diff --git a/cli/templatecreate.go b/cli/templatecreate.go
index e6904d2a065f6..7f2bd4a1bafea 100644
--- a/cli/templatecreate.go
+++ b/cli/templatecreate.go
@@ -5,8 +5,6 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
 	"net/http"
-	"os"
-	"path/filepath"
 	"strings"
 	"time"
 	"unicode/utf8"
@@ -27,7 +25,7 @@ func (r *RootCmd) templateCreate() *clibase.Cmd {
 		provisioner          string
 		provisionerTags      []string
 		variablesFile        string
-		variables            []string
+		commandLineVariables []string
 		disableEveryone      bool
 		requireActiveVersion bool
 
@@ -129,15 +127,21 @@ func (r *RootCmd) templateCreate() *clibase.Cmd {
 				return err
 			}
 
+			userVariableValues, err := ParseUserVariableValues(
+				variablesFile,
+				commandLineVariables)
+			if err != nil {
+				return err
+			}
+
 			job, err := createValidTemplateVersion(inv, createValidTemplateVersionArgs{
-				Message:         message,
-				Client:          client,
-				Organization:    organization,
-				Provisioner:     codersdk.ProvisionerType(provisioner),
-				FileID:          resp.ID,
-				ProvisionerTags: tags,
-				VariablesFile:   variablesFile,
-				Variables:       variables,
+				Message:            message,
+				Client:             client,
+				Organization:       organization,
+				Provisioner:        codersdk.ProvisionerType(provisioner),
+				FileID:             resp.ID,
+				ProvisionerTags:    tags,
+				UserVariableValues: userVariableValues,
 			})
 			if err != nil {
 				return err
@@ -197,12 +201,12 @@ func (r *RootCmd) templateCreate() *clibase.Cmd {
 		{
 			Flag:        "variable",
 			Description: "Specify a set of values for Terraform-managed variables.",
-			Value:       clibase.StringArrayOf(&variables),
+			Value:       clibase.StringArrayOf(&commandLineVariables),
 		},
 		{
 			Flag:        "var",
 			Description: "Alias of --variable.",
-			Value:       clibase.StringArrayOf(&variables),
+			Value:       clibase.StringArrayOf(&commandLineVariables),
 		},
 		{
 			Flag:        "provisioner-tag",
@@ -267,32 +271,19 @@ type createValidTemplateVersionArgs struct {
 	Provisioner  codersdk.ProvisionerType
 	FileID       uuid.UUID
 
-	VariablesFile string
-	Variables     []string
-
 	// Template is only required if updating a template's active version.
 	Template *codersdk.Template
 	// ReuseParameters will attempt to reuse params from the Template field
 	// before prompting the user. Set to false to always prompt for param
 	// values.
-	ReuseParameters bool
-	ProvisionerTags map[string]string
+	ReuseParameters    bool
+	ProvisionerTags    map[string]string
+	UserVariableValues []codersdk.VariableValue
 }
 
 func createValidTemplateVersion(inv *clibase.Invocation, args createValidTemplateVersionArgs) (*codersdk.TemplateVersion, error) {
 	client := args.Client
 
-	variableValues, err := loadVariableValuesFromFile(args.VariablesFile)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
-
-	variableValuesFromKeyValues, err := loadVariableValuesFromOptions(args.Variables)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
-	variableValues = append(variableValues, variableValuesFromKeyValues...)
-
 	req := codersdk.CreateTemplateVersionRequest{
 		Name:               args.Name,
 		Message:            args.Message,
@@ -300,7 +291,7 @@ func createValidTemplateVersion(inv *clibase.Invocation, args createValidTemplat
 		FileID:             args.FileID,
 		Provisioner:        args.Provisioner,
 		ProvisionerTags:    args.ProvisionerTags,
-		UserVariableValues: variableValues,
+		UserVariableValues: args.UserVariableValues,
 	}
 	if args.Template != nil {
 		req.TemplateID = args.Template.ID
@@ -364,23 +355,6 @@ func createValidTemplateVersion(inv *clibase.Invocation, args createValidTemplat
 	return &version, nil
 }
 
-// prettyDirectoryPath returns a prettified path when inside the users
-// home directory. Falls back to dir if the users home directory cannot
-// discerned. This function calls filepath.Clean on the result.
-func prettyDirectoryPath(dir string) string {
-	dir = filepath.Clean(dir)
-	homeDir, err := os.UserHomeDir()
-	if err != nil {
-		return dir
-	}
-	prettyDir := dir
-	if strings.HasPrefix(prettyDir, homeDir) {
-		prettyDir = strings.TrimPrefix(prettyDir, homeDir)
-		prettyDir = "~" + prettyDir
-	}
-	return prettyDir
-}
-
 func ParseProvisionerTags(rawTags []string) (map[string]string, error) {
 	tags := map[string]string{}
 	for _, rawTag := range rawTags {
diff --git a/cli/templatepush.go b/cli/templatepush.go
index 0a9af5d941c0e..4c903ef7ca4d9 100644
--- a/cli/templatepush.go
+++ b/cli/templatepush.go
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import (
 	"bufio"
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
+	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
 	"strings"
 	"time"
@@ -155,16 +156,16 @@ func (pf *templateUploadFlags) templateName(args []string) (string, error) {
 
