=== modified file 'includes/bootstrap.inc'
--- includes/bootstrap.inc	
+++ includes/bootstrap.inc	
@@ -28,6 +28,9 @@ define('DRUPAL_BOOTSTRAP_FULL', 6);
 define('DRUPAL_ANONYMOUS_RID', 1);
 define('DRUPAL_AUTHENTICATED_RID', 2);
 
+define('VARIABLE_NOT_CACHED', 0);
+define('VARIABLE_CACHED', 1);
+
 /**
  * Start the timer with the specified name. If you start and stop
  * the same timer multiple times, the measured intervals will be*/
@@ -244,7 +247,7 @@ function variable_init($conf = array()) 
     $variables = unserialize($cached->data);
   }
   else {
-    $result = db_query('SELECT * FROM {variable}');
+    $result = db_query('SELECT * FROM {variable} WHERE status = %d', VARIABLE_CACHED);
     while ($variable = db_fetch_object($result)) {
       $variables[$variable->name] = unserialize($variable->value);
     }
@@ -265,12 +268,19 @@ function variable_init($conf = array()) 
  *   The name of the variable to return.
  * @param $default
  *   The default value to use if this variable has never been set.
+ * @param $cached
+ *   Boolean value which determines if this variable can be retrieved from the variable cache.
  * @return
  *   The value of the variable.
  */
-function variable_get($name, $default) {
+function variable_get($name, $default, $cached = TRUE) {
   global $conf;
 
+  if (!$cached) {
+    if ($value = db_result(db_query("SELECT value FROM {variable} WHERE name = '%s'", $name))) {
+      $conf[$name] = unserialize($value);
+    }
+  }
   return isset($conf[$name]) ? $conf[$name] : $default;
 }
 
@@ -282,13 +292,17 @@ function variable_get($name, $default) {
  * @param $value
  *   The value to set. This can be any PHP data type; these functions take care
  *   of serialization as necessary.
+ * @param $cached
+ *   Boolean value which determines if this variable will be placed into the variable cache.
  */
-function variable_set($name, $value) {
+function variable_set($name, $value, $cached = TRUE) {
   global $conf;
 
+  $status = $cached ? VARIABLE_CACHED : VARIABLE_NOT_CACHED;
+
   db_lock_table('variable');
   db_query("DELETE FROM {variable} WHERE name = '%s'", $name);
-  db_query("INSERT INTO {variable} (name, value) VALUES ('%s', '%s')", $name, serialize($value));
+  db_query("INSERT INTO {variable} (name, value, status) VALUES ('%s', '%s', %d)", $name, serialize($value), $status);
   db_unlock_tables();
 
   cache_clear_all('variables');