diff --git a/lib/filterx/expr-variable.c b/lib/filterx/expr-variable.c
index ee76cfaea..2eede2f4e 100644
--- a/lib/filterx/expr-variable.c
+++ b/lib/filterx/expr-variable.c
@@ -34,9 +34,10 @@
 typedef struct _FilterXVariableExpr
 {
   FilterXExpr super;
-  FilterXObject *variable_name;
+  FilterXVariableType variable_type;
   NVHandle handle;
-  guint32 declared:1, handle_is_macro:1;
+  FilterXObject *variable_name;
+  guint32 handle_is_macro:1;
 } FilterXVariableExpr;
 
 static FilterXObject *
@@ -61,7 +62,7 @@ _pull_variable_from_message(FilterXVariableExpr *self, FilterXEvalContext *conte
 static void
 _whiteout_variable(FilterXVariableExpr *self, FilterXEvalContext *context)
 {
-  filterx_scope_register_variable(context->scope, self->handle, NULL);
+  filterx_scope_register_variable(context->scope, FX_VAR_MESSAGE_TIED, self->handle, NULL);
 }
 
 static FilterXObject *
@@ -87,7 +88,7 @@ _eval(FilterXExpr *s)
       FilterXObject *msg_ref = _pull_variable_from_message(self, context, context->msg);
       if(!msg_ref)
         return NULL;
-      filterx_scope_register_variable(context->scope, self->handle, msg_ref);
+      filterx_scope_register_variable(context->scope, FX_VAR_MESSAGE_TIED, self->handle, msg_ref);
       return msg_ref;
     }
 
@@ -124,10 +125,7 @@ _assign(FilterXExpr *s, FilterXObject *new_value)
       /* NOTE: we pass NULL as initial_value to make sure the new variable
        * is considered changed due to the assignment */
 
-      if (self->declared)
-        variable = filterx_scope_register_declared_variable(scope, self->handle, NULL);
-      else
-        variable = filterx_scope_register_variable(scope, self->handle, NULL);
+      variable = filterx_scope_register_variable(scope, self->variable_type, self->handle, NULL);
     }
 
   /* this only clones mutable objects */
@@ -217,7 +215,7 @@ _deinit(FilterXExpr *s, GlobalConfig *cfg)
 }
 
 static FilterXExpr *
-filterx_variable_expr_new(FilterXString *name, FilterXVariableType type)
+filterx_variable_expr_new(FilterXString *name, FilterXVariableType variable_type)
 {
   FilterXVariableExpr *self = g_new0(FilterXVariableExpr, 1);
 
@@ -231,9 +229,10 @@ filterx_variable_expr_new(FilterXString *name, FilterXVariableType type)
   self->super.is_set = _isset;
   self->super.unset = _unset;
 
+  self->variable_type = variable_type;
   self->variable_name = (FilterXObject *) name;
-  self->handle = filterx_map_varname_to_handle(filterx_string_get_value_ref(self->variable_name, NULL), type);
-  if (type == FX_VAR_MESSAGE)
+  self->handle = filterx_map_varname_to_handle(filterx_string_get_value_ref(self->variable_name, NULL), variable_type);
+  if (variable_type == FX_VAR_MESSAGE_TIED)
     self->handle_is_macro = log_msg_is_handle_macro(filterx_variable_handle_to_nv_handle(self->handle));
 
   return &self->super;
@@ -242,7 +241,7 @@ filterx_variable_expr_new(FilterXString *name, FilterXVariableType type)
 FilterXExpr *
 filterx_msg_variable_expr_new(FilterXString *name)
 {
-  return filterx_variable_expr_new(name, FX_VAR_MESSAGE);
+  return filterx_variable_expr_new(name, FX_VAR_MESSAGE_TIED);
 }
 
 FilterXExpr *
@@ -257,5 +256,7 @@ filterx_variable_expr_declare(FilterXExpr *s)
   FilterXVariableExpr *self = (FilterXVariableExpr *) s;
 
   g_assert(s->eval == _eval);
-  self->declared = TRUE;
+  /* we can only declare a floating variable */
+  g_assert(self->variable_type == FX_VAR_FLOATING);
+  self->variable_type = FX_VAR_DECLARED_FLOATING;
 }
diff --git a/lib/filterx/filterx-scope.c b/lib/filterx/filterx-scope.c
index f85d839b7..d742ae199 100644
--- a/lib/filterx/filterx-scope.c
+++ b/lib/filterx/filterx-scope.c
@@ -115,6 +115,7 @@ filterx_scope_lookup_variable(FilterXScope *self, FilterXVariableHandle handle)
 
 static FilterXVariable *
 _register_variable(FilterXScope *self,
+                   FilterXVariableType variable_type,
                    FilterXVariableHandle handle,
                    FilterXObject *initial_value)
 {
@@ -142,7 +143,7 @@ _register_variable(FilterXScope *self,
 
