diff --git a/e2e/tests/config/config.go b/e2e/tests/config/config.go
index 518339006f..39706af4bc 100644
--- a/e2e/tests/config/config.go
+++ b/e2e/tests/config/config.go
@@ -56,6 +56,28 @@ var _ = DevSpaceDescribe("config", func() {
 		framework.ExpectEqual(config.Config().Dev["sync-0"].Terminal.Command, "test")
 	})
 
+	ginkgo.It("should patch correctly", func() {
+		tempDir, err := framework.CopyToTempDir("tests/config/testdata/profile-patches")
+		framework.ExpectNoError(err)
+		defer framework.CleanupTempDir(initialDir, tempDir)
+
+		// reload it
+		config, _, err := framework.LoadConfigWithOptions(f, kubeClient.Client(), "var-patch.yaml", &loader.ConfigOptions{})
+		framework.ExpectNoError(err)
+
+		framework.ExpectEqual(len(config.Config().Images), 1)
+		framework.ExpectEqual(config.Config().Images["test"].Image, "sample")
+		framework.ExpectEqual(config.Config().Images["test"].Kaniko.Labels, map[string]string{"app": "sample"})
+
+		// with profile
+		config, _, err = framework.LoadConfigWithOptions(f, kubeClient.Client(), "var-patch.yaml", &loader.ConfigOptions{Profiles: []string{"alt"}})
+		framework.ExpectNoError(err)
+
+		framework.ExpectEqual(len(config.Config().Images), 1)
+		framework.ExpectEqual(config.Config().Images["test"].Image, "sample-alt")
+		framework.ExpectEqual(config.Config().Images["test"].Kaniko.Labels, map[string]string{"app": "sample-alt"})
+	})
+
 	ginkgo.It("should resolve runtime environment variables correctly", func() {
 		tempDir, err := framework.CopyToTempDir("tests/config/testdata/runtime-variables")
 		framework.ExpectNoError(err)
@@ -1737,8 +1759,7 @@ var _ = DevSpaceDescribe("config", func() {
 		framework.ExpectNoError(err)
 
 		// check if variables were loaded correctly
-		fmt.Println(config.Variables())
-		framework.ExpectEqual(len(config.Variables()), 4+len(variable.AlwaysResolvePredefinedVars))
+		framework.ExpectEqual(len(config.Variables()), 3+len(variable.AlwaysResolvePredefinedVars))
 		framework.ExpectEqual(len(config.LocalCache().ListVars()), 1)
 		test1, _ := config.LocalCache().GetVar("TEST_1")
 		framework.ExpectEqual(test1, "test")
@@ -1767,7 +1788,7 @@ var _ = DevSpaceDescribe("config", func() {
 		framework.ExpectNoError(err)
 
 		// config
-		framework.ExpectEqual(len(config.Variables()), 4+len(variable.AlwaysResolvePredefinedVars))
+		framework.ExpectEqual(len(config.Variables()), 3+len(variable.AlwaysResolvePredefinedVars))
 		framework.ExpectEqual(len(config.LocalCache().ListVars()), 2)
 		notUsed, _ = config.LocalCache().GetVar("NOT_USED2")
 		framework.ExpectEqual(notUsed, "test")
@@ -1792,7 +1813,7 @@ var _ = DevSpaceDescribe("config", func() {
 		framework.ExpectNoError(err)
 
 		// check if default config variables were loaded correctly
-		framework.ExpectEqual(len(config.Variables()), 3+len(variable.AlwaysResolvePredefinedVars))
+		framework.ExpectEqual(len(config.Variables()), 2+len(variable.AlwaysResolvePredefinedVars))
 		framework.ExpectEqual(len(config.LocalCache().ListVars()), 1)
 		value, _ := config.LocalCache().GetVar("NAME")
 		framework.ExpectEqual(value, "default")
@@ -1808,7 +1829,7 @@ var _ = DevSpaceDescribe("config", func() {
 		framework.ExpectNoError(err)
 
 		// check if custom config variables were loaded correctly
-		framework.ExpectEqual(len(customConfig.Variables()), 3+len(variable.AlwaysResolvePredefinedVars))
+		framework.ExpectEqual(len(customConfig.Variables()), 2+len(variable.AlwaysResolvePredefinedVars))
 		framework.ExpectEqual(len(customConfig.LocalCache().ListVars()), 1)
 		value, _ = customConfig.LocalCache().GetVar("NAME")
 		framework.ExpectEqual(value, "custom")
diff --git a/e2e/tests/config/testdata/profile-patches/var-patch.yaml b/e2e/tests/config/testdata/profile-patches/var-patch.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..dd1ff724d3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/e2e/tests/config/testdata/profile-patches/var-patch.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+version: v1beta11
+
+vars:
+  - name: LABELS
+    value:
+      app: sample
+  - name: BIN
+    value: sample
+
+images:
+  test:
+    image: ${BIN}
+    build:
+      kaniko:
+        labels: ${LABELS}
+
+profiles:
+  - name: alt
+    patches:
+      - op: replace
+        path: vars.name=LABELS.value
+        value:
+          app: sample-alt
+      - op: replace
+        path: vars.name=BIN.value
+        value: sample-alt
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/pkg/devspace/config/loader/variable/resolver.go b/pkg/devspace/config/loader/variable/resolver.go
index 8a10be1132..cf60aa8992 100644
--- a/pkg/devspace/config/loader/variable/resolver.go
+++ b/pkg/devspace/config/loader/variable/resolver.go
@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@ func (r *resolver) replaceString(ctx context.Context, str string) (interface{},
 	})
 }
 
