// If the recursion_depth hit the limit, assume we aren't going to get it
  // from the cache or the lock will be released any time soon. Give up and
  // get variables from the database.
  $result = db_query('SELECT * FROM {variable}');
  // Exit here if the database went away. Do not want to pollute the cache
  // with bad data. This request isn't going to end well.
  if ($result === FALSE) {
    // This function calls exit.
    _db_error_page();
  }
  while ($variable = db_fetch_object($result)) {
    $variables[$variable->name] = unserialize($variable->value);
  }

if (defined('MAINTENANCE_MODE') || lock_acquire('variable_cache_regenerate')) {
  $result = db_query('SELECT * FROM {variable}');
  // Exit here if the database went away. Do not want to pollute the cache
  // with bad data. This request isn't going to end well anyway; end it
  // eairly.
  if ($result === FALSE) {
    // This function calls exit.
    lock_release('variable_cache_regenerate');
    _db_error_page();
  }
  while ($variable = db_fetch_object($result)) {
    $variables[$variable->name] = unserialize($variable->value);
  }


  cache_set('variables', $variables);
  if (!defined('MAINTENANCE_MODE')) {
    lock_release('variable_cache_regenerate');
  }
}