Index: src/main/java/org/jbpm/context/exe/VariableContainer.java
===================================================================
--- src/main/java/org/jbpm/context/exe/VariableContainer.java	(revision 6684)
+++ src/main/java/org/jbpm/context/exe/VariableContainer.java	(working copy)
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
 import org.jbpm.context.log.VariableDeleteLog;
 import org.jbpm.graph.exe.ProcessInstance;
 import org.jbpm.graph.exe.Token;
+import org.jbpm.logging.db.DbLoggingService;
 
 public abstract class VariableContainer implements Serializable {
 
@@ -198,12 +199,13 @@
         variableInstance.removeReferences();
         // is engine running in memory only or with logging enabled?
         JbpmContext jbpmContext = JbpmContext.getCurrentJbpmContext();
-        if (jbpmContext == null || jbpmContext.getServices().getLoggingService() != null) {
+        if (jbpmContext == null || (jbpmContext.getServices().getLoggingService() !=null )) {
           // record variable deletion
           // do not actually delete variable instance because log refers to it
           getToken().addLog(new VariableDeleteLog(variableInstance));
         }
-        else {
+                
+        if (jbpmContext != null && ((jbpmContext.getServices().getLoggingService() != null) && !(jbpmContext.getServices().getLoggingService() instanceof DbLoggingService))){
           // delete variable instance here before all references to it are lost
           Session session = jbpmContext.getSession();
           if (session != null) session.delete(variableInstance);