 
   FilterXVariable v;
-  filterx_variable_init_instance(&v, handle, initial_value, self->generation);
+  filterx_variable_init_instance(&v, variable_type, handle, initial_value, self->generation);
   g_array_insert_val(self->variables, v_index, v);
 
   return &g_array_index(self->variables, FilterXVariable, v_index);
@@ -150,11 +151,11 @@ _register_variable(FilterXScope *self,
 
 FilterXVariable *
 filterx_scope_register_variable(FilterXScope *self,
+                                FilterXVariableType variable_type,
                                 FilterXVariableHandle handle,
                                 FilterXObject *initial_value)
 {
-  FilterXVariable *v = _register_variable(self, handle, initial_value);
-  filterx_variable_set_declared(v, FALSE);
+  FilterXVariable *v = _register_variable(self, variable_type, handle, initial_value);
 
   /* the scope needs to be synced with the message if it holds a
    * message-tied variable (e.g.  $MSG) */
@@ -163,20 +164,6 @@ filterx_scope_register_variable(FilterXScope *self,
   return v;
 }
 
-FilterXVariable *
-filterx_scope_register_declared_variable(FilterXScope *self,
-                                         FilterXVariableHandle handle,
-                                         FilterXObject *initial_value)
-
-{
-  g_assert(filterx_variable_handle_is_floating(handle));
-
-  FilterXVariable *v = _register_variable(self, handle, initial_value);
-  filterx_variable_set_declared(v, TRUE);
-
-  return v;
-}
-
 gboolean
 filterx_scope_foreach_variable(FilterXScope *self, FilterXScopeForeachFunc func, gpointer user_data)
 {
diff --git a/lib/filterx/filterx-scope.h b/lib/filterx/filterx-scope.h
index 89f12c366..2e996d202 100644
--- a/lib/filterx/filterx-scope.h
+++ b/lib/filterx/filterx-scope.h
@@ -52,11 +52,9 @@ void filterx_scope_sync(FilterXScope *self, LogMessage *msg);
 
 FilterXVariable *filterx_scope_lookup_variable(FilterXScope *self, FilterXVariableHandle handle);
 FilterXVariable *filterx_scope_register_variable(FilterXScope *self,
+                                                 FilterXVariableType variable_type,
                                                  FilterXVariableHandle handle,
                                                  FilterXObject *initial_value);
-FilterXVariable *filterx_scope_register_declared_variable(FilterXScope *self,
-                                                          FilterXVariableHandle handle,
-                                                          FilterXObject *initial_value);
 gboolean filterx_scope_foreach_variable(FilterXScope *self, FilterXScopeForeachFunc func, gpointer user_data);
 void filterx_scope_invalidate_log_msg_cache(FilterXScope *self);
 
diff --git a/lib/filterx/filterx-variable.c b/lib/filterx/filterx-variable.c
index 95a10e08d..3b5b726e2 100644
--- a/lib/filterx/filterx-variable.c
+++ b/lib/filterx/filterx-variable.c
@@ -28,12 +28,12 @@
 FilterXVariableHandle
 filterx_map_varname_to_handle(const gchar *name, FilterXVariableType type)
 {
-  if (type == FX_VAR_MESSAGE)
+  if (type == FX_VAR_MESSAGE_TIED)
     name++;
 
   NVHandle nv_handle = log_msg_get_value_handle(name);
 
