diff --git a/examples/example_irule_variables.tcl b/examples/example_irule_variables.tcl
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..be73a58
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/example_irule_variables.tcl
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+package require -exact testcl 1.0.10
+namespace import ::testcl::*
+
+##
+# Example demonstrating how to use TesTcl
+# This is how you should write your tests
+# 
+# To run example
+#
+# export TCLLIBPATH=/parent/dir/of/this/file
+#
+# and run the following command from /parent/dir/of/this/file
+#
+# jtcl examples/example_irule_variables.tcl
+#
+##
+
+# Comment out to suppress logging
+#log::lvSuppressLE info 0
+
+before {
+    event HTTP_REQUEST
+}
+
+it "should set pool to foo when status is 1" {
+    endstate pool foo
+    array set variables { status 1 }
+    run irules/variables_irule.tcl simple variables
+}
+
+it "should set pool to bar when status is 0" {
+    endstate pool bar
+    array set variables { status 0 }
+    run irules/variables_irule.tcl simple variables
+}
+
+
+stats
diff --git a/irules/variables_irule.tcl b/irules/variables_irule.tcl
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ca8b7e3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/irules/variables_irule.tcl
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+rule simple {
+
+  when HTTP_REQUEST priority 100 {
+    # set variable outside irule
+    if { $status eq 1 } {
+      pool foo
+    } else {
+      pool bar
+    }
+  }
+}
diff --git a/src/onirule.tcl b/src/onirule.tcl
index 078f00f..5e12800 100644
--- a/src/onirule.tcl
+++ b/src/onirule.tcl
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package require log
 
 namespace eval ::testcl {
   variable expectedEvent
+  variable variables
   namespace export rule
   namespace export when
   namespace export event
@@ -65,6 +66,13 @@ proc ::testcl::when args {
     set body [lindex $args end]
   }
 
+  variable variables
+  if [ info exists variables ] {
+    foreach { key value } [ array get variables ] {
+      uplevel 0 {set $key $value}
+    }
+  }
+
   variable expectedEvent
 
   if {[info exists expectedEvent] && $event eq $expectedEvent} {
@@ -150,8 +158,11 @@ proc ::testcl::event {event_type} {
 #
 # Results:
 # none
-proc ::testcl::run {irule rulename} {
+proc ::testcl::run {irule rulename {vars {}}} {
   log::log info "Running irule $irule"
+  variable variables
+  upvar 1 $vars a
+  array set variables [array get a]
   set rc [catch {source $irule} result]
   if { 0 != $rc } {
     log::log error "Running irule $irule failed: $result"	  
diff --git a/test/test_irule_variables.tcl b/test/test_irule_variables.tcl
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..600ebbe
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/test_irule_variables.tcl
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+source src/on.tcl
+source src/assert.tcl
+source src/onirule.tcl
+namespace import ::testcl::*
+
+# Comment out to suppress logging
+#log::lvSuppressLE info 0
+
+event HTTP_REQUEST
+
+on pool bar return ""
+
+endstate pool foo
+
+array set variables { status 1 }
+run irules/variables_irule.tcl simple variables