diff --git a/pbx.c b/pbx.c
index 3be6996cfa13eff4ca4717c3d4fe87c873f7aef2..37630155bdb0dcc70e2c1e606913d547922c91fe 100755
--- a/pbx.c
+++ b/pbx.c
@@ -888,9 +888,9 @@ static void pbx_substitute_variables_temp(struct ast_channel *c,const char *var,
 				}
 			}
 		}
-		if (!(*ret)) {
+		if (!(*ret) && strcasecmp(var,"LEN(",4) {
 			int len=strlen(var);
-			int len_len=strlen("LEN(");
+			int len_len=4;
 			if (len > (len_len+1) && !strncasecmp(var,"LEN(",len_len) && strchr(var+len_len+2,')')) {
 				char cp3[80];
 				strncpy(cp3, var, sizeof(cp3) - 1);