diff --git a/variable.form.inc b/variable.form.inc
index 08beeed..00d443a 100644
--- a/variable.form.inc
+++ b/variable.form.inc
@@ -201,5 +201,11 @@ function theme_variable_table_select($variables) {
   drupal_add_js('misc/tableselect.js');
   $header['element'] = array('class' => array('select-all'));
 
-  return theme('table', array('header' => array_values($header), 'rows' => $rows));
+  $table = array(
+    '#theme' => 'table',
+    '#header' => array_values($header),
+    '#rows' => $rows,
+  );
+
+  return drupal_render($table);
 }
diff --git a/variable.variable.inc b/variable.variable.inc
index d03679e..8a5f730 100644
--- a/variable.variable.inc
+++ b/variable.variable.inc
@@ -230,7 +230,11 @@ function variable_format_array($variable = NULL, $options = array()) {
         $list[$index] = check_plain((string)$item);
       }
     }
-    return theme('item_list', array('items' => $list));
+    $variables = array(
+      '#theme' => 'item_list',
+      '#items' => $list,
+    );
+    return drupal_render($variables);
   }
 }
 /**
@@ -252,7 +256,11 @@ function variable_format_properties($variable = NULL, $options = array()) {
       }
       $rows[] = array('<em>' . $title . '</em>', $value);
     }
-    return theme('table', array('rows' => $rows));
+    $variables = array(
+      '#theme' => 'table',
+      '#rows' => $rows,
+    );
+    return drupal_render($variables);
   }
 }
 
@@ -369,7 +377,11 @@ function variable_format_multiple($variable, $options = array()) {
       variable_format_value($child)
     );
   }
-  return theme('table', array('rows' => $rows));
+  $variables = array(
+    '#theme' => 'table',
+    '#rows' => $rows,
+  );
+  return drupal_render($variables);
 }
 
 /**