diff --git a/docs/gst-validate-scenarios.md b/docs/gst-validate-scenarios.md
index 987021c8b6..7cd6906c86 100644
--- a/docs/gst-validate-scenarios.md
+++ b/docs/gst-validate-scenarios.md
@@ -93,3 +93,16 @@ action types in the [`GstValidateScenario` section].
   [`GST_STATE_NULL`]: GST_STATE_NULL
   [`GstValidateScenario` section]: GstValidateScenario
 
+## Default variables
+
+Any action can use the default variables:
+
+- `$(position)`: The current position in the pipeline as reported by
+  [gst_element_query_position()](gst_element_query_position)
+- `$(duration)`: The current duration of the pipeline as reported by
+  [gst_element_query_duration()](gst_element_query_duration)
+- `$(TMPDIR)`: The default temporary directory as returned by
+  [g_get_tmp_dir()](g_get_tmp_dir).
+
+
+It is also possible to set variables in scenario with the `set-vars` action.
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/validate/gst/validate/gst-validate-scenario.c b/validate/gst/validate/gst-validate-scenario.c
index df88e16b4e..be1914ffac 100644
--- a/validate/gst/validate/gst-validate-scenario.c
+++ b/validate/gst/validate/gst-validate-scenario.c
@@ -505,61 +505,6 @@ _update_well_known_vars (GstValidateScenario * scenario)
   }
 }
 
-static gchar *
-_replace_variables_in_string (GstValidateScenario * scenario,
-    GstValidateAction * action, const gchar * in_string)
-{
-  GRegex *regex;
-  gint varname_len;
-  GMatchInfo *match_info;
-  const gchar *var_value;
-  gchar *tmpstring, *string = g_strdup (in_string);
-
-  _update_well_known_vars (scenario);
-  regex = g_regex_new ("\\$\\((\\w+)\\)", 0, 0, NULL);
-  g_regex_match (regex, string, 0, &match_info);
-  while (g_match_info_matches (match_info)) {
-    GRegex *replace_regex;
-    gchar *tmp, *varname, *pvarname = g_match_info_fetch (match_info, 0);
-
-    varname_len = strlen (pvarname);
-    varname = g_malloc (sizeof (gchar) * (varname_len - 2));
-    strncpy (varname, &pvarname[2], varname_len - 3);
-    varname[varname_len - 3] = '\0';
-
-    if (gst_structure_has_field_typed (scenario->priv->vars, varname,
-            G_TYPE_DOUBLE)) {
-      var_value = varname;
-    } else {
-      var_value = gst_structure_get_string (scenario->priv->vars, varname);
-      if (!var_value) {
-        g_error ("Trying to use undefined variable : %s (%s)", varname,
-            gst_structure_to_string (scenario->priv->vars));
-
-        return NULL;
-      }
-    }
-
-    tmp = g_strdup_printf ("\\$\\(%s\\)", varname);
-    replace_regex = g_regex_new (tmp, 0, 0, NULL);
-    g_free (tmp);
-    tmpstring = string;
-    string = g_regex_replace (replace_regex, string, -1, 0, var_value, 0, NULL);
-
-    GST_INFO_OBJECT (action, "Setting variable %s to %s", varname, var_value);
-    g_free (tmpstring);
-    g_regex_unref (replace_regex);
-    g_free (pvarname);
-    g_free (varname);
-
-    g_match_info_next (match_info, NULL);
-  }
-  g_match_info_free (match_info);
-  g_regex_unref (regex);
-
-  return string;
-}
-
 static gboolean
 _set_variable_func (const gchar * name, double *value, gpointer user_data)
 {
@@ -635,7 +580,10 @@ gst_validate_action_get_clocktime (GstValidateScenario * scenario,
       return -1;
     }
 
-    strval = _replace_variables_in_string (scenario, action, tmpvalue);
+    _update_well_known_vars (scenario);
+    strval =
+        gst_validate_replace_variables_in_string (scenario->priv->vars,
+        tmpvalue);
     if (!strval)
       return FALSE;
 
@@ -2974,8 +2922,7 @@ _structure_set_variables (GQuark field_id, GValue * value,
   if (!scenario)
     return TRUE;
 
