diff --git a/src/common.cc b/src/common.cc
index a7bbec4e..9e21fa82 100644
--- a/src/common.cc
+++ b/src/common.cc
@@ -460,12 +460,9 @@ void print_loadavg(struct text_object *obj, char *p, int p_max_size)
 
 void scan_no_update(struct text_object *obj, const char *arg)
 {
-	struct text_object subroot;
-
-	obj->data.s = (char*) malloc(text_buffer_size.get(*state));
-	parse_conky_vars(&subroot, arg, obj->data.s, text_buffer_size.get(*state));
+	obj->data.s = (char*) malloc(text_buffer_size);
+	evaluate(arg, obj->data.s, text_buffer_size.get(*state));
 	obj->data.s = (char*) realloc(obj->data.s, strlen(obj->data.s) + 1);
-	free_text_objects(&subroot);
 }
 
 void free_no_update(struct text_object *obj) {
diff --git a/src/core.cc b/src/core.cc
index a672a52b..0b4717af 100644
--- a/src/core.cc
+++ b/src/core.cc
@@ -720,6 +720,7 @@ struct text_object *construct_text_object(char *s, const char *arg, long
 	END OBJ(execp, 0)
 		scan_exec_arg(obj, arg);
 		obj->parse = true;
+		obj->verbatim_output = true;
 		obj->thread = false;
 		obj->callbacks.print = &print_exec;
 		obj->callbacks.free = &free_exec;
@@ -760,6 +761,7 @@ struct text_object *construct_text_object(char *s, const char *arg, long
 	END OBJ_ARG(execpi, 0, "execpi needs arguments")
 		scan_execi_arg(obj, arg);
 		obj->parse = true;
+		obj->verbatim_output = true;
 		obj->thread = false;
 		obj->callbacks.print = &print_execi;
 		obj->callbacks.free = &free_execi;
@@ -772,6 +774,7 @@ struct text_object *construct_text_object(char *s, const char *arg, long
 	END OBJ_ARG(texecpi, 0, "texecpi needs arguments")
 		scan_execi_arg(obj, arg);
 		obj->parse = true;
+		obj->verbatim_output = true;
 		obj->thread = true;
 		obj->callbacks.print = &print_execi;
 		obj->callbacks.free = &free_execi;
@@ -1632,6 +1635,7 @@ struct text_object *construct_text_object(char *s, const char *arg, long
 		obj->callbacks.free = &gen_free_opaque;
 	END OBJ_ARG(lua_parse, 0, "lua_parse needs arguments: <function name> [function parameters]")
 		obj->data.s = strndup(arg, text_buffer_size.get(*state));
+		obj->verbatim_output = true;
 		obj->callbacks.print = &print_lua_parse;
 		obj->callbacks.free = &gen_free_opaque;
 	END OBJ_ARG(lua_bar, 0, "lua_bar needs arguments: <height>,<width> <function name> [function parameters]")
diff --git a/src/exec.cc b/src/exec.cc
index 60ec47db..904f1a44 100644
--- a/src/exec.cc
+++ b/src/exec.cc
@@ -290,9 +290,7 @@ void scan_execgraph_arg(struct text_object *obj, const char *arg)
 
 void fill_p(char *buffer, struct text_object *obj, char *p, int p_max_size) {
 	if(obj->parse == true) {
-		struct text_object subroot;
-		parse_conky_vars(&subroot, buffer, p, p_max_size);
-		free_text_objects(&subroot);
+		evaluate(buffer, p, p_max_size);
 	} else snprintf(p, p_max_size, "%s", buffer);
 	remove_deleted_chars(p);
 }