diff --git a/validate/gst/validate/gst-validate-utils.c b/validate/gst/validate/gst-validate-utils.c
index d6c7d82fa2..2d3c0e13ec 100644
--- a/validate/gst/validate/gst-validate-utils.c
+++ b/validate/gst/validate/gst-validate-utils.c
@@ -1339,8 +1339,6 @@ done:
 static gboolean
 _structure_set_variables (GQuark field_id, GValue * value, ReplaceData * data)
 {
-  gchar *str;
-
   if (field_id == filename_quark || field_id == debug_quark
       || field_id == debug_quark)
     return TRUE;
@@ -1358,12 +1356,18 @@ _structure_set_variables (GQuark field_id, GValue * value, ReplaceData * data)
   if (!G_VALUE_HOLDS_STRING (value))
     return TRUE;
 
-  str =
-      gst_validate_replace_variables_in_string (data->source, data->local_vars,
-      g_value_get_string (value), data->flags);
-  if (str) {
-    g_value_set_string (value, str);
-    g_free (str);
+  if (!_variables_regex)
+    _variables_regex = g_regex_new ("\\$\\((\\w+)\\)", 0, 0, NULL);
+
+  /* Don't replace string contents unless really needed */
+  if (g_regex_match (_variables_regex, g_value_get_string (value), 0, NULL)) {
+    gchar *str = gst_validate_replace_variables_in_string (data->source,
+        data->local_vars,
+        g_value_get_string (value), data->flags);
+    if (str) {
+      g_value_set_string (value, str);
+      g_free (str);
+    }
   }
 
   if (!(data->flags & GST_VALIDATE_STRUCTURE_RESOLVE_VARIABLES_NO_EXPRESSION))