diff --git a/src/detect-flowbits.c b/src/detect-flowbits.c
index 0b886c3ffe..0127eec8d9 100644
--- a/src/detect-flowbits.c
+++ b/src/detect-flowbits.c
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@
  * or
  *
  * flowbits:noalert;
- * 
+ *
  */
 
 #include <ctype.h>
@@ -185,7 +185,7 @@ int DetectFlowbitSetup (DetectEngineCtx *de_ctx, Signature *s, SigMatch *m, char
         goto error;
     }
 
-    cd->idx = VariableNameGetIdx(de_ctx,fb_name,fb_cmd,DETECT_FLOWBITS);
+    cd->idx = VariableNameGetIdx(de_ctx,fb_name,DETECT_FLOWBITS);
     cd->cmd = fb_cmd;
     //printf("DetectFlowbitSetup: idx %" PRIu32 ", cmd %s, name %s\n", cd->idx, fb_cmd_str, fb_name ? fb_name : "(null)");
 
diff --git a/src/detect-flowvar.c b/src/detect-flowvar.c
index b66ca9c9b0..28539c6494 100644
--- a/src/detect-flowvar.c
+++ b/src/detect-flowvar.c
@@ -191,7 +191,7 @@ int DetectFlowvarSetup (DetectEngineCtx *de_ctx, Signature *s, SigMatch *m, char
         return -1;
 
     cd->name = strdup(varname);
-    cd->idx = VariableNameGetIdx(de_ctx,varname,0,DETECT_FLOWVAR);
+    cd->idx = VariableNameGetIdx(de_ctx,varname,DETECT_FLOWVAR);
     memcpy(cd->content, str, len);
     cd->content_len = len;
     cd->flags = 0;
diff --git a/src/detect-pcre.c b/src/detect-pcre.c
index 69f410003c..de13782c9c 100644
--- a/src/detect-pcre.c
+++ b/src/detect-pcre.c
@@ -254,9 +254,9 @@ int DetectPcreSetup (DetectEngineCtx *de_ctx, Signature *s, SigMatch *m, char *r
         }
         if (capture_str_ptr != NULL) {
             if (pd->flags & DETECT_PCRE_CAPTURE_PKT)
-                pd->capidx = VariableNameGetIdx(de_ctx,(char *)capture_str_ptr,0,DETECT_PKTVAR);
+                pd->capidx = VariableNameGetIdx(de_ctx,(char *)capture_str_ptr,DETECT_PKTVAR);
             else if (pd->flags & DETECT_PCRE_CAPTURE_FLOW)
-                pd->capidx = VariableNameGetIdx(de_ctx,(char *)capture_str_ptr,0,DETECT_FLOWVAR);
+                pd->capidx = VariableNameGetIdx(de_ctx,(char *)capture_str_ptr,DETECT_FLOWVAR);
         }
     }
     //printf("DetectPcreSetup: pd->capname %s\n", pd->capname ? pd->capname : "NULL");
diff --git a/src/util-var-name.c b/src/util-var-name.c
index b52738c14b..0d3cf9f8da 100644
--- a/src/util-var-name.c
+++ b/src/util-var-name.c
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 #include "detect.h"
 #include "util-hashlist.h"
 
+/** \brief Name2idx mapping structure for flowbits, flowvars and pktvars. */
 typedef struct VariableName_ {
     char *name;
     uint8_t type; /* flowbit, pktvar, etc */
@@ -48,6 +49,11 @@ static void VariableNameFree(void *data) {
     free(fn);
 }
 
+/** \brief Initialize the Name idx hash.
+ *  \param de_ctx Ptr to the detection engine ctx.
+ *  \retval -1 in case of error
+ *  \retval 0 in case of success
+ */
 int VariableNameInitHash(DetectEngineCtx *de_ctx) {
     de_ctx->variable_names = HashListTableInit(4096, VariableNameHash, VariableNameCompare, VariableNameFree);
     if (de_ctx->variable_names == NULL)
@@ -56,7 +62,14 @@ int VariableNameInitHash(DetectEngineCtx *de_ctx) {
     return 0;
 }
 
-uint16_t VariableNameGetIdx(DetectEngineCtx *de_ctx, char *name, uint8_t cmd, uint8_t type) {
+/** \brief Get a name idx for a name. If the name is already used reuse the idx.
+ *  \param de_ctx Ptr to the detection engine ctx.
+ *  \param name nul terminated string with the name
+ *  \param type variable type (DETECT_FLOWBITS, DETECT_PKTVAR, etc)
+ *  \retval 0 in case of error
+ *  \retval _ the idx.
+ */
+uint16_t VariableNameGetIdx(DetectEngineCtx *de_ctx, char *name, uint8_t type) {
     uint16_t idx = 0;
 
     VariableName *fn = malloc(sizeof(VariableName));
@@ -78,6 +91,7 @@ uint16_t VariableNameGetIdx(DetectEngineCtx *de_ctx, char *name, uint8_t cmd, ui
         HashListTableAdd(de_ctx->variable_names, (void *)fn, 0);
     } else {
         idx = lookup_fn->idx;
+        VariableNameFree(fn);
     }
 
     return idx;
diff --git a/src/util-var-name.h b/src/util-var-name.h
index 73a4ebe74c..65be64077d 100644
--- a/src/util-var-name.h
+++ b/src/util-var-name.h
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 #define __UTIL_VAR_NAME_H__
 
 int VariableNameInitHash(DetectEngineCtx *de_ctx);
-uint16_t VariableNameGetIdx(DetectEngineCtx *, char *, uint8_t, uint8_t);
+uint16_t VariableNameGetIdx(DetectEngineCtx *, char *, uint8_t);
 
 #endif