return "$variable:$variableType=$value"
-        }
-    }
 
     private fun toRecord(frame: StackFrame, variable: LocalVariable): LocalVariableRecord {
         val value = frame.getValue(variable)
         val valueRecord = if (value == null) {
-            LocalNullValue()
+            LocalNullValue
         } else if (value is ObjectReference && value.referenceType().name() != "java.lang.String") {
             LocalReference(value.uniqueID().toString(), value.referenceType().name())
         } else {
@@ -269,7 +238,7 @@ class LocalVariableDebugRunner(testServices: TestServices) : DebugRunner(testSer
             SteppingTestLoggedData(
                 location.lineNumber(),
                 false,
-                "${location.formatAsExpectation()}: ${visibleVars.joinToString(", ")}".trim()
+                location.formatAsExpectation(visibleVars)
             )
         )
     }
diff --git a/compiler/tests-common-new/tests/org/jetbrains/kotlin/test/utils/SteppingTestUtils.kt b/compiler/tests-common-new/tests/org/jetbrains/kotlin/test/utils/SteppingTestUtils.kt
index c4b6145b79b..e39038b655c 100644
--- a/compiler/tests-common-new/tests/org/jetbrains/kotlin/test/utils/SteppingTestUtils.kt
+++ b/compiler/tests-common-new/tests/org/jetbrains/kotlin/test/utils/SteppingTestUtils.kt
@@ -14,6 +14,42 @@ import java.io.File
 
 data class SteppingTestLoggedData(val line: Int, val isSynthetic: Boolean, val expectation: String)
 
+sealed interface LocalValue
+
+class LocalPrimitive(val value: String, val valueType: String) : LocalValue {
+    override fun toString(): String {
+        return "$value:$valueType"
+    }
+}
+
+class LocalReference(val id: String, val referenceType: String) : LocalValue {
+    override fun toString(): String {
+        return referenceType
+    }
+}
+
+object LocalNullValue : LocalValue {
+    override fun toString(): String {
+        return "null"
+    }
+}
+
+class LocalVariableRecord(
+    val variable: String,
+    val variableType: String?,
+    val value: LocalValue
+) {
+    override fun toString(): String = buildString {
+        append(variable)
+        if (variableType != null) {
+            append(":")
+            append(variableType)
+        }
+        append("=")
+        append(value)
+    }
+}
+
 private const val EXPECTATIONS_MARKER = "// EXPECTATIONS"
 private const val FORCE_STEP_INTO_MARKER = "// FORCE_STEP_INTO"
 
@@ -27,7 +63,7 @@ fun checkSteppingTestResult(
     val lines = wholeFile.readLines()
     val forceStepInto = lines.any { it.startsWith(FORCE_STEP_INTO_MARKER) }
 
-    val actualLineNumbers = compressSequencesWithoutLinenumber(loggedItems)
+    val actualLineNumbers = compressSequencesWithoutLineNumber(loggedItems)
         .filter {
             // Ignore synthetic code with no line number information unless force step into behavior is requested.
             forceStepInto || !it.isSynthetic
@@ -88,7 +124,7 @@ fun checkSteppingTestResult(
  * print as byte offsets. This avoids overspecifying code generation
  * strategy in debug tests.
  */
-private fun compressSequencesWithoutLinenumber(loggedItems: List<SteppingTestLoggedData>): List<SteppingTestLoggedData> {
+private fun compressSequencesWithoutLineNumber(loggedItems: List<SteppingTestLoggedData>): List<SteppingTestLoggedData> {
     if (loggedItems.isEmpty()) return listOf()
 
     val logIterator = loggedItems.iterator()
@@ -105,7 +141,22 @@ private fun compressSequencesWithoutLinenumber(loggedItems: List<SteppingTestLog
     return result
 }
 
-fun formatAsSteppingTestExpectation(sourceName: String, lineNumber: Int, functionName: String, isSynthetic: Boolean): String {
-    val synthetic = if (isSynthetic) " (synthetic)" else ""
-    return "$sourceName:$lineNumber $functionName$synthetic"
-}
+fun formatAsSteppingTestExpectation(
+    sourceName: String,
+    lineNumber: Int,
+    functionName: String,
+    isSynthetic: Boolean,
+    visibleVars: List<LocalVariableRecord>? = null
+) = buildString {
+    append(sourceName)
+    append(':')
+    append(lineNumber)
+    append(' ')
+    append(functionName)
+    if (isSynthetic)
+        append(" (synthetic)")
+    if (visibleVars != null) {
+        append(": ")
+        visibleVars.joinTo(this)
+    }
+}.trim()