diff --git a/includes/bootstrap.inc b/includes/bootstrap.inc
index decb911..bff43ea 100644
--- a/includes/bootstrap.inc
+++ b/includes/bootstrap.inc
@@ -918,7 +918,25 @@ function variable_initialize($conf = array()) {
     }
     else {
       // Proceed with variable rebuild.
-      $variables = array_map('unserialize', db_query('SELECT name, value FROM {variable}')->fetchAllKeyed());
+      $variables = array();
+      // We can run into unparsable values
+      $err_variables = array();
+      $rows = db_query('SELECT name, value FROM {variable}')->fetchAllKeyed();
+      foreach ($rows as $name => $db_value) {
+        // Suppress the notice.
+        $value = @unserialize($db_value);
+        // If the unserialize call returned FALSE and the stored value is NOT a
+        // boolean false, list it in the report.
+        if ($value === FALSE && $db_value != 'b:0;') {
+          $err_variables[] = $name;
+        }
+        $variables[$name] = $value;
+      }
+      if (count($err_variables)) {
+        $err_variables = join (", ", $err_variables);
+        // We cannot call watchdog as modules are not loaded so resort to drupal_set_message
+        drupal_set_message(t("There are errors with your variables %variables.", array('%variables' => $err_variables)));
+      }
       cache_set('variables', $variables, 'cache_bootstrap');
       lock_release($name);
     }
diff --git a/modules/simpletest/tests/bootstrap.test b/modules/simpletest/tests/bootstrap.test
index cb4fe8e..07be7ac 100644
--- a/modules/simpletest/tests/bootstrap.test
+++ b/modules/simpletest/tests/bootstrap.test
@@ -267,6 +267,27 @@ class BootstrapVariableTestCase extends DrupalWebTestCase {
     $this->assertIdentical(5, variable_get('simpletest_bootstrap_variable_test', 5), t('The default variable parameter is passed through correctly.'));
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Test for a corrupted variable.
+   */
+  function testFaultyVariable() {
+    $name = 'simpletest_bootstrap_wrong_variable_test';
+    $test_value = 'unserialized_value';
+    
+    // We write a value directly to the database bypassing the serialization
+    // We cannot use drupal_write_record as that serializes the value
+    db_merge('variable')->key(array('name' => $name))->fields(array('value' => $test_value))->execute();
+
+    // Clear the variable cache to reread the new value
+    // next line fails with a PDOException: SQLSTATE[42S02]: Base table or view not found: 1146 Table 'drupal_d7.simpletest992395' doesn't exist: DELETE FROM {} WHERE (cid = :db_condition_placeholder_0) ; Array ( [:db_condition_placeholder_0] => variables ) in cache_clear_all() (line 169 of /Users/clemens/Sites/drupal/d7/www/includes/cache.inc).
+    cache_clear_all('variables', 'cache_bootstrap');
+    // Reseed the variables. This should load $name
+    variable_initialize();
+    // Value should be FALSE
+    $value = variable_get($name, 'default_value');
+    $this->assertEqual($value, $test_value, "Are equal? variable_get: '" . $value . "' set : '" . $test_value . "' ... " . gettype($value));
+    $this->assertValue($ok, t('Wrong serialized variable renders to FALSE.'));
+  }
 }
 
 /**