diff --git a/app/controllers/groups/variables_controller.rb b/app/controllers/groups/variables_controller.rb
index 5fbf532b98e..3a832a7c005 100644
--- a/app/controllers/groups/variables_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/groups/variables_controller.rb
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ module Groups
         format.json do
           return head :ok if @group.update(variables_params)
 
-          head :bad_request
+          render status: :bad_request, json: @group.errors.to_hash
         end
       end
     end
diff --git a/app/controllers/projects/variables_controller.rb b/app/controllers/projects/variables_controller.rb
index 8bee1b97d14..9c0dad393c3 100644
--- a/app/controllers/projects/variables_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/projects/variables_controller.rb
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ class Projects::VariablesController < Projects::ApplicationController
       format.json do
         return head :ok if @project.update(variables_params)
 
-        head :bad_request
+        render status: :bad_request, json: @project.errors.to_hash
       end
     end
   end