-  if (type == FX_VAR_MESSAGE)
+  if (type == FX_VAR_MESSAGE_TIED)
     return (FilterXVariableHandle) nv_handle;
   return (FilterXVariableHandle) nv_handle | FILTERX_HANDLE_FLOATING_BIT;
 }
@@ -45,12 +45,15 @@ filterx_variable_clear(FilterXVariable *v)
 }
 
 void
-filterx_variable_init_instance(FilterXVariable *v, FilterXVariableHandle handle,
-                               FilterXObject *initial_value, guint32 generation)
+filterx_variable_init_instance(FilterXVariable *v,
+                               FilterXVariableType variable_type,
+                               FilterXVariableHandle handle,
+                               FilterXObject *initial_value,
+                               guint32 generation)
 {
   v->handle = handle;
+  v->variable_type = variable_type;
   v->assigned = FALSE;
-  v->declared = FALSE;
   v->generation = generation;
   v->value = filterx_object_ref(initial_value);
 }
diff --git a/lib/filterx/filterx-variable.h b/lib/filterx/filterx-variable.h
index 2cd498b52..447774c1c 100644
--- a/lib/filterx/filterx-variable.h
+++ b/lib/filterx/filterx-variable.h
@@ -31,9 +31,9 @@
 
 typedef enum
 {
-  FX_VAR_MESSAGE,
+  FX_VAR_MESSAGE_TIED,
   FX_VAR_FLOATING,
-  FX_VAR_DECLARED,
+  FX_VAR_DECLARED_FLOATING,
 } FilterXVariableType;
 
 #define FILTERX_SCOPE_MAX_GENERATION ((1UL << 20) - 1)
@@ -72,13 +72,16 @@ typedef struct _FilterXVariable
    * declared -- this variable is declared (e.g. retained for the entire input pipeline)
    */
   guint32 assigned:1,
-          declared:1,
+          variable_type:2,
           generation:20;
   FilterXObject *value;
 } FilterXVariable;
 
-void filterx_variable_init_instance(FilterXVariable *v, FilterXVariableHandle handle,
-                                    FilterXObject *initial_value, guint32 generation);
+void filterx_variable_init_instance(FilterXVariable *v,
+                                    FilterXVariableType variable_type,
+                                    FilterXVariableHandle handle,
+                                    FilterXObject *initial_value,
+                                    guint32 generation);
 void filterx_variable_clear(FilterXVariable *v);
 
 static inline gboolean
@@ -134,7 +137,7 @@ filterx_variable_is_set(FilterXVariable *v)
 static inline gboolean
 filterx_variable_is_declared(FilterXVariable *v)
 {
-  return v->declared;
+  return v->variable_type == FX_VAR_DECLARED_FLOATING;
 }
 
 static inline gboolean
@@ -161,10 +164,4 @@ filterx_variable_unassign(FilterXVariable *v)
   v->assigned = FALSE;
 }
 
-static inline void
-filterx_variable_set_declared(FilterXVariable *v, gboolean declared)
-{
-  v->declared = declared;
-}
-
 #endif
diff --git a/lib/filterx/func-vars.c b/lib/filterx/func-vars.c
index f760e31b2..6c24ceed5 100644
--- a/lib/filterx/func-vars.c
+++ b/lib/filterx/func-vars.c
@@ -111,14 +111,11 @@ _load_from_dict(FilterXObject *key, FilterXObject *value, gpointer user_data)
       return FALSE;
     }
 
-  gboolean is_floating = key_str[0] != '$';
-  FilterXVariableHandle handle = filterx_map_varname_to_handle(key_str, is_floating ? FX_VAR_FLOATING : FX_VAR_MESSAGE);
+  FilterXVariableType variable_type = (key_str[0] == '$') ? FX_VAR_MESSAGE_TIED : FX_VAR_DECLARED_FLOATING;
+  FilterXVariableHandle handle = filterx_map_varname_to_handle(key_str, variable_type);
 
   FilterXVariable *variable = NULL;
-  if (is_floating)
-    variable = filterx_scope_register_declared_variable(scope, handle, NULL);
-  else
-    variable = filterx_scope_register_variable(scope, handle, NULL);
+  variable = filterx_scope_register_variable(scope, variable_type, handle, NULL);
 
   FilterXObject *cloned_value = filterx_object_clone(value);
   filterx_variable_set_value(variable, cloned_value);
@@ -143,7 +140,7 @@ _load_from_dict(FilterXObject *key, FilterXObject *value, gpointer user_data)
                 evt_tag_str("key", key_str),
                 evt_tag_str("value", repr->str),
                 evt_tag_str("type", value->type->name),
-                evt_tag_str("variable_type", is_floating ? "declared" : "message"));
+                evt_tag_int("variable_type", variable_type));
     }
 
   return TRUE;