diff --git a/src/models/variables.js b/src/models/variables.js
index 9bbc70fa..5f9c4ecd 100644
--- a/src/models/variables.js
+++ b/src/models/variables.js
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ const {GObject} = imports.gi;
 const {FlatpakSharedModel} = imports.models.shared;
 const {FlatsealOverrideStatus} = imports.models.overrideStatus;
 
-var VAR_REGEXP = /^\w+=[\S ]+$/;
+var VAR_REGEXP = /^[^;]+=[\S ]+$/;
 
 var FlatpakVariablesModel = GObject.registerClass({
     GTypeName: 'FlatpakVariablesModel',
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ var FlatpakVariablesModel = GObject.registerClass({
 
     static deserialize(value) {
         return value
-            .split(/(?=;[\w\s]+=)/)
+            .split(/(?=;[^;]+=)/)
             .map(v => v.replace(/^;/, ''));
     }
 
diff --git a/tests/src/testModels.js b/tests/src/testModels.js
index 780d7d55..930680d3 100644
--- a/tests/src/testModels.js
+++ b/tests/src/testModels.js
@@ -803,7 +803,7 @@ describe('Model', function() {
 
         expect(permissionsDefault.variables).toEqual('TEST=yes');
 
-        permissionsDefault.set_property('variables', 'TEST=yes;TE ST=no');
+        permissionsDefault.set_property('variables', 'TEST=yes;TE;ST=no');
 
         GLib.timeout_add(GLib.PRIORITY_HIGH, delay + 1, () => {
             expect(GLib.access(_environmentOverride, 0)).toEqual(-1);