diff --git a/src/http/ngx_http_variables.c b/src/http/ngx_http_variables.c
index 6f1e0344d..0b1a33430 100644
--- a/src/http/ngx_http_variables.c
+++ b/src/http/ngx_http_variables.c
@@ -2257,6 +2257,7 @@ ngx_http_regex_compile(ngx_conf_t *cf, ngx_regex_compile_t *rc)
 
     re->regex = rc->regex;
     re->ncaptures = rc->captures;
+    re->name = rc->pattern;
 
     cmcf = ngx_http_conf_get_module_main_conf(cf, ngx_http_core_module);
     cmcf->ncaptures = ngx_max(cmcf->ncaptures, re->ncaptures);
@@ -2274,7 +2275,6 @@ ngx_http_regex_compile(ngx_conf_t *cf, ngx_regex_compile_t *rc)
 
     re->variables = rv;
     re->nvariables = n;
-    re->name = rc->pattern;
 
     size = rc->name_size;
     p = rc->names;