diff --git a/Lib/lib-tk/Tkinter.py b/Lib/lib-tk/Tkinter.py
index 6a91ba9be92..700f6bb0b1f 100644
--- a/Lib/lib-tk/Tkinter.py
+++ b/Lib/lib-tk/Tkinter.py
@@ -223,11 +223,13 @@ class Variable:
             _varnum += 1
         if value is not None:
             self.set(value)
-        elif not self._tk.call("info", "exists", self._name):
+        elif not self._tk.getboolean(self._tk.call("info", "exists", self._name)):
             self.set(self._default)
     def __del__(self):
         """Unset the variable in Tcl."""
-        self._tk.globalunsetvar(self._name)
+        if (self._tk is not None and
+            self._tk.getboolean(self._tk.call("info", "exists", self._name))):
+            self._tk.globalunsetvar(self._name)
     def __str__(self):
         """Return the name of the variable in Tcl."""
         return self._name
diff --git a/Misc/NEWS b/Misc/NEWS
index 12106579e0e..914f6f66f2d 100644
--- a/Misc/NEWS
+++ b/Misc/NEWS
@@ -27,6 +27,8 @@ Core and Builtins
 Library
 -------
 
+- Issue #20067: Tkinter variables now work when wantobjects is false.
+
 - Issue #19020: Tkinter now uses splitlist() instead of split() in configure
   methods.