diff --git a/doc/UPGRADE-staging/ari_messaging.txt b/doc/UPGRADE-staging/ari_messaging.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..199a8a2382
--- /dev/null
+++ b/doc/UPGRADE-staging/ari_messaging.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+Subject: ARI
+Subject: res_stasis
+
+The "TextMessageReceived" event used to include a list of "TextMessageVariable"
+objects as part of its output. Due to a couple of bugs in Asterisk a list of
+received variables was never included even if ones were available. However,
+variables set to send would be (which they should have not been), but would
+fail validation due to the bad formatting.
+
+So basically there was no way to get a "TextMessageReceived" event with
+variables. Due to this the API has changed. The "TextMessageVariable" object
+no longer exists. "TextMessageReceived" now returns a JSON object of key/value
+pairs. So for instance instead of a list of "TextMessageVariable" objects:
+
+[ TextMessageVariable, TextMessageVariable, TextMessageVariable]
+
+where a TextMessageVariable was supposed to be:
+
+{ "key": "<var name>", "value":, "<var value>" }
+
+The output is now just:
+
+{ "<var name>": "<var value>" }
+
+This aligns more with how variables are specified when sending a message, as
+well as other variable lists in ARI.
diff --git a/include/asterisk/message.h b/include/asterisk/message.h
index 826fa0ac3a..f5b7a7528d 100644
--- a/include/asterisk/message.h
+++ b/include/asterisk/message.h
@@ -396,6 +396,19 @@ struct ast_msg_var_iterator *ast_msg_var_iterator_init(const struct ast_msg *msg
  */
 int ast_msg_var_iterator_next(const struct ast_msg *msg, struct ast_msg_var_iterator *iter, const char **name, const char **value);
 
+/*!
+ * \brief Get the next variable name and value that was set on a received message
+ * \param msg The message with the variables
+ * \param iter An iterator created with ast_msg_var_iterator_init
+ * \param name A pointer to the name result pointer
+ * \param value A pointer to the value result pointer
+ *
+ * \retval 0 No more entries
+ * \retval 1 Valid entry
+ */
+int ast_msg_var_iterator_next_received(const struct ast_msg *msg,
+	struct ast_msg_var_iterator *iter, const char **name, const char **value);
+
 /*!
  * \brief Destroy a message variable iterator
  * \param iter Iterator to be destroyed
diff --git a/main/message.c b/main/message.c
index 39b8d873e0..dc81b4e6c6 100644
--- a/main/message.c
+++ b/main/message.c
@@ -627,7 +627,9 @@ struct ast_msg_var_iterator *ast_msg_var_iterator_init(const struct ast_msg *msg
 	return iter;
 }
 
-int ast_msg_var_iterator_next(const struct ast_msg *msg, struct ast_msg_var_iterator *iter, const char **name, const char **value)
+static int ast_msg_var_iterator_get_next(const struct ast_msg *msg,
+	struct ast_msg_var_iterator *iter, const char **name, const char **value,
+	unsigned int send)
 {
 	struct msg_data *data;
 
@@ -635,8 +637,8 @@ int ast_msg_var_iterator_next(const struct ast_msg *msg, struct ast_msg_var_iter
 		return 0;
 	}
 
-	/* Skip any that aren't marked for sending out */
-	while ((data = ao2_iterator_next(&iter->iter)) && !data->send) {
+	/* Skip any that we're told to */
+	while ((data = ao2_iterator_next(&iter->iter)) && (data->send != send)) {
 		ao2_ref(data, -1);
 	}
 
@@ -644,7 +646,7 @@ int ast_msg_var_iterator_next(const struct ast_msg *msg, struct ast_msg_var_iter
 		return 0;
 	}
 
-	if (data->send) {
+	if (data->send == send) {
 		*name = data->name;
 		*value = data->value;
 	}
@@ -656,6 +658,17 @@ int ast_msg_var_iterator_next(const struct ast_msg *msg, struct ast_msg_var_iter
 	return 1;
 }
 
+int ast_msg_var_iterator_next(const struct ast_msg *msg, struct ast_msg_var_iterator *iter, const char **name, const char **value)
+{
+	return ast_msg_var_iterator_get_next(msg, iter, name, value, 1);
+}
+
+int ast_msg_var_iterator_next_received(const struct ast_msg *msg,
+	  struct ast_msg_var_iterator *iter, const char **name, const char **value)
+{
+	return ast_msg_var_iterator_get_next(msg, iter, name, value, 0);
+}
+
 void ast_msg_var_unref_current(struct ast_msg_var_iterator *iter)
 {
 	ao2_cleanup(iter->current_used);
diff --git a/res/ari/ari_model_validators.c b/res/ari/ari_model_validators.c
index 8910bbb94a..0bbbb195e2 100644
--- a/res/ari/ari_model_validators.c
+++ b/res/ari/ari_model_validators.c
@@ -939,9 +939,8 @@ int ast_ari_validate_text_message(struct ast_json *json)
 		} else
 		if (strcmp("variables", ast_json_object_iter_key(iter)) == 0) {
 			int prop_is_valid;
-			prop_is_valid = ast_ari_validate_list(
-				ast_json_object_iter_value(iter),
-				ast_ari_validate_text_message_variable);
+			prop_is_valid = ast_ari_validate_object(
+				ast_json_object_iter_value(iter));
 			if (!prop_is_valid) {
 				ast_log(LOG_ERROR, "ARI TextMessage field variables failed validation\n");
 				res = 0;
@@ -978,60 +977,6 @@ ari_validator ast_ari_validate_text_message_fn(void)
 	return ast_ari_validate_text_message;
 }
 
