diff --git a/workflow/engine/src/ProcessMaker/BusinessModel/MessageEventDefinition.php b/workflow/engine/src/ProcessMaker/BusinessModel/MessageEventDefinition.php
index 9d7c8b8b7..4a1993331 100644
--- a/workflow/engine/src/ProcessMaker/BusinessModel/MessageEventDefinition.php
+++ b/workflow/engine/src/ProcessMaker/BusinessModel/MessageEventDefinition.php
@@ -293,16 +293,16 @@ class MessageEventDefinition
 
                 $messageEventDefinitionUid = \ProcessMaker\Util\Common::generateUID();
 
+                if (isset($arrayData["MSGED_VARIABLES"])) {
+                    $arrayData["MSGED_VARIABLES"] = serialize($arrayData["MSGED_VARIABLES"]);
+                }
+
                 $messageEventDefinition->fromArray($arrayData, \BasePeer::TYPE_FIELDNAME);
 
                 $messageEventDefinition->setMsgedUid($messageEventDefinitionUid);
                 $messageEventDefinition->setPrjUid($projectUid);
                 $messageEventDefinition->setMsgedUsrUid("00000000000000000000000000000001"); //admin
 
-                if (isset($arrayData["MSGED_VARIABLES"])) {
-                    $messageEventDefinition->setMsgedVariables(serialize($arrayData["MSGED_VARIABLES"]));
-                }
-
                 if ($messageEventDefinition->validate()) {
                     $cnn->begin();
 
@@ -375,7 +375,7 @@ class MessageEventDefinition
                 }
 
                 if (isset($arrayData["MSGED_VARIABLES"])) {
-                    $messageEventDefinition->setMsgedVariables(serialize($arrayData["MSGED_VARIABLES"]));
+                    $arrayData["MSGED_VARIABLES"] = serialize($arrayData["MSGED_VARIABLES"]);
                 }
 
                 $messageEventDefinition->fromArray($arrayData, \BasePeer::TYPE_FIELDNAME);
@@ -632,4 +632,3 @@ class MessageEventDefinition
         }
     }
 }
-