diff --git a/common/database.cpp b/common/database.cpp
index f223418ab..f33569fd2 100644
--- a/common/database.cpp
+++ b/common/database.cpp
@@ -860,17 +860,11 @@ void Database::GetCharName(uint32 char_id, char* name) {
 }
 
 bool Database::LoadVariables() {
-	char *query = nullptr;
-
-	auto results = QueryDatabase(query, LoadVariables_MQ(&query));
+	auto results = QueryDatabase(StringFormat("SELECT varname, value, unix_timestamp() FROM variables where unix_timestamp(ts) >= %d", varcache_lastupdate));
 
 	if (!results.Success())
-	{
-		safe_delete_array(query);
 		return false;
-	}
 
-	safe_delete_array(query);
 	return LoadVariables_result(std::move(results));
 }
 
diff --git a/zone/lua_client.cpp b/zone/lua_client.cpp
index 331067d36..935516040 100644
--- a/zone/lua_client.cpp
+++ b/zone/lua_client.cpp
@@ -1049,12 +1049,12 @@ void Lua_Client::IncrementAA(int aa) {
 
 bool Lua_Client::GrantAlternateAdvancementAbility(int aa_id, int points) {
 	Lua_Safe_Call_Bool();
-	self->GrantAlternateAdvancementAbility(aa_id, points);
+	return self->GrantAlternateAdvancementAbility(aa_id, points);
 }
 
 bool Lua_Client::GrantAlternateAdvancementAbility(int aa_id, int points, bool ignore_cost) {
 	Lua_Safe_Call_Bool();
-	self->GrantAlternateAdvancementAbility(aa_id, points, ignore_cost);
+	return self->GrantAlternateAdvancementAbility(aa_id, points, ignore_cost);
 }
 
 void Lua_Client::MarkSingleCompassLoc(float in_x, float in_y, float in_z) {