diff --git a/includes/bootstrap.inc b/includes/bootstrap.inc
index 5556f38..a41e6e8 100644
--- a/includes/bootstrap.inc
+++ b/includes/bootstrap.inc
@@ -740,6 +740,14 @@ function drupal_settings_initialize() {
   }
   $is_https = isset($_SERVER['HTTPS']) && strtolower($_SERVER['HTTPS']) == 'on';
 
+  // Load the variable system.
+  if (isset($conf['variable_inc']) && file_exists(DRUPAL_ROOT . '/' . $conf['variable_inc'])) {
+    require_once DRUPAL_ROOT . '/' . $conf['variable_inc'];
+  }
+  else {
+    require_once DRUPAL_ROOT . '/includes/variable.inc';
+  }
+
   if (isset($base_url)) {
     // Parse fixed base URL from settings.php.
     $parts = parse_url($base_url);
@@ -917,117 +925,6 @@ function drupal_get_filename($type, $name, $filename = NULL) {
 }
 
 /**
- * Loads the persistent variable table.
- *
- * The variable table is composed of values that have been saved in the table
- * with variable_set() as well as those explicitly specified in the
- * configuration file.
- */
-function variable_initialize($conf = array()) {
-  // NOTE: caching the variables improves performance by 20% when serving
-  // cached pages.
-  if ($cached = cache_get('variables', 'cache_bootstrap')) {
-    $variables = $cached->data;
-  }
-  else {
-    // Cache miss. Avoid a stampede.
-    $name = 'variable_init';
-    if (!lock_acquire($name, 1)) {
-      // Another request is building the variable cache.
-      // Wait, then re-run this function.
-      lock_wait($name);
-      return variable_initialize($conf);
-    }
-    else {
-      // Proceed with variable rebuild.
-      $variables = array_map('unserialize', db_query('SELECT name, value FROM {variable}')->fetchAllKeyed());
-      cache_set('variables', $variables, 'cache_bootstrap');
-      lock_release($name);
-    }
-  }
-
-  foreach ($conf as $name => $value) {
-    $variables[$name] = $value;
-  }
-
-  return $variables;
-}
-
-/**
- * Returns a persistent variable.
- *
- * Case-sensitivity of the variable_* functions depends on the database
- * collation used. To avoid problems, always use lower case for persistent
- * variable names.
- *
- * @param $name
- *   The name of the variable to return.
- * @param $default
- *   The default value to use if this variable has never been set.
- *
- * @return
- *   The value of the variable.
- *
- * @see variable_del()
- * @see variable_set()
- */
-function variable_get($name, $default = NULL) {
-  global $conf;
-
-  return isset($conf[$name]) ? $conf[$name] : $default;
-}
-
-/**
- * Sets a persistent variable.
- *
- * Case-sensitivity of the variable_* functions depends on the database
- * collation used. To avoid problems, always use lower case for persistent
- * variable names.
- *
- * @param $name
- *   The name of the variable to set.
- * @param $value
- *   The value to set. This can be any PHP data type; these functions take care
- *   of serialization as necessary.
- *
- * @see variable_del()
- * @see variable_get()
- */
-function variable_set($name, $value) {
-  global $conf;
-
-  db_merge('variable')->key(array('name' => $name))->fields(array('value' => serialize($value)))->execute();
-
-  cache_clear_all('variables', 'cache_bootstrap');
-
-  $conf[$name] = $value;
-}
-
-/**
- * Unsets a persistent variable.
- *
- * Case-sensitivity of the variable_* functions depends on the database
- * collation used. To avoid problems, always use lower case for persistent
- * variable names.
- *
- * @param $name
- *   The name of the variable to undefine.
- *
- * @see variable_get()
- * @see variable_set()
- */
-function variable_del($name) {
-  global $conf;
-
-  db_delete('variable')
-    ->condition('name', $name)
-    ->execute();
-  cache_clear_all('variables', 'cache_bootstrap');
-
-  unset($conf[$name]);
-}
-
-/**
  * Retrieves the current page from the cache.
  *
  * Note: we do not serve cached pages to authenticated users, or to anonymous
--- /dev/null	2012-04-10 02:57:49.224348906 -0400
+++ includes/variable.inc	2012-04-11 23:59:20.685874464 -0400
@@ -0,0 +1,118 @@
+<?php
+
+/**
+ * @file
+ * Provides the variables system for Drupal.
+ */
+
+/**
+ * Loads the persistent variable table.
+ *
+ * The variable table is composed of values that have been saved in the table
+ * with variable_set() as well as those explicitly specified in the
+ * configuration file.
+ */
+function variable_initialize($conf = array()) {
+  // NOTE: caching the variables improves performance by 20% when serving
+  // cached pages.
+  if ($cached = cache_get('variables', 'cache_bootstrap')) {
+    $variables = $cached->data;
+  }
+  else {
+    // Cache miss. Avoid a stampede.
+    $name = 'variable_init';
+    if (!lock_acquire($name, 1)) {
+      // Another request is building the variable cache.
+      // Wait, then re-run this function.
+      lock_wait($name);
+      return variable_initialize($conf);
+    }
+    else {
+      // Proceed with variable rebuild.
+      $variables = array_map('unserialize', db_query('SELECT name, value FROM {variable}')->fetchAllKeyed());
+      cache_set('variables', $variables, 'cache_bootstrap');
+      lock_release($name);
+    }
+  }
+
+  foreach ($conf as $name => $value) {
+    $variables[$name] = $value;
+  }
+
+  return $variables;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Returns a persistent variable.
+ *
+ * Case-sensitivity of the variable_* functions depends on the database
+ * collation used. To avoid problems, always use lower case for persistent
+ * variable names.
+ *
+ * @param $name
+ *   The name of the variable to return.
+ * @param $default
+ *   The default value to use if this variable has never been set.
+ *
+ * @return
+ *   The value of the variable.
+ *
+ * @see variable_del()
+ * @see variable_set()
+ */
+function variable_get($name, $default = NULL) {
+  global $conf;
+
+  return isset($conf[$name]) ? $conf[$name] : $default;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Sets a persistent variable.
+ *
+ * Case-sensitivity of the variable_* functions depends on the database
+ * collation used. To avoid problems, always use lower case for persistent
+ * variable names.
+ *
+ * @param $name
+ *   The name of the variable to set.
+ * @param $value
+ *   The value to set. This can be any PHP data type; these functions take care
+ *   of serialization as necessary.
+ *
+ * @see variable_del()
+ * @see variable_get()
+ */
+function variable_set($name, $value) {
+  global $conf;
+
+  db_merge('variable')->key(array('name' => $name))->fields(array('value' => serialize($value)))->execute();
+
+  cache_clear_all('variables', 'cache_bootstrap');
+
+  $conf[$name] = $value;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Unsets a persistent variable.
+ *
+ * Case-sensitivity of the variable_* functions depends on the database
+ * collation used. To avoid problems, always use lower case for persistent
+ * variable names.
+ *
+ * @param $name
+ *   The name of the variable to undefine.
+ *
+ * @see variable_get()
+ * @see variable_set()
+ */
+function variable_del($name) {
+  global $conf;
+
+  db_delete('variable')
+    ->condition('name', $name)
+    ->execute();
+  cache_clear_all('variables', 'cache_bootstrap');
+
+  unset($conf[$name]);
+}
+