diff --git a/app/models/ci/pipeline_schedule_variable.rb b/app/models/ci/pipeline_schedule_variable.rb
index ee5b8733fac..6c9c8d990f9 100644
--- a/app/models/ci/pipeline_schedule_variable.rb
+++ b/app/models/ci/pipeline_schedule_variable.rb
@@ -5,6 +5,6 @@ module Ci
 
     belongs_to :pipeline_schedule
 
-    validates :key, uniqueness: { scope: :pipeline_schedule_id }
+    validates :key, uniqueness: { scope: :pipeline_schedule_id }, presence: { unless: :importing? }
   end
 end
diff --git a/doc/ci/variables/README.md b/doc/ci/variables/README.md
index 664ef4f66a8..72f4c24fb94 100644
--- a/doc/ci/variables/README.md
+++ b/doc/ci/variables/README.md
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ and a list of **user-defined variables**.
 The variables can be overwritten and they take precedence over each other in
 this order:
 
-1. [Trigger variables][triggers] or [scheduled pipeline variables](../../user/project/pipelines/schedules#making-use-of-scheduled-pipeline-variables) (take precedence over all)
+1. [Trigger variables][triggers] or [scheduled pipeline variables](../../user/project/pipelines/schedules.md#making-use-of-scheduled-pipeline-variables) (take precedence over all)
 1. [Secret variables](#secret-variables) or [protected secret variables](#protected-secret-variables)
 1. YAML-defined [job-level variables](../yaml/README.md#job-variables)
 1. YAML-defined [global variables](../yaml/README.md#variables)
diff --git a/lib/gitlab/import_export/import_export.yml b/lib/gitlab/import_export/import_export.yml
index 1860352c96d..2d443aa731f 100644
--- a/lib/gitlab/import_export/import_export.yml
+++ b/lib/gitlab/import_export/import_export.yml
@@ -42,7 +42,8 @@ project_tree:
     - :stages
     - :statuses
   - :triggers
-  - :pipeline_schedules
+  - pipeline_schedules:
+    - :variables
   - :services
   - :hooks
   - protected_branches:
diff --git a/spec/lib/gitlab/import_export/all_models.yml b/spec/lib/gitlab/import_export/all_models.yml
index 0b2e2b335c4..40ae0a1846b 100644
--- a/spec/lib/gitlab/import_export/all_models.yml
+++ b/spec/lib/gitlab/import_export/all_models.yml
@@ -130,9 +130,9 @@ pipeline_schedules:
 - owner
 - pipelines
 - last_pipeline
-- variables
 pipeline_schedule:
 - pipelines
+- pipeline_schedule_variables
 pipeline_schedule_variables:
 - pipeline_schedule
 deploy_keys:
diff --git a/spec/models/ci/build_spec.rb b/spec/models/ci/build_spec.rb
index 8750cbcb13c..a4f29ce462f 100644
--- a/spec/models/ci/build_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/ci/build_spec.rb
@@ -1371,8 +1371,10 @@ describe Ci::Build, :models do
 
     context 'when a job was triggered by a pipeline schedule' do
       let(:pipeline_schedule) { create(:ci_pipeline_schedule, project: project) }
+
       let!(:pipeline_schedule_variable) do
-        create(:ci_pipeline_schedule_variable, key: 'SCHEDULE_VARIABLE_KEY',
+        create(:ci_pipeline_schedule_variable,
+          key: 'SCHEDULE_VARIABLE_KEY',
           pipeline_schedule: pipeline_schedule)
       end