diff --git a/lightbox2.install b/lightbox2.install
index aced1cdfab956c693aaf79e80041412639a1e922..13caeb8858b3ef8d481b554c3893506ca381fb0a 100644
--- a/lightbox2.install
+++ b/lightbox2.install
@@ -106,11 +106,13 @@ function lightbox2_uninstall() {
  * too late now.
  */
 function lightbox2_update_1() {
-  $ret = array();
-  $ret[] = update_sql('UPDATE {variable} SET name="lightbox2_lite"
-    WHERE name="lightbox2_plus";');
-
-  return $ret;
+  $variable_name = 'lightbox2_plus';
+  $var = variable_get($variable_name);
+  if ($var) {
+    variable_set('lightbox2_lite', $var);
+    variable_del($variable_name);
+  }
+  return array();
 }
 
 /**
@@ -186,11 +188,11 @@ function lightbox2_update_6001() {
  * 'lightbox2_slideshow_pause_on_prev_click'.
  */
 function lightbox2_update_6002() {
-  $vars = variable_init();
-  if (array_key_exists('lightbox2_slideshow_pause_on_prev_click', $vars)) {
-    $value = $vars['lightbox2_slideshow_pause_on_prev_click'];
-    variable_set('lightbox2_slideshow_pause_on_previous_click', $value);
-    variable_del('lightbox2_slideshow_pause_on_prev_click');
+  $variable_name = 'lightbox2_slideshow_pause_on_prev_click';
+  $var = variable_get($variable_name);
+  if ($var) {
+    variable_set('lightbox2_slideshow_pause_on_previous_click', $var);
+    variable_del($variable_name);
   }
   return array();
 }