diff --git a/config/feature_flags/development/ci_variable_expansion_in_rules_exists.yml b/config/feature_flags/development/ci_variable_expansion_in_rules_exists.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..dec187db4ab85b4170b66409929dc826dbc47621
--- /dev/null
+++ b/config/feature_flags/development/ci_variable_expansion_in_rules_exists.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+---
+name: ci_variable_expansion_in_rules_exists
+introduced_by_url: https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/merge_requests/101639
+rollout_issue_url: https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/381046
+milestone: '15.6'
+type: development
+group: group::pipeline authoring
+default_enabled: false
diff --git a/doc/ci/variables/where_variables_can_be_used.md b/doc/ci/variables/where_variables_can_be_used.md
index beb35645492406694e2224abf6302ea717d88aab..c8436fc044d176f4a4f1184dabb21632f799d3a7 100644
--- a/doc/ci/variables/where_variables_can_be_used.md
+++ b/doc/ci/variables/where_variables_can_be_used.md
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ There are two places defined variables can be used. On the:
 | [`include`](../yaml/index.md#include)                                 | yes              | GitLab                 | The variable expansion is made by the [internal variable expansion mechanism](#gitlab-internal-variable-expansion-mechanism) in GitLab. <br/><br/>See [Use variables with include](../yaml/includes.md#use-variables-with-include) for more information on supported variables. |
 | [`only:variables`](../yaml/index.md#onlyvariables--exceptvariables)   | no               | Not applicable         | The variable must be in the form of `$variable`. Not supported are the following:<br/><br/>- Variables that are based on the environment's name (`CI_ENVIRONMENT_NAME`, `CI_ENVIRONMENT_SLUG`).<br/>- Any other variables related to environment (currently only `CI_ENVIRONMENT_URL`).<br/>- [Persisted variables](#persisted-variables). |
 | [`resource_group`](../yaml/index.md#resource_group)                   | yes              | GitLab                 | Similar to `environment:url`, but the variables expansion doesn't support the following:<br/>- `CI_ENVIRONMENT_URL`<br/>- [Persisted variables](#persisted-variables). |
+| [`rules:exists`](../yaml/index.md#rulesexists)                        | yes              | GitLab                 | The variable expansion is made by the [internal variable expansion mechanism](#gitlab-internal-variable-expansion-mechanism) in GitLab. |
 | [`rules:if`](../yaml/index.md#rulesif)                                | no               | Not applicable         | The variable must be in the form of `$variable`. Not supported are the following:<br/><br/>- Variables that are based on the environment's name (`CI_ENVIRONMENT_NAME`, `CI_ENVIRONMENT_SLUG`).<br/>- Any other variables related to environment (currently only `CI_ENVIRONMENT_URL`).<br/>- [Persisted variables](#persisted-variables). |
 | [`script`](../yaml/index.md#script)                                   | yes              | Script execution shell | The variable expansion is made by the [execution shell environment](#execution-shell-environment). |
 | [`services:name`](../yaml/index.md#services)                          | yes              | Runner                 | The variable expansion is made by GitLab Runner's [internal variable expansion mechanism](#gitlab-runner-internal-variable-expansion-mechanism). |
diff --git a/doc/ci/yaml/index.md b/doc/ci/yaml/index.md
index e8dd24cf7e07795532d1c848042c16f71c9c3f3c..f511a74b24483ed5ce469f9a0fd531e4571f6202 100644
--- a/doc/ci/yaml/index.md
+++ b/doc/ci/yaml/index.md
@@ -3437,7 +3437,8 @@ relative to `refs/heads/branch1` and the pipeline source is a merge request even
 
 #### `rules:exists`
 
-> [Introduced](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/24021) in GitLab 12.4.
+> - [Introduced](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/24021) in GitLab 12.4.
+> - CI/CD variable support [introduced](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/283881) in GitLab 15.6 [with a flag](../../administration/feature_flags.md) named `ci_variable_expansion_in_rules_exists`. Disabled by default.
 
 Use `exists` to run a job when certain files exist in the repository.
 
@@ -3445,8 +3446,7 @@ Use `exists` to run a job when certain files exist in the repository.
 
 **Possible inputs**:
 
-- An array of file paths. Paths are relative to the project directory (`$CI_PROJECT_DIR`)
-  and can't directly link outside it. File paths can use glob patterns.
+- An array of file paths. Paths are relative to the project directory (`$CI_PROJECT_DIR`) and can't directly link outside it. File paths can use glob patterns and [CI/CD variables](../variables/where_variables_can_be_used.md#gitlab-ciyml-file).
 
 **Example of `rules:exists`**:
 
diff --git a/lib/gitlab/ci/build/rules/rule/clause/exists.rb b/lib/gitlab/ci/build/rules/rule/clause/exists.rb
index aebd81e7b0798c32d08fb5d43893810cf95abbc9..5617d153bc88ca1e300961975db1845d92e700e9 100644
--- a/lib/gitlab/ci/build/rules/rule/clause/exists.rb
+++ b/lib/gitlab/ci/build/rules/rule/clause/exists.rb
@@ -9,20 +9,34 @@ class Rules::Rule::Clause::Exists < Rules::Rule::Clause
         MAX_PATTERN_COMPARISONS = 10_000
 
         def initialize(globs)
-          globs = Array(globs)
-
-          @top_level_only = globs.all?(&method(:top_level_glob?))
-          @exact_globs, @pattern_globs = globs.partition(&method(:exact_glob?))
+          @globs = Array(globs)
+          @top_level_only = @globs.all?(&method(:top_level_glob?))
         end
 
         def satisfied_by?(_pipeline, context)
           paths = worktree_paths(context)
+          exact_globs, pattern_globs = separate_globs(context)
 
