diff --git a/gui-js/apps/minsky-electron/src/app/managers/CommandsManager.ts b/gui-js/apps/minsky-electron/src/app/managers/CommandsManager.ts
index ed74e272b..65f29b43e 100644
--- a/gui-js/apps/minsky-electron/src/app/managers/CommandsManager.ts
+++ b/gui-js/apps/minsky-electron/src/app/managers/CommandsManager.ts
@@ -716,9 +716,12 @@ export class CommandsManager {
 
           break;
 
-        case ClassType.Group:
+      case ClassType.Group:
+        if (await CommandsManager.selectVar(mouseX,mouseY))
+          await CommandsManager.editVar();
+        else
           await CommandsManager.editItem(ClassType.Group);
-          break;
+        break;
 
         case ClassType.Item:
           await CommandsManager.postNote('item');
diff --git a/model/group.cc b/model/group.cc
index 88a4c8e8c..352a510c8 100644
--- a/model/group.cc
+++ b/model/group.cc
@@ -516,10 +516,10 @@ namespace minsky
        }
   }
 
-  VariablePtr Group::addIOVar()
+  VariablePtr Group::addIOVar(const char* prefix)
   {
     VariablePtr v(VariableType::flow,
-                  uqName(cminsky().variableValues.newName(to_string(size_t(this))+":")));
+                  uqName(cminsky().variableValues.newName(to_string(size_t(this))+":"+prefix)));
     addItem(v,true);
     createdIOvariables.push_back(v);
     v->rotation(rotation());
diff --git a/model/group.h b/model/group.h
index 6f63cdba3..3bfc90ae4 100644
--- a/model/group.h
+++ b/model/group.h
@@ -219,7 +219,7 @@ namespace minsky
   class Group: public ItemT<Group>, public GroupItems, public CallableFunction
   {
     bool m_displayContentsChanged=true;
-    VariablePtr addIOVar();
+    VariablePtr addIOVar(const char*);
   protected:
     /// returns the smallest group whose icon completely encloses the
     /// rectangle given by the argument. If no candidate group found,
@@ -290,8 +290,8 @@ namespace minsky
     /// check if item is a variable and located in an I/O region, and add it if it is
     void checkAddIORegion(const ItemPtr& x);
     
-    void addInputVar() {inVariables.push_back(addIOVar());}
-    void addOutputVar() {outVariables.push_back(addIOVar());}
+    void addInputVar() {inVariables.push_back(addIOVar("input"));}
+    void addOutputVar() {outVariables.push_back(addIOVar("output"));}
 
     /// remove item from group, and also all attached wires.
     void deleteItem(const Item&);
diff --git a/test/testModel.cc b/test/testModel.cc
index d57bc1fba..1d8591422 100644
--- a/test/testModel.cc
+++ b/test/testModel.cc
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@ SUITE(Group)
   TEST_FIXTURE(TestFixture, accessibleVars)
     {
       vector<string> globalAccessibleVars{"c"};
-      vector<string> group0AccessibleVars{"1",":c","a","b"};
+      vector<string> group0AccessibleVars{":c","a","b","output1"};
       group0->makeSubroutine();
       CHECK_EQUAL(globalAccessibleVars.size(), model->accessibleVars().size());
       CHECK_ARRAY_EQUAL(globalAccessibleVars, model->accessibleVars(), globalAccessibleVars.size());