diff --git a/poky/bitbake/lib/bb/data_smart.py b/poky/bitbake/lib/bb/data_smart.py
index 2328c33..f48726a 100644
--- a/poky/bitbake/lib/bb/data_smart.py
+++ b/poky/bitbake/lib/bb/data_smart.py
@@ -481,6 +481,7 @@
 
     def setVar(self, var, value, **loginfo):
         #print("var=" + str(var) + "  val=" + str(value))
+        var = var.replace(":", "_")
         self.expand_cache = {}
         parsing=False
         if 'parsing' in loginfo:
@@ -589,6 +590,8 @@
         """
         Rename the variable key to newkey
         """
+        key = key.replace(":", "_")
+        newkey = newkey.replace(":", "_")
         if key == newkey:
             bb.warn("Calling renameVar with equivalent keys (%s) is invalid" % key)
             return
@@ -637,6 +640,7 @@
         self.setVar(var + "_prepend", value, ignore=True, parsing=True)
 
     def delVar(self, var, **loginfo):
+        var = var.replace(":", "_")
         self.expand_cache = {}
 
         loginfo['detail'] = ""
@@ -664,6 +668,7 @@
                          override = None
 
     def setVarFlag(self, var, flag, value, **loginfo):
+        var = var.replace(":", "_")
         self.expand_cache = {}
 
         if 'op' not in loginfo:
@@ -687,6 +692,7 @@
             self.dict["__exportlist"]["_content"].add(var)
 
     def getVarFlag(self, var, flag, expand=True, noweakdefault=False, parsing=False, retparser=False):
+        var = var.replace(":", "_")
         if flag == "_content":
             cachename = var
         else:
@@ -814,6 +820,7 @@
         return value
 
     def delVarFlag(self, var, flag, **loginfo):
+        var = var.replace(":", "_")
         self.expand_cache = {}
 
         local_var, _ = self._findVar(var)
@@ -831,6 +838,7 @@
             del self.dict[var][flag]
 
     def appendVarFlag(self, var, flag, value, **loginfo):
+        var = var.replace(":", "_")
         loginfo['op'] = 'append'
         loginfo['flag'] = flag
         self.varhistory.record(**loginfo)
@@ -838,6 +846,7 @@
         self.setVarFlag(var, flag, newvalue, ignore=True)
 
     def prependVarFlag(self, var, flag, value, **loginfo):
+        var = var.replace(":", "_")
         loginfo['op'] = 'prepend'
         loginfo['flag'] = flag
         self.varhistory.record(**loginfo)
@@ -845,6 +854,7 @@
         self.setVarFlag(var, flag, newvalue, ignore=True)
 
     def setVarFlags(self, var, flags, **loginfo):
+        var = var.replace(":", "_")
         self.expand_cache = {}
         infer_caller_details(loginfo)
         if not var in self.dict:
@@ -859,6 +869,7 @@
             self.dict[var][i] = flags[i]
 
     def getVarFlags(self, var, expand = False, internalflags=False):
+        var = var.replace(":", "_")
         local_var, _ = self._findVar(var)
         flags = {}
 
@@ -875,6 +886,7 @@
 
 
     def delVarFlags(self, var, **loginfo):
+        var = var.replace(":", "_")
         self.expand_cache = {}
         if not var in self.dict:
             self._makeShadowCopy(var)