diff --git a/src/http/modules/perl/nginx.xs b/src/http/modules/perl/nginx.xs
index e9db2f7d6..67ec0a564 100644
--- a/src/http/modules/perl/nginx.xs
+++ b/src/http/modules/perl/nginx.xs
@@ -110,6 +110,10 @@ status(r, code)
 
     ngx_http_perl_set_request(r, ctx);
 
+    if (ctx->variable) {
+        croak("status(): cannot be used in variable handler");
+    }
+
     r->headers_out.status = SvIV(ST(1));
 
     ngx_log_debug1(NGX_LOG_DEBUG_HTTP, r->connection->log, 0,
@@ -133,6 +137,10 @@ send_http_header(r, ...)
         croak("send_http_header(): called after error");
     }
 
+    if (ctx->variable) {
+        croak("send_http_header(): cannot be used in variable handler");
+    }
+
     if (r->headers_out.status == 0) {
         r->headers_out.status = NGX_HTTP_OK;
     }
@@ -400,6 +408,10 @@ has_request_body(r, next)
 
     ngx_http_perl_set_request(r, ctx);
 
+    if (ctx->variable) {
+        croak("has_request_body(): cannot be used in variable handler");
+    }
+
     if (ctx->next) {
         croak("has_request_body(): another handler active");
     }
@@ -526,6 +538,10 @@ discard_request_body(r)
 
     ngx_http_perl_set_request(r, ctx);
 
+    if (ctx->variable) {
+        croak("discard_request_body(): cannot be used in variable handler");
+    }
+
     rc = ngx_http_discard_request_body(r);
 
     if (rc != NGX_OK) {
@@ -551,6 +567,10 @@ header_out(r, key, value)
         croak("header_out(): called after error");
     }
 
+    if (ctx->variable) {
+        croak("header_out(): cannot be used in variable handler");
+    }
+
     key = ST(1);
     value = ST(2);
 
@@ -640,6 +660,10 @@ print(r, ...)
         croak("print(): called after error");
     }
 
+    if (ctx->variable) {
+        croak("print(): cannot be used in variable handler");
+    }
+
     if (items == 2) {
 
         /*
@@ -750,6 +774,10 @@ sendfile(r, filename, offset = -1, bytes = 0)
         croak("sendfile(): called after error");
     }
 
+    if (ctx->variable) {
+        croak("sendfile(): cannot be used in variable handler");
+    }
+
     filename = SvPV_nolen(ST(1));
 
     if (filename == NULL) {
@@ -852,6 +880,10 @@ flush(r)
         croak("flush(): called after error");
     }
 
+    if (ctx->variable) {
+        croak("flush(): cannot be used in variable handler");
+    }
+
     b = ngx_calloc_buf(r->pool);
     if (b == NULL) {
         ctx->error = 1;
@@ -883,6 +915,10 @@ internal_redirect(r, uri)
 
     ngx_http_perl_set_request(r, ctx);
 
+    if (ctx->variable) {
+        croak("internal_redirect(): cannot be used in variable handler");
+    }
+
     uri = ST(1);
 
     if (ngx_http_perl_sv2str(aTHX_ r, &ctx->redirect_uri, uri) != NGX_OK) {
@@ -911,6 +947,10 @@ allow_ranges(r)
 
     ngx_http_perl_set_request(r, ctx);
 
+    if (ctx->variable) {
+        croak("allow_ranges(): cannot be used in variable handler");
+    }
+
     r->allow_ranges = 1;
 
 
@@ -1097,6 +1137,10 @@ sleep(r, sleep, next)
 
     ngx_http_perl_set_request(r, ctx);
 
+    if (ctx->variable) {
+        croak("sleep(): cannot be used in variable handler");
+    }
+
     if (ctx->next) {
         croak("sleep(): another handler active");
     }
diff --git a/src/http/modules/perl/ngx_http_perl_module.c b/src/http/modules/perl/ngx_http_perl_module.c
index ac6a7a2a3..a383e9002 100644
--- a/src/http/modules/perl/ngx_http_perl_module.c
+++ b/src/http/modules/perl/ngx_http_perl_module.c
@@ -302,6 +302,7 @@ ngx_http_perl_variable(ngx_http_request_t *r, ngx_http_variable_value_t *v,
 
     ngx_int_t                   rc;
     ngx_str_t                   value;
+    ngx_uint_t                  saved;
     ngx_http_perl_ctx_t        *ctx;
     ngx_http_perl_main_conf_t  *pmcf;
 
@@ -321,6 +322,9 @@ ngx_http_perl_variable(ngx_http_request_t *r, ngx_http_variable_value_t *v,
         ctx->request = r;
     }
 
+    saved = ctx->variable;
+    ctx->variable = 1;
+
     pmcf = ngx_http_get_module_main_conf(r, ngx_http_perl_module);
 
     value.data = NULL;
@@ -347,6 +351,7 @@ ngx_http_perl_variable(ngx_http_request_t *r, ngx_http_variable_value_t *v,
         v->not_found = 1;
     }
 
+    ctx->variable = saved;
     ctx->filename.data = NULL;
     ctx->redirect_uri.len = 0;
 
diff --git a/src/http/modules/perl/ngx_http_perl_module.h b/src/http/modules/perl/ngx_http_perl_module.h
index 5c967dfb3..b67ce137c 100644
--- a/src/http/modules/perl/ngx_http_perl_module.h
+++ b/src/http/modules/perl/ngx_http_perl_module.h
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ typedef struct {
 
     unsigned                  done:1;
     unsigned                  error:1;
+    unsigned                  variable:1;
 
     ngx_array_t              *variables;  /* array of ngx_http_perl_var_t */