diff --git a/src/ucm/parser.c b/src/ucm/parser.c
index d46ec87a..7a8c6d39 100644
--- a/src/ucm/parser.c
+++ b/src/ucm/parser.c
@@ -2250,15 +2250,52 @@ static int parse_master_section(snd_use_case_mgr_t *uc_mgr, snd_config_t *cfg,
 		err = parse_verb_file(uc_mgr, use_case_name, comment, file);
 	} else {
 		/* parse variants */
+		struct list_head orig_variable_list;
+		snd_config_t *orig_macros = NULL;
+		int first_iteration = 1;
+
+		/* save original variable list */
+		err = uc_mgr_duplicate_variables(&orig_variable_list, &uc_mgr->variable_list);
+		if (err < 0)
+			goto __error;
+
+		/* save original macros */
+		if (uc_mgr->macros) {
+			err = snd_config_copy(&orig_macros, uc_mgr->macros);
+			if (err < 0)
+				goto __variant_error;
+		}
+
 		snd_config_for_each(i, next, variant) {
 			char *vfile, *vcomment;
 			const char *id;
+
+			/* restore variables and macros for second and later iterations */
+			if (!first_iteration) {
+				uc_mgr_free_value(&uc_mgr->variable_list);
+
+				err = uc_mgr_duplicate_variables(&uc_mgr->variable_list, &orig_variable_list);
+				if (err < 0)
+					goto __variant_error;
+
+				if (uc_mgr->macros) {
+					snd_config_delete(uc_mgr->macros);
+					uc_mgr->macros = NULL;
+				}
+				if (orig_macros) {
+					err = snd_config_copy(&uc_mgr->macros, orig_macros);
+					if (err < 0)
+						goto __variant_error;
+				}
+			}
+			first_iteration = 0;
+
 			n = snd_config_iterator_entry(i);
 			if (snd_config_get_id(n, &id) < 0)
 				continue;
 			if (!parse_is_name_safe(id)) {
 				err = -EINVAL;
-				goto __error;
+				goto __variant_error;
 			}
 			err = parse_variant(uc_mgr, n, &vfile, &vcomment);
 			if (err < 0)
@@ -2270,7 +2307,14 @@ static int parse_master_section(snd_use_case_mgr_t *uc_mgr, snd_config_t *cfg,
 			uc_mgr->parse_variant = NULL;
 			free(vfile);
 			free(vcomment);
+			if (err < 0)
+				break;
 		}
+
+__variant_error:
+		uc_mgr_free_value(&orig_variable_list);
+		if (orig_macros)
+			snd_config_delete(orig_macros);
 	}
 
 __error:
diff --git a/src/ucm/ucm_local.h b/src/ucm/ucm_local.h
index 18b29871..5e9b23fb 100644
--- a/src/ucm/ucm_local.h
+++ b/src/ucm/ucm_local.h
@@ -327,6 +327,8 @@ struct ctl_list *uc_mgr_get_ctl_by_name(snd_use_case_mgr_t *uc_mgr,
 snd_ctl_t *uc_mgr_get_ctl(snd_use_case_mgr_t *uc_mgr);
 void uc_mgr_free_ctl_list(snd_use_case_mgr_t *uc_mgr);
 
+void uc_mgr_free_value(struct list_head *base);
+
 int uc_mgr_add_value(struct list_head *base, const char *key, char *val);
 
 const char *uc_mgr_get_variable(snd_use_case_mgr_t *uc_mgr,
@@ -338,6 +340,8 @@ int uc_mgr_set_variable(snd_use_case_mgr_t *uc_mgr,
 
 int uc_mgr_delete_variable(snd_use_case_mgr_t *uc_mgr, const char *name);
 
+int uc_mgr_duplicate_variables(struct list_head *dst, struct list_head *src);
+
 int uc_mgr_get_substituted_value(snd_use_case_mgr_t *uc_mgr,
 				 char **_rvalue,
 				 const char *value);
diff --git a/src/ucm/utils.c b/src/ucm/utils.c
index 67d51226..8b591cee 100644
--- a/src/ucm/utils.c
+++ b/src/ucm/utils.c
@@ -733,6 +733,39 @@ int uc_mgr_delete_variable(snd_use_case_mgr_t *uc_mgr, const char *name)
 	return -ENOENT;
 }
 
+int uc_mgr_duplicate_variables(struct list_head *dst, struct list_head *src)
+{
+	struct list_head *pos;
+	struct ucm_value *var, *new_var;
+	int err;
+
+	INIT_LIST_HEAD(dst);
+
+	list_for_each(pos, src) {
+		var = list_entry(pos, struct ucm_value, list);
+		new_var = calloc(1, sizeof(*new_var));
+		if (new_var == NULL) {
+			err = -ENOMEM;
+			goto __error;
+		}
+		new_var->name = strdup(var->name);
+		new_var->data = strdup(var->data);
+		if (new_var->name == NULL || new_var->data == NULL) {
+			free(new_var->name);
+			free(new_var->data);
+			free(new_var);
+			err = -ENOMEM;
+			goto __error;
+		}
+		list_add_tail(&new_var->list, dst);
+	}
+	return 0;
+
+__error:
+	uc_mgr_free_value(dst);
+	return err;
+}
+
 void uc_mgr_free_verb(snd_use_case_mgr_t *uc_mgr)
 {
 	struct list_head *pos, *npos;