 func (r *RootCmd) templatePush() *clibase.Cmd {
 	var (
-		versionName     string
-		provisioner     string
-		workdir         string
-		variablesFile   string
-		variables       []string
-		alwaysPrompt    bool
-		provisionerTags []string
-		uploadFlags     templateUploadFlags
-		activate        bool
-		create          bool
+		versionName          string
+		provisioner          string
+		workdir              string
+		variablesFile        string
+		commandLineVariables []string
+		alwaysPrompt         bool
+		provisionerTags      []string
+		uploadFlags          templateUploadFlags
+		activate             bool
+		create               bool
 	)
 	client := new(codersdk.Client)
 	cmd := &clibase.Cmd{
@@ -213,15 +214,21 @@ func (r *RootCmd) templatePush() *clibase.Cmd {
 				return err
 			}
 
+			userVariableValues, err := ParseUserVariableValues(
+				variablesFile,
+				commandLineVariables)
+			if err != nil {
+				return err
+			}
+
 			args := createValidTemplateVersionArgs{
-				Message:         message,
-				Client:          client,
-				Organization:    organization,
-				Provisioner:     codersdk.ProvisionerType(provisioner),
-				FileID:          resp.ID,
-				ProvisionerTags: tags,
-				VariablesFile:   variablesFile,
-				Variables:       variables,
+				Message:            message,
+				Client:             client,
+				Organization:       organization,
+				Provisioner:        codersdk.ProvisionerType(provisioner),
+				FileID:             resp.ID,
+				ProvisionerTags:    tags,
+				UserVariableValues: userVariableValues,
 			}
 
 			if !createTemplate {
@@ -291,12 +298,12 @@ func (r *RootCmd) templatePush() *clibase.Cmd {
 		{
 			Flag:        "variable",
 			Description: "Specify a set of values for Terraform-managed variables.",
-			Value:       clibase.StringArrayOf(&variables),
+			Value:       clibase.StringArrayOf(&commandLineVariables),
 		},
 		{
 			Flag:        "var",
 			Description: "Alias of --variable.",
-			Value:       clibase.StringArrayOf(&variables),
+			Value:       clibase.StringArrayOf(&commandLineVariables),
 		},
 		{
 			Flag:        "provisioner-tag",
@@ -330,3 +337,20 @@ func (r *RootCmd) templatePush() *clibase.Cmd {
 	cmd.Options = append(cmd.Options, uploadFlags.options()...)
 	return cmd
 }
+
+// prettyDirectoryPath returns a prettified path when inside the users
+// home directory. Falls back to dir if the users home directory cannot
+// discerned. This function calls filepath.Clean on the result.
+func prettyDirectoryPath(dir string) string {
+	dir = filepath.Clean(dir)
+	homeDir, err := os.UserHomeDir()
+	if err != nil {
+		return dir
+	}
+	prettyDir := dir
+	if strings.HasPrefix(prettyDir, homeDir) {
+		prettyDir = strings.TrimPrefix(prettyDir, homeDir)
+		prettyDir = "~" + prettyDir
+	}
+	return prettyDir
+}
diff --git a/cli/templatevariables.go b/cli/templatevariables.go
index 801e65cb8d82f..d284d5cbd8d79 100644
--- a/cli/templatevariables.go
+++ b/cli/templatevariables.go
@@ -10,7 +10,21 @@ import (
 	"github.com/coder/coder/v2/codersdk"
 )
 
-func loadVariableValuesFromFile(variablesFile string) ([]codersdk.VariableValue, error) {
+func ParseUserVariableValues(variablesFile string, commandLineVariables []string) ([]codersdk.VariableValue, error) {
+	fromFile, err := parseVariableValuesFromFile(variablesFile)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	fromCommandLine, err := parseVariableValuesFromCommandLine(commandLineVariables)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	return combineVariableValues(fromFile, fromCommandLine), nil
+}
+
+func parseVariableValuesFromFile(variablesFile string) ([]codersdk.VariableValue, error) {
 	var values []codersdk.VariableValue
 	if variablesFile == "" {
 		return values, nil
@@ -50,7 +64,7 @@ func createVariablesMapFromFile(variablesFile string) (map[string]string, error)
 	return variablesMap, nil
 }
 
-func loadVariableValuesFromOptions(variables []string) ([]codersdk.VariableValue, error) {
+func parseVariableValuesFromCommandLine(variables []string) ([]codersdk.VariableValue, error) {
 	var values []codersdk.VariableValue
 	for _, keyValue := range variables {
 		split := strings.SplitN(keyValue, "=", 2)
@@ -65,3 +79,20 @@ func loadVariableValuesFromOptions(variables []string) ([]codersdk.VariableValue
 	}
 	return values, nil
 }
+
+func combineVariableValues(valuesSets ...[]codersdk.VariableValue) []codersdk.VariableValue {
+	combinedValues := make(map[string]string)
+
+	for _, values := range valuesSets {
+		for _, v := range values {
+			combinedValues[v.Name] = v.Value
+		}
+	}
+
+	var result []codersdk.VariableValue
+	for name, value := range combinedValues {
+		result = append(result, codersdk.VariableValue{Name: name, Value: value})
+	}
+
+	return result
+}