diff --git a/lib/icinga/macroprocessor.cpp b/lib/icinga/macroprocessor.cpp
index 103c4cc18..9218e07cf 100644
--- a/lib/icinga/macroprocessor.cpp
+++ b/lib/icinga/macroprocessor.cpp
@@ -62,10 +62,12 @@ Value MacroProcessor::ResolveMacros(const Value& str, const ResolverList& resolv
 }
 
 bool MacroProcessor::ResolveMacro(const String& macro, const ResolverList& resolvers,
-    const CheckResult::Ptr& cr, String *result)
+    const CheckResult::Ptr& cr, String *result, bool *user_macro)
 {
 	CONTEXT("Resolving macro '" + macro + "'");
 
+	*user_macro = false;
+
 	std::vector<String> tokens;
 	boost::algorithm::split(tokens, macro, boost::is_any_of("."));
 
@@ -87,6 +89,7 @@ bool MacroProcessor::ResolveMacro(const String& macro, const ResolverList& resol
 
 				if (vars && vars->Contains(macro)) {
 					*result = vars->Get(macro);
+					*user_macro = true;
 					return true;
 				}
 			}
@@ -132,6 +135,9 @@ bool MacroProcessor::ResolveMacro(const String& macro, const ResolverList& resol
 		}
 
 		if (valid) {
+			if (tokens[0] == "vars")
+				*user_macro = true;
+
 			*result = ref;
 			return true;
 		}
@@ -161,7 +167,8 @@ String MacroProcessor::InternalResolveMacros(const String& str, const ResolverLi
 		String name = result.SubStr(pos_first + 1, pos_second - pos_first - 1);
 
 		String resolved_macro;
-		bool found = ResolveMacro(name, resolvers, cr, &resolved_macro);
+		bool user_macro;
+		bool found = ResolveMacro(name, resolvers, cr, &resolved_macro, &user_macro);
 
 		/* $$ is an escape sequence for $. */
 		if (name.IsEmpty()) {
@@ -172,8 +179,9 @@ String MacroProcessor::InternalResolveMacros(const String& str, const ResolverLi
 		if (!found)
 			Log(LogWarning, "icinga", "Macro '" + name + "' is not defined.");
 
-		/* recursively resolve macros in the macro */
-		resolved_macro = InternalResolveMacros(resolved_macro, resolvers, cr, EscapeCallback(), recursionLevel + 1);
+		/* recursively resolve macros in the macro if it was a user macro */
+		if (user_macro)
+			resolved_macro = InternalResolveMacros(resolved_macro, resolvers, cr, EscapeCallback(), recursionLevel + 1);
 
 		if (escapeFn)
 			resolved_macro = escapeFn(resolved_macro);
diff --git a/lib/icinga/macroprocessor.h b/lib/icinga/macroprocessor.h
index 61cea23ba..1d9e8d009 100644
--- a/lib/icinga/macroprocessor.h
+++ b/lib/icinga/macroprocessor.h
@@ -44,12 +44,12 @@ public:
 
 	static Value ResolveMacros(const Value& str, const ResolverList& resolvers,
 		const CheckResult::Ptr& cr, const EscapeCallback& escapeFn = EscapeCallback());
-	static bool ResolveMacro(const String& macro, const ResolverList& resolvers,
-		const CheckResult::Ptr& cr, String *result);
 
 private:
 	MacroProcessor(void);
 
+	static bool ResolveMacro(const String& macro, const ResolverList& resolvers,
+		const CheckResult::Ptr& cr, String *result, bool *user_macro);
 	static String InternalResolveMacros(const String& str,
 	    const ResolverList& resolvers, const CheckResult::Ptr& cr,
 	    const EscapeCallback& escapeFn, int recursionLevel = 0);