diff --git a/blackboard/blackboard.h b/blackboard/blackboard.h
index 49288e1..5758cfb 100644
--- a/blackboard/blackboard.h
+++ b/blackboard/blackboard.h
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@ public:
 	Variant get_var(const StringName &p_name, const Variant &p_default = Variant(), bool p_complain = true) const;
 	void set_var(const StringName &p_name, const Variant &p_value);
 	bool has_var(const StringName &p_name) const;
+	_FORCE_INLINE_ bool has_local_var(const StringName &p_name) const { return data.has(p_name); }
 	void erase_var(const StringName &p_name);
 	void clear() { data.clear(); }
 	TypedArray<StringName> list_vars() const;
diff --git a/blackboard/blackboard_plan.cpp b/blackboard/blackboard_plan.cpp
index 7c61f8d..fa0234a 100644
--- a/blackboard/blackboard_plan.cpp
+++ b/blackboard/blackboard_plan.cpp
@@ -416,7 +416,7 @@ void BlackboardPlan::populate_blackboard(const Ref<Blackboard> &p_blackboard, bo
 	ERR_FAIL_COND(p_node == nullptr && prefetch_nodepath_vars);
 	ERR_FAIL_COND(p_blackboard.is_null());
 	for (const Pair<StringName, BBVariable> &p : var_list) {
-		if (p_blackboard->has_var(p.first) && !overwrite) {
+		if (p_blackboard->has_local_var(p.first) && !overwrite) {
 			continue;
 		}
 		bool has_mapping = parent_scope_mapping.has(p.first);
diff --git a/bt/bt_player.cpp b/bt/bt_player.cpp
index 6fd6ca5..75593e9 100644
--- a/bt/bt_player.cpp
+++ b/bt/bt_player.cpp
@@ -183,6 +183,7 @@ void BTPlayer::_notification(int p_notification) {
 					blackboard = Ref<Blackboard>(memnew(Blackboard));
 				}
 				if (blackboard_plan.is_valid()) {
+					// Don't overwrite existing blackboard values as they may be initialized from code.
 					blackboard_plan->populate_blackboard(blackboard, false, this);
 				}
 				if (behavior_tree.is_valid()) {
diff --git a/hsm/limbo_state.cpp b/hsm/limbo_state.cpp
index 972970d..e02ed92 100644
--- a/hsm/limbo_state.cpp
+++ b/hsm/limbo_state.cpp
@@ -95,7 +95,8 @@ void LimboState::_initialize(Node *p_agent, const Ref<Blackboard> &p_blackboard)
 		blackboard = p_blackboard;
 	}
 	if (blackboard_plan.is_valid() && !blackboard_plan->is_empty()) {
-		blackboard_plan->populate_blackboard(blackboard, true, this);
+		// Don't overwrite existing blackboard values as they may be initialized from code.
+		blackboard_plan->populate_blackboard(blackboard, false, this);
 	}
 
 	_setup();