diff --git a/lib/MySQL_Session.cpp b/lib/MySQL_Session.cpp
index 38ecfcceb..5609464fe 100644
--- a/lib/MySQL_Session.cpp
+++ b/lib/MySQL_Session.cpp
@@ -5386,6 +5386,7 @@ bool MySQL_Session::handler___status_WAITING_CLIENT_DATA___STATE_SLEEP___MYSQL_C
 		unsigned int nTrx=NumActiveTransactions();
 		if ((locked_on_hostgroup == -1) && (strncasecmp(dig,(char *)"SET ",4)==0)) {
 			// this code is executed only if locked_on_hostgroup is not set yet
+			// if locked_on_hostgroup is set, we do not try to parse the SET statement
 #ifdef DEBUG
 			{
 				string nqn = string((char *)CurrentQuery.QueryPointer,CurrentQuery.QueryLength);
@@ -5739,13 +5740,19 @@ bool MySQL_Session::handler___status_WAITING_CLIENT_DATA___STATE_SLEEP___MYSQL_C
 							proxy_debug(PROXY_DEBUG_MYSQL_COM, 8, "Changing connection TX ISOLATION to %s\n", value1.c_str());
 						}
 					} else if (std::find(mysql_variables.ignore_vars.begin(), mysql_variables.ignore_vars.end(), var) != mysql_variables.ignore_vars.end()) {
+						// this is a variable we parse but ignore
+						// see MySQL_Variables::MySQL_Variables() for a list of ignored variables
+#ifdef DEBUG
 						std::string value1 = *values;
-						proxy_info("%s = %s\n", var.c_str(), value1.c_str());
+						proxy_debug(PROXY_DEBUG_MYSQL_COM, 5, "Processing SET %s value %s\n", var.c_str(), value1.c_str());
+#endif // DEBUG
 					} else {
-						std::string value1 = *values;
-						std::size_t found_at = value1.find("@");
-						if (found_at != std::string::npos) {
-							unable_to_parse_set_statement(lock_hostgroup);
+						// if we reach here, proxysql didn't recognize every variable in a set statement
+						// unable_to_parse_set_statement() will consider the value of qpo->multiplex,
+						// therefore unable_to_parse_set_statement() may set or not set lock_hostgroup.
+						// if host_hostgroup is set, we return immediately
+						unable_to_parse_set_statement(lock_hostgroup);
+						if (lock_hostgroup) {
 							return false;
 						}
 					}
diff --git a/lib/MySQL_Variables.cpp b/lib/MySQL_Variables.cpp
index ddf766e9e..f3f9660a5 100644
--- a/lib/MySQL_Variables.cpp
+++ b/lib/MySQL_Variables.cpp
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ update_var MySQL_Variables::updaters[SQL_NAME_LAST];
 
 MySQL_Variables::MySQL_Variables() {
 	// add here all the variables we want proxysql to recognize, but ignore
-	ignore_vars.push_back("interactve_timeout");
+	ignore_vars.push_back("interactive_timeout");
 	ignore_vars.push_back("wait_timeout");
 	ignore_vars.push_back("net_read_timeout");
 	variables_regexp = "";