diff --git a/extensions/sql-database-projects/src/dialogs/publishDatabaseQuickpick.ts b/extensions/sql-database-projects/src/dialogs/publishDatabaseQuickpick.ts
index 5c683c3816..e7b4d0d9e8 100644
--- a/extensions/sql-database-projects/src/dialogs/publishDatabaseQuickpick.ts
+++ b/extensions/sql-database-projects/src/dialogs/publishDatabaseQuickpick.ts
@@ -159,9 +159,7 @@ export async function getPublishDatabaseSettings(project: ISqlProject, promptFor
 	}
 
 	// 4. Modify sqlcmd vars
-	// If a publish profile is provided then the values from there will overwrite the ones in the
-	// project file (if they exist)
-	let sqlCmdVariables = Object.assign({}, project.sqlCmdVariables, publishProfile?.sqlCmdVariables);
+	let sqlCmdVariables: Map<string, string> = getInitialSqlCmdVariables(project, publishProfile);
 
 	if (sqlCmdVariables.size > 0) {
 		// Continually loop here, allowing the user to modify SQLCMD variables one
@@ -170,13 +168,14 @@ export async function getPublishDatabaseSettings(project: ISqlProject, promptFor
 		// as many times as they wish - with an option to reset all the variables
 		// to their starting values being provided as well.
 		while (true) {
-			const quickPickItems = Object.keys(sqlCmdVariables).map(key => {
-				return {
+			let quickPickItems = [];
+			for (const key of sqlCmdVariables.keys()) {
+				quickPickItems.push({
 					label: key,
 					description: sqlCmdVariables.get(key),
 					key: key
-				} as vscode.QuickPickItem & { key?: string, isResetAllVars?: boolean, isDone?: boolean };
-			});
+				} as vscode.QuickPickItem & { key?: string, isResetAllVars?: boolean, isDone?: boolean })
+			}
 			quickPickItems.push({ label: `$(refresh) ${constants.resetAllVars}`, isResetAllVars: true });
 			quickPickItems.unshift({ label: `$(check) ${constants.done}`, isDone: true });
 			const sqlCmd = await vscode.window.showQuickPick(
@@ -200,7 +199,7 @@ export async function getPublishDatabaseSettings(project: ISqlProject, promptFor
 					sqlCmdVariables.set(sqlCmd.key, newValue);
 				}
 			} else if (sqlCmd.isResetAllVars) {
-				sqlCmdVariables = Object.assign({}, project.sqlCmdVariables, publishProfile?.sqlCmdVariables);
+				sqlCmdVariables = getInitialSqlCmdVariables(project, publishProfile);
 			} else if (sqlCmd.isDone) {
 				break;
 			}
@@ -220,6 +219,24 @@ export async function getPublishDatabaseSettings(project: ISqlProject, promptFor
 	return settings;
 }
 
+/**
+ * Loads the sqlcmd variables from a sql projects. If a publish profile is provided then the values from there will overwrite the ones in the project file (if they exist)
+ * @param project
+ * @param publishProfile
+ * @returns Map of sqlcmd variables
+ */
+function getInitialSqlCmdVariables(project: ISqlProject, publishProfile?: PublishProfile): Map<string, string> {
+	// create a copy of the sqlcmd variable map so that the original ones don't get overwritten
+	let sqlCmdVariables = new Map(project.sqlCmdVariables);
+	if (publishProfile?.sqlCmdVariables) {
+		for (const [key, value] of publishProfile.sqlCmdVariables) {
+			sqlCmdVariables.set(key, value);
+		}
+	}
+
+	return sqlCmdVariables;
+}
+
 export async function launchPublishTargetOption(project: Project): Promise<constants.PublishTargetType | undefined> {
 	// Show options to user for deploy to existing server or docker
 	const target = project.getProjectTargetVersion();