diff --git a/mesonbuild/ast/printer.py b/mesonbuild/ast/printer.py
index 020299d6b..410aabd46 100644
--- a/mesonbuild/ast/printer.py
+++ b/mesonbuild/ast/printer.py
@@ -185,7 +185,7 @@ class AstPrinter(AstVisitor):
     def visit_ForeachClauseNode(self, node: mparser.ForeachClauseNode) -> None:
         node.lineno = self.curr_line or node.lineno
         self.append_padded('foreach', node)
-        self.append_padded(', '.join(node.varnames), node)
+        self.append_padded(', '.join(varname.value for varname in node.varnames), node)
         self.append_padded(':', node)
         node.items.accept(self)
         self.newline()
@@ -373,7 +373,7 @@ class AstJSONPrinter(AstVisitor):
     def visit_ForeachClauseNode(self, node: mparser.ForeachClauseNode) -> None:
         self._accept('items', node.items)
         self._accept('block', node.block)
-        self.current['varnames'] = node.varnames
+        self.current['varnames'] = [varname.value for varname in node.varnames]
         self.setbase(node)
 
     def visit_IfClauseNode(self, node: mparser.IfClauseNode) -> None:
diff --git a/mesonbuild/ast/visitor.py b/mesonbuild/ast/visitor.py
index 6e40ea0b4..5b1fb6a09 100644
--- a/mesonbuild/ast/visitor.py
+++ b/mesonbuild/ast/visitor.py
@@ -123,6 +123,8 @@ class AstVisitor:
 
     def visit_ForeachClauseNode(self, node: mparser.ForeachClauseNode) -> None:
         self.visit_default_func(node)
+        for varname in node.varnames:
+            varname.accept(self)
         node.items.accept(self)
         node.block.accept(self)
 
diff --git a/mesonbuild/interpreterbase/interpreterbase.py b/mesonbuild/interpreterbase/interpreterbase.py
index 1c0912835..7e3f8da5a 100644
--- a/mesonbuild/interpreterbase/interpreterbase.py
+++ b/mesonbuild/interpreterbase/interpreterbase.py
@@ -459,14 +459,14 @@ class InterpreterBase:
             if tsize is None:
                 if isinstance(i, tuple):
                     raise mesonlib.MesonBugException(f'Iteration of {items} returned a tuple even though iter_tuple_size() is None')
-                self.set_variable(node.varnames[0], self._holderify(i))
+                self.set_variable(node.varnames[0].value, self._holderify(i))
             else:
                 if not isinstance(i, tuple):
                     raise mesonlib.MesonBugException(f'Iteration of {items} did not return a tuple even though iter_tuple_size() is {tsize}')
                 if len(i) != tsize:
                     raise mesonlib.MesonBugException(f'Iteration of {items} did not return a tuple even though iter_tuple_size() is {tsize}')
                 for j in range(tsize):
-                    self.set_variable(node.varnames[j], self._holderify(i[j]))
+                    self.set_variable(node.varnames[j].value, self._holderify(i[j]))
             try:
                 self.evaluate_codeblock(node.block)
             except ContinueRequest:
diff --git a/mesonbuild/mparser.py b/mesonbuild/mparser.py
index ceddf0a52..2d7f11505 100644
--- a/mesonbuild/mparser.py
+++ b/mesonbuild/mparser.py
@@ -518,11 +518,11 @@ class PlusAssignmentNode(BaseNode):
 @dataclass(unsafe_hash=True)
 class ForeachClauseNode(BaseNode):
 
-    varnames: T.List[str] = field(hash=False)
+    varnames: T.List[IdNode] = field(hash=False)
     items: BaseNode
     block: CodeBlockNode
 
-    def __init__(self, token: Token, varnames: T.List[str], items: BaseNode, block: CodeBlockNode):
+    def __init__(self, token: Token, varnames: T.List[IdNode], items: BaseNode, block: CodeBlockNode):
         super().__init__(token.lineno, token.colno, token.filename)
         self.varnames = varnames
         self.items = items
@@ -898,13 +898,13 @@ class Parser:
         self.expect('id')
         assert isinstance(t.value, str)
         varname = t
-        varnames = [t.value]
+        varnames = [IdNode(t)]
 
         if self.accept('comma'):
             t = self.current
             self.expect('id')
             assert isinstance(t.value, str)
-            varnames.append(t.value)
+            varnames.append(IdNode(t))
 
         self.expect('colon')
         items = self.statement()