-int ast_ari_validate_text_message_variable(struct ast_json *json)
-{
-	int res = 1;
-	struct ast_json_iter *iter;
-	int has_key = 0;
-	int has_value = 0;
-
-	for (iter = ast_json_object_iter(json); iter; iter = ast_json_object_iter_next(json, iter)) {
-		if (strcmp("key", ast_json_object_iter_key(iter)) == 0) {
-			int prop_is_valid;
-			has_key = 1;
-			prop_is_valid = ast_ari_validate_string(
-				ast_json_object_iter_value(iter));
-			if (!prop_is_valid) {
-				ast_log(LOG_ERROR, "ARI TextMessageVariable field key failed validation\n");
-				res = 0;
-			}
-		} else
-		if (strcmp("value", ast_json_object_iter_key(iter)) == 0) {
-			int prop_is_valid;
-			has_value = 1;
-			prop_is_valid = ast_ari_validate_string(
-				ast_json_object_iter_value(iter));
-			if (!prop_is_valid) {
-				ast_log(LOG_ERROR, "ARI TextMessageVariable field value failed validation\n");
-				res = 0;
-			}
-		} else
-		{
-			ast_log(LOG_ERROR,
-				"ARI TextMessageVariable has undocumented field %s\n",
-				ast_json_object_iter_key(iter));
-			res = 0;
-		}
-	}
-
-	if (!has_key) {
-		ast_log(LOG_ERROR, "ARI TextMessageVariable missing required field key\n");
-		res = 0;
-	}
-
-	if (!has_value) {
-		ast_log(LOG_ERROR, "ARI TextMessageVariable missing required field value\n");
-		res = 0;
-	}
-
-	return res;
-}
-
-ari_validator ast_ari_validate_text_message_variable_fn(void)
-{
-	return ast_ari_validate_text_message_variable;
-}
-
 int ast_ari_validate_caller_id(struct ast_json *json)
 {
 	int res = 1;
diff --git a/res/ari/ari_model_validators.h b/res/ari/ari_model_validators.h
index f9285b43ce..e34c2e4990 100644
--- a/res/ari/ari_model_validators.h
+++ b/res/ari/ari_model_validators.h
@@ -387,24 +387,6 @@ int ast_ari_validate_text_message(struct ast_json *json);
  */
 ari_validator ast_ari_validate_text_message_fn(void);
 
-/*!
- * \brief Validator for TextMessageVariable.
- *
- * A key/value pair variable in a text message.
- *
- * \param json JSON object to validate.
- * \returns True (non-zero) if valid.
- * \returns False (zero) if invalid.
- */
-int ast_ari_validate_text_message_variable(struct ast_json *json);
-
-/*!
- * \brief Function pointer to ast_ari_validate_text_message_variable().
- *
- * See \ref ast_ari_model_validators.h for more details.
- */
-ari_validator ast_ari_validate_text_message_variable_fn(void);
-
 /*!
  * \brief Validator for CallerID.
  *
@@ -1497,10 +1479,7 @@ ari_validator ast_ari_validate_application_fn(void);
  * - body: string (required)
  * - from: string (required)
  * - to: string (required)
- * - variables: List[TextMessageVariable]
- * TextMessageVariable
- * - key: string (required)
- * - value: string (required)
+ * - variables: object
  * CallerID
  * - name: string (required)
  * - number: string (required)
diff --git a/res/stasis/messaging.c b/res/stasis/messaging.c
index a7716b8043..78d6494a54 100644
--- a/res/stasis/messaging.c
+++ b/res/stasis/messaging.c
@@ -262,23 +262,20 @@ static struct ast_json *msg_to_json(struct ast_msg *msg)
 		return NULL;
 	}
 
-	json_vars = ast_json_array_create();
+	json_vars = ast_json_object_create();
 	if (!json_vars) {
 		ast_msg_var_iterator_destroy(it_vars);
 		return NULL;
 	}
 
-	while (ast_msg_var_iterator_next(msg, it_vars, &name, &value)) {
-		struct ast_json *json_tuple;
-
-		json_tuple = ast_json_pack("{s: s}", name, value);
-		if (!json_tuple) {
+	while (ast_msg_var_iterator_next_received(msg, it_vars, &name, &value)) {
+		struct ast_json *json_val = ast_json_string_create(value);
+		if (!json_val || ast_json_object_set(json_vars, name, json_val)) {
 			ast_json_unref(json_vars);
 			ast_msg_var_iterator_destroy(it_vars);
 			return NULL;
 		}
 
-		ast_json_array_append(json_vars, json_tuple);
 		ast_msg_var_unref_current(it_vars);
 	}
 	ast_msg_var_iterator_destroy(it_vars);
diff --git a/rest-api/api-docs/endpoints.json b/rest-api/api-docs/endpoints.json
index 264c0eb2d0..1f77d3705f 100644
--- a/rest-api/api-docs/endpoints.json
+++ b/rest-api/api-docs/endpoints.json
@@ -233,22 +233,6 @@
 				}
 			}
 		},
-		"TextMessageVariable": {
-			"id": "TextMessageVariable",
-			"description": "A key/value pair variable in a text message.",
-			"properties": {
-				"key": {
-					"type": "string",
-					"description": "A unique key identifying the variable.",
-					"required": true
-				},
-				"value": {
-					"type": "string",
-					"description": "The value of the variable.",
-					"required": true
-				}
-			}
-		},
 		"TextMessage": {
 			"id": "TextMessage",
 			"description": "A text message.",
@@ -269,8 +253,8 @@
 					"required": true
 				},
 				"variables": {
-					"type": "List[TextMessageVariable]",
-					"description": "Technology specific key/value pairs associated with the message.",
+					"type": "object",
+					"description": "Technology specific key/value pairs (JSON object) associated with the message.",
 					"required": false
 				}
 			}