diff --git a/src/switch_channel.c b/src/switch_channel.c
index 637b4232e9..38948c2a45 100644
--- a/src/switch_channel.c
+++ b/src/switch_channel.c
@@ -454,7 +454,7 @@ SWITCH_DECLARE(switch_status_t) switch_channel_set_variable(switch_channel_t *ch
 	if (!switch_strlen_zero(varname)) {
 		switch_mutex_lock(channel->profile_mutex);
 		switch_event_del_header(channel->variables, varname);
-		if (value) {
+		if (!switch_strlen_zero(value)) {
 			switch_event_add_header(channel->variables, SWITCH_STACK_BOTTOM, varname, "%s", value);
 		} 
 		switch_mutex_unlock(channel->profile_mutex);
diff --git a/src/switch_ivr.c b/src/switch_ivr.c
index 8a1ac74d75..4e307eb2f7 100644
--- a/src/switch_ivr.c
+++ b/src/switch_ivr.c
@@ -1323,7 +1323,7 @@ SWITCH_DECLARE(int) switch_ivr_set_xml_chan_vars(switch_xml_t xml, switch_channe
 	if (!hi) return off;
 
 	for (; hi; hi = hi->next) {
-		if (hi->name && hi->value && ((variable = switch_xml_add_child_d(xml, hi->name, off++)))) {
+		if (!switch_strlen_zero(hi->name) && !switch_strlen_zero(hi->value) && ((variable = switch_xml_add_child_d(xml, hi->name, off++)))) {
 			char *data;
 			switch_size_t dlen = strlen(hi->value) * 3;