diff --git a/library/Director/Objects/HostApplyMatches.php b/library/Director/Objects/HostApplyMatches.php
index 932f343b..cd505467 100644
--- a/library/Director/Objects/HostApplyMatches.php
+++ b/library/Director/Objects/HostApplyMatches.php
@@ -103,15 +103,7 @@ class HostApplyMatches
     protected static function fixFilterColumns(Filter $filter)
     {
         if ($filter->isExpression()) {
-            /** @var FilterExpression $filter */
-            $col = $filter->getColumn();
-            if (substr($col, 0, 5) === 'host.') {
-                $filter->setColumn($col = substr($col, 5));
-            }
-            if (array_key_exists($col, self::$columnMap)) {
-                $filter->setColumn(self::$columnMap[$col]);
-            }
-            $filter->setExpression(json_decode($filter->getExpression()));
+            static::fixFilterExpressionColumn($filter);
         } else {
             foreach ($filter->filters() as $sub) {
                 static::fixFilterColumns($sub);
@@ -119,6 +111,32 @@ class HostApplyMatches
         }
     }
 
+    protected static function fixFilterExpressionColumn(FilterExpression $filter)
+    {
+        if (static::columnIsJson($filter)) {
+            $column = $filter->getExpression();
+            $filter->setExpression($filter->getColumn());
+            $filter->setColumn($column);
+        }
+
+        /** @var FilterExpression $filter */
+        $col = $filter->getColumn();
+        if (substr($col, 0, 5) === 'host.') {
+            $filter->setColumn($col = substr($col, 5));
+        }
+
+        if (array_key_exists($col, self::$columnMap)) {
+            $filter->setColumn(self::$columnMap[$col]);
+        }
+        $filter->setExpression(json_decode($filter->getExpression()));
+    }
+
+    protected static function columnIsJson(FilterExpression $filter)
+    {
+        $col = $filter->getColumn();
+        return strlen($col) && $col[0] === '"';
+    }
+
     protected static function flattenVars(& $object, $key = 'vars')
     {
         if (property_exists($object, 'vars')) {
diff --git a/test/php/library/Director/Objects/HostApplyMatchesTest.php b/test/php/library/Director/Objects/HostApplyMatchesTest.php
index 4811044b..3c7f4328 100644
--- a/test/php/library/Director/Objects/HostApplyMatchesTest.php
+++ b/test/php/library/Director/Objects/HostApplyMatchesTest.php
@@ -64,6 +64,21 @@ class HostApplyMatchesTest extends BaseTestCase
         );
     }
 
+    public function testArrayVariableMatches()
+    {
+        $matcher = HostApplyMatches::prepare($this->sampleHost());
+        $this->assertTrue(
+            $matcher->matchesFilter(
+                Filter::fromQueryString('%22Amazing%22=host.vars.tags')
+            )
+        );
+        $this->assertFalse(
+            $matcher->matchesFilter(
+                Filter::fromQueryString('%22Amazingg%22=host.vars.tags')
+            )
+        );
+    }
+
     protected function sampleHost()
     {
         return IcingaHost::create(array(