-          exact_matches?(paths) || pattern_matches?(paths)
+          exact_matches?(paths, exact_globs) || pattern_matches?(paths, pattern_globs)
         end
 
         private
 
+        def separate_globs(context)
+          if ::Feature.enabled?(:ci_variable_expansion_in_rules_exists, context.project)
+            expanded_globs = expand_globs(context)
+            expanded_globs.partition(&method(:exact_glob?))
+          else
+            @globs.partition(&method(:exact_glob?))
+          end
+        end
+
+        def expand_globs(context)
+          @globs.map do |glob|
+            ExpandVariables.expand_existing(glob, -> { context.variables_hash })
+          end
+        end
+
         def worktree_paths(context)
           return [] unless context.project
 
@@ -33,13 +47,16 @@ def worktree_paths(context)
           end
         end
 
-        def exact_matches?(paths)
-          @exact_globs.any? { |glob| paths.bsearch { |path| glob <=> path } }
+        def exact_matches?(paths, exact_globs)
+          exact_globs.any? do |glob|
+            paths.bsearch { |path| glob <=> path }
+          end
         end
 
-        def pattern_matches?(paths)
+        def pattern_matches?(paths, pattern_globs)
           comparisons = 0
-          @pattern_globs.any? do |glob|
+
+          pattern_globs.any? do |glob|
             paths.any? do |path|
               comparisons += 1
               comparisons > MAX_PATTERN_COMPARISONS || pattern_match?(glob, path)
diff --git a/spec/lib/gitlab/ci/build/rules/rule/clause/exists_spec.rb b/spec/lib/gitlab/ci/build/rules/rule/clause/exists_spec.rb
index f9ebab149a53652888fcf965dd0da55ad207d38c..c31d1c1fbf4c22a8b0ca660766a8c3aa250db21d 100644
--- a/spec/lib/gitlab/ci/build/rules/rule/clause/exists_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/lib/gitlab/ci/build/rules/rule/clause/exists_spec.rb
@@ -4,11 +4,47 @@
 
 RSpec.describe Gitlab::Ci::Build::Rules::Rule::Clause::Exists do
   describe '#satisfied_by?' do
-    shared_examples 'an exists rule with a context' do
+    subject(:satisfied_by?) { described_class.new(globs).satisfied_by?(nil, context) }
+
+    shared_examples 'a rules:exists with a context' do
       it_behaves_like 'a glob matching rule' do
         let(:project) { create(:project, :custom_repo, files: files) }
       end
 
+      context 'when the rules:exists has a variable' do
+        let_it_be(:project) { create(:project, :custom_repo, files: { 'helm/helm_file.txt' => '' }) }
+
+        let(:globs) { ['$HELM_DIR/**/*'] }
+
+        let(:variables_hash) do
+          { 'HELM_DIR' => 'helm' }
+        end
+
+        before do
+          allow(context).to receive(:variables_hash).and_return(variables_hash)
+        end
+
+        context 'when the ci_variables_rules_exists FF is disabled' do
+          before do
+            stub_feature_flags(ci_variable_expansion_in_rules_exists: false)
+          end
+
+          it { is_expected.to be_falsey }
+        end
+
+        context 'when the ci_variables_rules_exists FF is enabled' do
+          context 'when the context has the specified variables' do
+            it { is_expected.to be_truthy }
+          end
+
+          context 'when variable expansion does not match' do
+            let(:variables_hash) { {} }
+
+            it { is_expected.to be_falsey }
+          end
+        end
+      end
+
       context 'after pattern comparision limit is reached' do
         let(:globs) { ['*definitely_not_a_matching_glob*'] }
         let(:project) { create(:project, :repository) }
@@ -22,26 +58,24 @@
       end
     end
 
-    subject(:satisfied_by?) { described_class.new(globs).satisfied_by?(nil, context) }
-
-    context 'when context is Build::Context::Build' do
-      it_behaves_like 'an exists rule with a context' do
+    context 'when the rules are being evaluated at job level' do
+      it_behaves_like 'a rules:exists with a context' do
         let(:pipeline) { build(:ci_pipeline, project: project, sha: project.repository.commit.sha) }
         let(:context) { Gitlab::Ci::Build::Context::Build.new(pipeline, sha: project.repository.commit.sha) }
       end
     end
 
-    context 'when context is Build::Context::Global' do
-      it_behaves_like 'an exists rule with a context' do
+    context 'when the rules are being evaluated for an entire pipeline' do
+      it_behaves_like 'a rules:exists with a context' do
         let(:pipeline) { build(:ci_pipeline, project: project, sha: project.repository.commit.sha) }
         let(:context) { Gitlab::Ci::Build::Context::Global.new(pipeline, yaml_variables: {}) }
       end
     end
 
-    context 'when context is Config::External::Context' do
+    context 'when rules are being evaluated with `include`' do
       let(:context) { Gitlab::Ci::Config::External::Context.new(project: project, sha: sha) }
 
-      it_behaves_like 'an exists rule with a context' do
+      it_behaves_like 'a rules:exists with a context' do
         let(:sha) { project.repository.commit.sha }
       end