diff --git a/dlls/shell32/shelldispatch.c b/dlls/shell32/shelldispatch.c
index 2835fad7123..c6d1dab7f62 100644
--- a/dlls/shell32/shelldispatch.c
+++ b/dlls/shell32/shelldispatch.c
@@ -1129,19 +1129,24 @@ static HRESULT WINAPI FolderItemsImpl_get_Parent(FolderItems3 *iface, IDispatch
     return E_NOTIMPL;
 }
 
-static HRESULT WINAPI FolderItemsImpl_Item(FolderItems3 *iface, VARIANT index, FolderItem **item)
+static HRESULT WINAPI FolderItemsImpl_Item(FolderItems3 *iface, VARIANT var, FolderItem **item)
 {
     FolderItemsImpl *This = impl_from_FolderItems(iface);
     BSTR display_name = NULL;
+    VARIANT index;
     HRESULT hr;
 
-    TRACE("(%p,%s,%p)\n", iface, debugstr_variant(&index), item);
+    TRACE("(%p,%s,%p)\n", iface, debugstr_variant(&var), item);
 
     *item = NULL;
 
     if (!shellfolder_exists(This->folder->path))
         return S_FALSE;
 
+    VariantInit(&index);
+    if (FAILED(hr = VariantCopyInd(&index, &var)))
+        return hr;
+
     switch (V_VT(&index))
     {
         case VT_I2:
@@ -1163,8 +1168,9 @@ static HRESULT WINAPI FolderItemsImpl_Item(FolderItems3 *iface, VARIANT index, F
             if (!V_BSTR(&index))
                 return S_FALSE;
 
-            if (FAILED(hr = IShellFolder2_ParseDisplayName(This->folder->folder, NULL, NULL, V_BSTR(&index),
-                    NULL, &pidl, NULL)))
+            hr = IShellFolder2_ParseDisplayName(This->folder->folder, NULL, NULL, V_BSTR(&index), NULL, &pidl, NULL);
+            VariantClear(&index);
+            if (FAILED(hr))
                 return S_FALSE;
 
             if (IShellFolder2_GetDisplayNameOf(This->folder->folder, pidl, SHGDN_FORPARSING, &strret) == S_OK)
@@ -1176,7 +1182,8 @@ static HRESULT WINAPI FolderItemsImpl_Item(FolderItems3 *iface, VARIANT index, F
             break;
 
         default:
-            FIXME("Index type %d not handled.\n", V_VT(&index));
+            FIXME("Index type %#x not handled.\n", V_VT(&index));
+            VariantClear(&index);
             /* fall through */
         case VT_EMPTY:
             return E_NOTIMPL;
diff --git a/dlls/shell32/tests/shelldispatch.c b/dlls/shell32/tests/shelldispatch.c
index 30c8291f581..5191d5e970b 100644
--- a/dlls/shell32/tests/shelldispatch.c
+++ b/dlls/shell32/tests/shelldispatch.c
@@ -382,7 +382,7 @@ static void test_items(void)
     FolderItems3 *items3 = NULL;
     FolderItem *item = (FolderItem*)0xdeadbeef, *item2;
     FolderItemVerbs *verbs = (FolderItemVerbs*)0xdeadbeef;
-    VARIANT var, int_index, str_index, str_index2;
+    VARIANT var, var2, int_index, str_index, str_index2;
     IDispatch *disp, *disp2;
     LONG count = -1;
     IUnknown *unk;
@@ -543,12 +543,14 @@ static void test_items(void)
     ok(r == S_OK, "FolderItems::get_Count failed: %08x\n", r);
     ok(count == ARRAY_SIZE(file_defs), "got %d files\n", count);
 
+    /* VT_EMPTY */
     V_VT(&var) = VT_EMPTY;
     item = (FolderItem*)0xdeadbeef;
     r = FolderItems_Item(items, var, &item);
     ok(r == E_NOTIMPL, "expected E_NOTIMPL, got %08x\n", r);
     ok(!item, "item is not null\n");
 
+    /* VT_I2 */
     V_VT(&var) = VT_I2;
     V_I2(&var) = 0;
 
@@ -571,6 +573,20 @@ static void test_items(void)
 
     FolderItem_Release(item);
 
+    /* VT_VARIANT | VT_BYREF */
+    V_VT(&var2) = VT_I2;
+    V_I2(&var2) = 0;
+
+    V_VT(&var) = VT_BYREF | VT_VARIANT;
+    V_VARIANTREF(&var) = &var2;
+
+    item = NULL;
+    r = FolderItems_Item(items, var, &item);
+    ok(r == S_OK, "FolderItems::Item failed: %08x\n", r);
+    ok(!!item, "item is null\n");
+    FolderItem_Release(item);
+
+    /* VT_I4 */
     V_VT(&var) = VT_I4;
     V_I4(&var) = 0;
     item = NULL;