-func (r *resolver) FindVariables(haystack interface{}) ([]*latest.Variable, error) {
+func (r *resolver) findVariablesInclude(haystack interface{}, include []*regexp.Regexp) ([]*latest.Variable, error) {
 	// find out what vars are really used
 	varsUsed := map[string]bool{}
 	switch t := haystack.(type) {
@@ -124,7 +124,11 @@ func (r *resolver) FindVariables(haystack interface{}) ([]*latest.Variable, erro
 			return "", nil
 		})
 	case map[string]interface{}:
-		err := walk.Walk(t, varMatchFn, func(_, value string) (interface{}, error) {
+		err := walk.Walk(t, varMatchFn, func(path, value string) (interface{}, error) {
+			if expression.ExcludedPath(path, nil, include) {
+				return value, nil
+			}
+
 			_, _ = varspkg.ParseString(value, func(v string) (interface{}, error) {
 				varsUsed[v] = true
 				return "", nil
@@ -139,7 +143,7 @@ func (r *resolver) FindVariables(haystack interface{}) ([]*latest.Variable, erro
 
 	// add always resolve variables
 	for _, v := range r.vars {
-		if v.AlwaysResolve || v.Value != nil {
+		if v.AlwaysResolve {
 			varsUsed[v.Name] = true
 		}
 	}
@@ -154,6 +158,10 @@ func (r *resolver) FindVariables(haystack interface{}) ([]*latest.Variable, erro
 	return r.orderVariables(varsUsed)
 }
 
+func (r *resolver) FindVariables(haystack interface{}) ([]*latest.Variable, error) {
+	return r.findVariablesInclude(haystack, nil)
+}
+
 func (r *resolver) orderVariables(vars map[string]bool) ([]*latest.Variable, error) {
 	root := graph.NewNode("root", nil)
 	g := graph.NewGraphOf(root, "variable")
@@ -295,7 +303,7 @@ func (r *resolver) FillVariables(ctx context.Context, haystack interface{}) (int
 }
 
 func (r *resolver) findAndFillVariables(ctx context.Context, haystack interface{}, exclude, include []*regexp.Regexp) (interface{}, error) {
-	varsUsed, err := r.FindVariables(haystack)
+	varsUsed, err := r.findVariablesInclude(haystack, include)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/devspace/services/sync/controller.go b/pkg/devspace/services/sync/controller.go
index 88b5450db7..106ac467c8 100644
--- a/pkg/devspace/services/sync/controller.go
+++ b/pkg/devspace/services/sync/controller.go
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package sync
 
 import (
+	"bufio"
 	"bytes"
 	"context"
 	"fmt"
@@ -26,7 +27,6 @@ import (
 	"github.com/loft-sh/devspace/pkg/devspace/sync"
 	logpkg "github.com/loft-sh/devspace/pkg/util/log"
 	"github.com/loft-sh/devspace/pkg/util/scanner"
-	"github.com/moby/buildkit/frontend/dockerfile/dockerignore"
 	"github.com/pkg/errors"
 	v1 "k8s.io/api/core/v1"
 )
@@ -541,7 +541,7 @@ func parseExcludeFile(path string) ([]string, error) {
 	}
 	defer reader.Close()
 
-	paths, err := dockerignore.ReadAll(reader)
+	paths, err := readAll(reader)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, errors.Wrap(err, "read exclude file")
 	}
@@ -549,6 +549,58 @@ func parseExcludeFile(path string) ([]string, error) {
 	return paths, nil
 }
 
+// Taken from Dockerignore
+// ReadAll reads a .dockerignore file and returns the list of file patterns
+// to ignore. Note this will trim whitespace from each line as well
+// as use GO's "clean" func to get the shortest/cleanest path for each.
+func readAll(reader io.Reader) ([]string, error) {
+	if reader == nil {
+		return nil, nil
+	}
+
+	scanner := bufio.NewScanner(reader)
+	var excludes []string
+	currentLine := 0
+
+	utf8bom := []byte{0xEF, 0xBB, 0xBF}
+	for scanner.Scan() {
+		scannedBytes := scanner.Bytes()
+		// We trim UTF8 BOM
+		if currentLine == 0 {
+			scannedBytes = bytes.TrimPrefix(scannedBytes, utf8bom)
+		}
+		pattern := string(scannedBytes)
+		currentLine++
+		// Lines starting with # (comments) are ignored before processing
+		if strings.HasPrefix(pattern, "#") {
+			continue
+		}
+		pattern = strings.TrimSpace(pattern)
+		if pattern == "" {
+			continue
+		}
+		// normalize absolute paths to paths relative to the context
+		// (taking care of '!' prefix)
+		invert := pattern[0] == '!'
+		if invert {
+			pattern = strings.TrimSpace(pattern[1:])
+		}
+		if len(pattern) > 0 {
+			pattern = filepath.Clean(pattern)
+			pattern = filepath.ToSlash(pattern)
+		}
+		if invert {
+			pattern = "!" + pattern
+		}
+
+		excludes = append(excludes, pattern)
+	}
+	if err := scanner.Err(); err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("error reading .dockerignore: %v", err)
+	}
+	return excludes, nil
+}
+
 func StartStream(ctx context.Context, client kubectl.Client, pod *v1.Pod, container string, command []string, reader io.Reader, stdoutWriter io.Writer, buffer bool, log logpkg.Logger) error {
 	stderrBuffer := &bytes.Buffer{}
 	stderrReader, stderrWriter := io.Pipe()