diff --git a/basic_email/views.py b/basic_email/views.py
index cd9960b..ba80b80 100644
--- a/basic_email/views.py
+++ b/basic_email/views.py
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@ def get_context_data(self, *args, **kwargs):
 
 class PreviewEmailView(TemplateView):
     sub_tmp_dir = 'emails_tmp'
+    tmpl_variable_prefix = '{##_'
 
     def get_email_template(self, *args, **kwargs):
         if not self.request.GET.get('template'):
@@ -74,7 +75,7 @@ def content_encode(self, content):
         content = content.replace('{% block ', '{#_block ')
         content = content.replace('{% endblock ', '{#_endblock ')
         content = content.replace('{%', '{#_')
-        content = content.replace('{{', '{##_ ')
+        content = content.replace('{{', self.tmpl_variable_prefix)
         content = content.replace('{#_extends', '{% extends')
         content = content.replace('{#_block ', '{% block ')
         content = content.replace('{#_endblock ', '{% endblock ')
@@ -103,8 +104,10 @@ def list_template_variables(self):
         self.prepare_tmp_files(tmp_dir)
         file_name = self.get_email_template().replace(settings.BASIC_EMAIL_DIRECTORY, self.sub_tmp_dir)
         content = render_to_string(file_name)
-        regexp = re.compile('(?<={##_ )\w+')
-        variables = regexp.findall(content)
+        regexp = re.compile(self.tmpl_variable_prefix + '\s*\w+')
+        # this regexp (?<={##_\s+)\w+') will not work since look behind statement requires fixed width expression
+        # need to manually remove prefix
+        variables = [v.replace(self.tmpl_variable_prefix, '').strip() for v in regexp.findall(content)]
         shutil.rmtree(tmp_dir)  # careful! removes whole tree.
         return variables
 
diff --git a/example_project/templates/emails/email_start.html b/example_project/templates/emails/email_start.html
index 9939217..93f7061 100644
--- a/example_project/templates/emails/email_start.html
+++ b/example_project/templates/emails/email_start.html
@@ -36,6 +36,17 @@
                         <h3>Welcome, Elijah Baily {{test_template_variable_1}}</h3>
                         <p class="lead">Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et. {{test_template_variable_2}}</p>
                         
+                        <p>
+                            Testing variable 3 {{ test_template_variable_3 }}
+                        </p>
+
+                        <p>
+                            Testing variable 4 {{  test_template_variable_4 }}
+                        </p>
+
+                        <p>
+                            Testing variable 5 {{       test_template_variable_5 }}
+                        </p>
                         <!-- A Real Hero (and a real human being) -->
                         <p><img src="http://placehold.it/600x300" /></p><!-- /hero -->
                         
diff --git a/example_project/tests/tests.py b/example_project/tests/tests.py
index 21d7e44..c0ca777 100644
--- a/example_project/tests/tests.py
+++ b/example_project/tests/tests.py
@@ -61,7 +61,11 @@ def test_variables_list(self):
         # proper
         response = self.client.get(reverse('list-email-template-variables') + '?template=email_start.html')
         self.assertEqual(response.status_code, 200)
-        self.assertEqual(len(response.context['template_variables']), 3)
-        self.assertEqual(response.context['template_variables'][0], 'test_base_template_variable')
-        self.assertEqual(response.context['template_variables'][1], 'test_template_variable_1')
-        self.assertEqual(response.context['template_variables'][2], 'test_template_variable_2')
+        self.assertEqual(len(response.context['template_variables']), 7)
+        self.assertEqual(response.context['template_variables'][0], 'emailSubject')
+        self.assertEqual(response.context['template_variables'][1], 'test_base_template_variable')
+        self.assertEqual(response.context['template_variables'][2], 'test_template_variable_1')
+        self.assertEqual(response.context['template_variables'][3], 'test_template_variable_2')
+        self.assertEqual(response.context['template_variables'][4], 'test_template_variable_3')
+        self.assertEqual(response.context['template_variables'][5], 'test_template_variable_4')
+        self.assertEqual(response.context['template_variables'][6], 'test_template_variable_5')