--- a/src/http/ngx_http_variables.c
+++ b/src/http/ngx_http_variables.c
@@ -22,8 +22,6 @@ static void ngx_http_variable_request_se
 #endif
 static ngx_int_t ngx_http_variable_request_get_size(ngx_http_request_t *r,
     ngx_http_variable_value_t *v, uintptr_t data);
-static void ngx_http_variable_request_set_size(ngx_http_request_t *r,
-    ngx_http_variable_value_t *v, uintptr_t data);
 static ngx_int_t ngx_http_variable_header(ngx_http_request_t *r,
     ngx_http_variable_value_t *v, uintptr_t data);
 
@@ -124,6 +122,8 @@ static ngx_int_t ngx_http_variable_sent_
     ngx_http_variable_value_t *v, uintptr_t data);
 static ngx_int_t ngx_http_variable_sent_transfer_encoding(ngx_http_request_t *r,
     ngx_http_variable_value_t *v, uintptr_t data);
+static void ngx_http_variable_set_limit_rate(ngx_http_request_t *r,
+    ngx_http_variable_value_t *v, uintptr_t data);
 
 static ngx_int_t ngx_http_variable_connection(ngx_http_request_t *r,
     ngx_http_variable_value_t *v, uintptr_t data);
@@ -321,7 +321,7 @@ static ngx_http_variable_t  ngx_http_cor
     { ngx_string("sent_http_link"), NULL, ngx_http_variable_headers,
       offsetof(ngx_http_request_t, headers_out.link), 0, 0 },
 
-    { ngx_string("limit_rate"), ngx_http_variable_request_set_size,
+    { ngx_string("limit_rate"), ngx_http_variable_set_limit_rate,
       ngx_http_variable_request_get_size,
       offsetof(ngx_http_request_t, limit_rate),
       NGX_HTTP_VAR_CHANGEABLE|NGX_HTTP_VAR_NOCACHEABLE, 0 },
@@ -788,32 +788,6 @@ ngx_http_variable_request_get_size(ngx_h
 }
 
 
-static void
-ngx_http_variable_request_set_size(ngx_http_request_t *r,
-    ngx_http_variable_value_t *v, uintptr_t data)
-{
-    ssize_t    s, *sp;
-    ngx_str_t  val;
-
-    val.len = v->len;
-    val.data = v->data;
-
-    s = ngx_parse_size(&val);
-
-    if (s == NGX_ERROR) {
-        ngx_log_error(NGX_LOG_ERR, r->connection->log, 0,
-                      "invalid size \"%V\"", &val);
-        return;
-    }
-
-    sp = (ssize_t *) ((char *) r + data);
-
-    *sp = s;
-
-    return;
-}
-
-
 static ngx_int_t
 ngx_http_variable_header(ngx_http_request_t *r, ngx_http_variable_value_t *v,
     uintptr_t data)
@@ -1993,6 +1967,29 @@ ngx_http_variable_sent_transfer_encoding
 }
 
 
+static void
+ngx_http_variable_set_limit_rate(ngx_http_request_t *r,
+    ngx_http_variable_value_t *v, uintptr_t data)
+{
+    ssize_t    s;
+    ngx_str_t  val;
+
+    val.len = v->len;
+    val.data = v->data;
+
+    s = ngx_parse_size(&val);
+
+    if (s == NGX_ERROR) {
+        ngx_log_error(NGX_LOG_ERR, r->connection->log, 0,
+                      "invalid $limit_rate \"%V\"", &val);
+        return;
+    }
+
+    r->limit_rate = s;
+    r->limit_rate_set = 1;
+}
+
+
 static ngx_int_t
 ngx_http_variable_request_completion(ngx_http_request_t *r,
     ngx_http_variable_value_t *v, uintptr_t data)