diff --git a/docs/changes.xml b/docs/changes.xml
index db352022..c1cf96d2 100644
--- a/docs/changes.xml
+++ b/docs/changes.xml
@@ -55,6 +55,12 @@ variables support in the "location" option of the "return" action.
 </para>
 </change>
 
+<change type="feature">
+<para>
+added new variable $request_uri with the same meaning as in NGINX.
+</para>
+</change>
+
 <change type="feature">
 <para>
 compatibility with GCC 12.
diff --git a/src/nxt_http_variables.c b/src/nxt_http_variables.c
index 1c0b561d..b765e177 100644
--- a/src/nxt_http_variables.c
+++ b/src/nxt_http_variables.c
@@ -9,6 +9,8 @@
 
 static nxt_int_t nxt_http_var_method(nxt_task_t *task, nxt_var_query_t *query,
     nxt_str_t *str, void *ctx);
+static nxt_int_t nxt_http_var_request_uri(nxt_task_t *task,
+    nxt_var_query_t *query, nxt_str_t *str, void *ctx);
 static nxt_int_t nxt_http_var_uri(nxt_task_t *task, nxt_var_query_t *query,
     nxt_str_t *str, void *ctx);
 static nxt_int_t nxt_http_var_host(nxt_task_t *task, nxt_var_query_t *query,
@@ -20,6 +22,10 @@ static nxt_var_decl_t  nxt_http_vars[] = {
       &nxt_http_var_method,
       0 },
 
+    { nxt_string("request_uri"),
+      &nxt_http_var_request_uri,
+      0 },
+
     { nxt_string("uri"),
       &nxt_http_var_uri,
       0 },
@@ -51,6 +57,20 @@ nxt_http_var_method(nxt_task_t *task, nxt_var_query_t *query, nxt_str_t *str,
 }
 
 
+static nxt_int_t
+nxt_http_var_request_uri(nxt_task_t *task, nxt_var_query_t *query,
+    nxt_str_t *str, void *ctx)
+{
+    nxt_http_request_t  *r;
+
+    r = ctx;
+
+    *str = r->target;
+
+    return NXT_OK;
+}
+
+
 static nxt_int_t
 nxt_http_var_uri(nxt_task_t *task, nxt_var_query_t *query, nxt_str_t *str,
     void *ctx)