diff --git a/umbraco/presentation/umbraco/LiveEditing/Modules/SkinModule/CssParser.aspx.cs b/umbraco/presentation/umbraco/LiveEditing/Modules/SkinModule/CssParser.aspx.cs
index bd31c9f96f..2c7eeaf285 100644
--- a/umbraco/presentation/umbraco/LiveEditing/Modules/SkinModule/CssParser.aspx.cs
+++ b/umbraco/presentation/umbraco/LiveEditing/Modules/SkinModule/CssParser.aspx.cs
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ namespace umbraco.presentation.umbraco.LiveEditing.Modules.SkinModule
 
                     foreach (CssVariable var in ActiveSkin.Css.Variables)
                     {
-                        varValues.Add(var.Name, string.IsNullOrEmpty(Request[var.Name]) ? var.DefaultValue : "#" + Request[var.Name]);
+                        varValues.Add(var.Name, string.IsNullOrEmpty(Request[var.Name]) ? var.DefaultValue : Request[var.Name]);
 
                     }
 
diff --git a/umbraco/presentation/umbraco/LiveEditing/Modules/SkinModule/SkinCustomizer.ascx.cs b/umbraco/presentation/umbraco/LiveEditing/Modules/SkinModule/SkinCustomizer.ascx.cs
index 26c343aeac..da58563adb 100644
--- a/umbraco/presentation/umbraco/LiveEditing/Modules/SkinModule/SkinCustomizer.ascx.cs
+++ b/umbraco/presentation/umbraco/LiveEditing/Modules/SkinModule/SkinCustomizer.ascx.cs
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ namespace umbraco.presentation.LiveEditing.Modules.SkinModule
                     builder.AppendLine(
                         string.Format("var cssvar{0} = '{1}';",cssVar.Name,cssVar.DefaultValue));
 
-                    varquery += string.Format("+ '&{0}=' + cssvar{0}.replace('#','')", cssVar.Name);
+                    varquery += string.Format("+ '&{0}=' + cssvar{0}.replace('#','%23')", cssVar.Name);
                 }
             }