-  str =
-      _replace_variables_in_string (scenario, action,
+  str = gst_validate_replace_variables_in_string (scenario->priv->vars,
       g_value_get_string (value));
   if (str) {
     g_value_set_string (value, str);
diff --git a/validate/gst/validate/gst-validate-utils.c b/validate/gst/validate/gst-validate-utils.c
index 43b888a07d..8c60eb8e9d 100644
--- a/validate/gst/validate/gst-validate-utils.c
+++ b/validate/gst/validate/gst-validate-utils.c
@@ -46,6 +46,8 @@
 #define PARSER_MAX_ARGUMENT_COUNT 10
 
 static GRegex *_clean_structs_lines = NULL;
+static GRegex *_variables_regex = NULL;
+static GstStructure *global_vars = NULL;
 
 typedef struct
 {
@@ -939,3 +941,70 @@ gst_validate_element_matches_target (GstElement * element, GstStructure * s)
 
   return FALSE;
 }
+
+gchar *
+gst_validate_replace_variables_in_string (GstStructure * local_vars,
+    const gchar * in_string)
+{
+  gint varname_len;
+  GMatchInfo *match_info;
+  const gchar *var_value = NULL;
+  gchar *tmpstring, *string = g_strdup (in_string);
+
+  if (!_variables_regex)
+    _variables_regex = g_regex_new ("\\$\\((\\w+)\\)", 0, 0, NULL);
+
+  if (!global_vars) {
+    global_vars =
+        gst_structure_new ("vars", "TMPDIR", G_TYPE_STRING, g_get_tmp_dir (),
+        NULL);
+  }
+
+  g_regex_match (_variables_regex, string, 0, &match_info);
+  while (g_match_info_matches (match_info)) {
+    GRegex *replace_regex;
+    gchar *tmp, *varname, *pvarname = g_match_info_fetch (match_info, 0);
+
+    varname_len = strlen (pvarname);
+    varname = g_malloc (sizeof (gchar) * (varname_len - 2));
+    strncpy (varname, &pvarname[2], varname_len - 3);
+    varname[varname_len - 3] = '\0';
+
+    if (local_vars && gst_structure_has_field_typed (local_vars, varname,
+            G_TYPE_DOUBLE)) {
+      var_value = varname;
+    } else {
+      if (local_vars)
+        var_value = gst_structure_get_string (local_vars, varname);
+
+      if (!var_value)
+        var_value = gst_structure_get_string (global_vars, varname);
+
+      if (!var_value) {
+        g_error
+            ("Trying to use undefined variable : %s (\nlocals: %s\nglobals: %s\n)",
+            varname, gst_structure_to_string (local_vars),
+            gst_structure_to_string (global_vars));
+
+        return NULL;
+      }
+    }
+
+    tmp = g_strdup_printf ("\\$\\(%s\\)", varname);
+    replace_regex = g_regex_new (tmp, 0, 0, NULL);
+    g_free (tmp);
+    tmpstring = string;
+    string = g_regex_replace (replace_regex, string, -1, 0, var_value, 0, NULL);
+
+    GST_INFO ("Setting variable %s to %s", varname, var_value);
+    g_free (tmpstring);
+    g_regex_unref (replace_regex);
+    g_free (pvarname);
+    g_free (varname);
+
+    g_match_info_next (match_info, NULL);
+  }
+  g_match_info_free (match_info);
+
+  return string;
+}
diff --git a/validate/gst/validate/gst-validate-utils.h b/validate/gst/validate/gst-validate-utils.h
index 40d0a88c84..adfd8e3c0f 100644
--- a/validate/gst/validate/gst-validate-utils.h
+++ b/validate/gst/validate/gst-validate-utils.h
@@ -69,5 +69,6 @@ void gst_validate_spin_on_fault_signals (void);
 
 GST_VALIDATE_API
 gboolean gst_validate_element_matches_target (GstElement * element, GstStructure * s);
+gchar * gst_validate_replace_variables_in_string (GstStructure * local_vars, const gchar * in_string);
 
 #endif