diff --git a/frontend/src/app/plugins/api.cljs b/frontend/src/app/plugins/api.cljs
index 5af6cb05be..68526ae8a4 100644
--- a/frontend/src/app/plugins/api.cljs
+++ b/frontend/src/app/plugins/api.cljs
@@ -646,9 +646,11 @@
                        component (u/locate-library-component file-id (:component-id shape))]
                    (not (ctk/is-variant? component))))
                ids)]
-          (when valid?
+          (if valid?
             (let [variant-id (uuid/next)]
               (st/emit! (dwv/combine-as-variants
                          ids
                          {:trigger "plugin:combine-as-variants" :variant-id variant-id}))
-              (library/variant-proxy plugin-id file-id variant-id))))))))
+              (shape/shape-proxy plugin-id variant-id))
+
+            (u/not-valid plugin-id :shapes "One of the components is not on the same page or is already a variant")))))))
diff --git a/frontend/src/app/plugins/shape.cljs b/frontend/src/app/plugins/shape.cljs
index 451eb45fbf..230839c745 100644
--- a/frontend/src/app/plugins/shape.cljs
+++ b/frontend/src/app/plugins/shape.cljs
@@ -1383,17 +1383,25 @@
                (u/not-valid plugin-id :ids ids)
 
                :else
-               (let [shape     (u/locate-shape file-id page-id id)
-                     component (u/locate-library-component file-id (:component-id shape))
-                     ids (->> ids
+               (let [ids (->> ids
                               (map uuid/uuid)
-                              (into #{id}))]
-                 (when (and component (not (ctk/is-variant? component)))
+                              (into #{id}))
+                     valid?
+                     (every?
+                      (fn [id]
+                        (let [shape     (u/locate-shape file-id page-id id)
+                              component (u/locate-library-component file-id (:component-id shape))]
+                          (not (ctk/is-variant? component))))
+                      ids)]
+
+                 (if valid?
                    (let [variant-id (uuid/next)]
                      (st/emit! (dwv/combine-as-variants
                                 ids
                                 {:trigger "plugin:combine-as-variants" :variant-id variant-id}))
-                     (variant-proxy plugin-id file-id variant-id)))))))
+                     (shape-proxy plugin-id variant-id))
+
+                   (u/not-valid plugin-id :ids "One of the components is not on the same page or is already a variant"))))))
 
          (cond-> (or (cfh/frame-shape? data) (cfh/group-shape? data) (cfh/svg-raw-shape? data) (cfh/bool-shape? data))
            (crc/add-properties!
diff --git a/mcp/packages/plugin/vite.config.ts b/mcp/packages/plugin/vite.config.ts
index fcc8e7e299..75c7266b7e 100644
--- a/mcp/packages/plugin/vite.config.ts
+++ b/mcp/packages/plugin/vite.config.ts
@@ -7,9 +7,9 @@ let SERVER_HOST = process.env.PENPOT_MCP_PLUGIN_SERVER_HOST ?? "localhost";
 console.log("Will define PENPOT_MCP_WEBSOCKET_URL as:", JSON.stringify(WS_URI));
 
 export default defineConfig({
-  base: "./",
-  plugins: [
-    livePreview({
+    base: "./",
+    plugins: [
+        livePreview({
             reload: true,
             config: {
                 build: {
diff --git a/mcp/packages/server/data/initial_instructions.md b/mcp/packages/server/data/initial_instructions.md
index 2d0be0ac55..33ba407d23 100644
--- a/mcp/packages/server/data/initial_instructions.md
+++ b/mcp/packages/server/data/initial_instructions.md
@@ -304,7 +304,6 @@ Properties are often addressed positionally: `pos` parameter in various methods
 **Creating a variant group**:
 - `penpot.createVariantFromComponents(mainInstances: Board[]): VariantContainer`: Combines several main component instances into a new variant group. 
   All components end up inside a single new container on the canvas.
-  NOTE: The returned instance `variantContainer` is not usable but has an usable id; use `penpot.findShapeById(variantContainer.id)` to get the actual instance you can work with.
   The container's `Variants` instance is initialised with one property `Property 1`, with the property values set to the respective component's name.
 - After creation, edit properties using `variants.renameProperty(pos, name)`, `variants.addProperty()`, and `comp.setVariantProperty(pos, value)`.