diff --git a/os/writeterm.c b/os/writeterm.c
index a39a7d512..78698a94f 100644
--- a/os/writeterm.c
+++ b/os/writeterm.c
@@ -748,6 +748,13 @@ p_float_format( USES_REGS1 )
   return TRUE;
 }
 
+static Int
+p_dollar_var( USE_REGS1 )
+{
+  Term tv = Yap_MkApplTerm(LOCAL_FunctorVar, 1, &ARG1);
+  return Yap_unify(tv, ARG2);
+}
+
 
 void
 Yap_InitWriteTPreds(void)
@@ -765,6 +772,8 @@ Yap_InitWriteTPreds(void)
   Yap_InitCPred ("print", 1, print1, SyncPredFlag);
   Yap_InitCPred ("print", 2, print, SyncPredFlag);
   Yap_InitCPred ("write_depth", 3, p_write_depth, SafePredFlag|SyncPredFlag);
+ ;
+  Yap_InitCPred ("$VAR", 2, p_dollar_var, SafePredFlag);
  ;
   Yap_InitCPred ("$float_format", 1, p_float_format, SafePredFlag|SyncPredFlag);
 }
diff --git a/pl/boot.yap b/pl/boot.yap
index cd610c1c6..3d23ef094 100644
--- a/pl/boot.yap
+++ b/pl/boot.yap
@@ -1083,10 +1083,11 @@ number of steps.
 	'$name_well_known_vars'(NVL0).
 
 '$name_vars_in_goals1'([], I, I).
-'$name_vars_in_goals1'(['$VAR'(Name)|NGVL], I0, IF) :-
+'$name_vars_in_goals1'([SName|NGVL], I0, IF) :-
 	I is I0+1,
 	'$gen_name_string'(I0,[],SName), !,
 	atom_codes(Name, [95|SName]),
+	'$VAR'(Name, SName ),
 	'$name_vars_in_goals1'(NGVL, I, IF).
 '$name_vars_in_goals1'([NV|NGVL], I0, IF) :-
 	nonvar(NV),