diff --git a/app/models/ci/bridge.rb b/app/models/ci/bridge.rb
index b2bdbda9da95d73538c743f9ba38372e0bcb4e76..b1f768825059c3b9747a8ac5d4e1ea5d54430d5f 100644
--- a/app/models/ci/bridge.rb
+++ b/app/models/ci/bridge.rb
@@ -288,7 +288,11 @@ def downstream_yaml_variables(expand_variables)
       return [] unless forward_yaml_variables?
 
       yaml_variables.to_a.map do |hash|
-        { key: hash[:key], value: ::ExpandVariables.expand(hash[:value], expand_variables) }
+        if hash[:raw] && ci_raw_variables_in_yaml_config_enabled?
+          { key: hash[:key], value: hash[:value], raw: true }
+        else
+          { key: hash[:key], value: ::ExpandVariables.expand(hash[:value], expand_variables) }
+        end
       end
     end
 
@@ -296,7 +300,11 @@ def downstream_pipeline_variables(expand_variables)
       return [] unless forward_pipeline_variables?
 
       pipeline.variables.to_a.map do |variable|
-        { key: variable.key, value: ::ExpandVariables.expand(variable.value, expand_variables) }
+        if variable.raw? && ci_raw_variables_in_yaml_config_enabled?
+          { key: variable.key, value: variable.value, raw: true }
+        else
+          { key: variable.key, value: ::ExpandVariables.expand(variable.value, expand_variables) }
+        end
       end
     end
 
@@ -305,7 +313,11 @@ def downstream_pipeline_schedule_variables(expand_variables)
       return [] unless pipeline.pipeline_schedule
 
       pipeline.pipeline_schedule.variables.to_a.map do |variable|
-        { key: variable.key, value: ::ExpandVariables.expand(variable.value, expand_variables) }
+        if variable.raw? && ci_raw_variables_in_yaml_config_enabled?
+          { key: variable.key, value: variable.value, raw: true }
+        else
+          { key: variable.key, value: ::ExpandVariables.expand(variable.value, expand_variables) }
+        end
       end
     end
 
@@ -324,6 +336,12 @@ def forward_pipeline_variables?
         result.nil? ? FORWARD_DEFAULTS[:pipeline_variables] : result
       end
     end
+
+    def ci_raw_variables_in_yaml_config_enabled?
+      strong_memoize(:ci_raw_variables_in_yaml_config_enabled) do
+        ::Feature.enabled?(:ci_raw_variables_in_yaml_config, project)
+      end
+    end
   end
 end
 
diff --git a/spec/models/ci/bridge_spec.rb b/spec/models/ci/bridge_spec.rb
index 3df278a49dda0ef9eee4eb2d0fb94cc607e41d91..5370aae3c70c5f5bdb9ae44bc8a37b95919192ac 100644
--- a/spec/models/ci/bridge_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/ci/bridge_spec.rb
@@ -206,6 +206,8 @@
   end
 
   describe '#downstream_variables' do
+    subject(:downstream_variables) { bridge.downstream_variables }
+
     it 'returns variables that are going to be passed downstream' do
       expect(bridge.downstream_variables)
         .to include(key: 'BRIDGE', value: 'cross')
@@ -330,6 +332,79 @@
         end
       end
     end
+
+    context 'when using raw variables' do
+      let(:options) do
+        {
+          trigger: {
+            project: 'my/project',
+            branch: 'master',
+            forward: { yaml_variables: true,
+                       pipeline_variables: true }.compact
+          }
+        }
+      end
+
+      let(:yaml_variables) do
+        [
+          {
+            key: 'VAR6',
+            value: 'value6 $VAR1'
+          },
+          {
+            key: 'VAR7',
+            value: 'value7 $VAR1',
+            raw: true
+          }
+        ]
+      end
+
+      let(:pipeline_schedule) { create(:ci_pipeline_schedule, :nightly, project: project) }
+      let(:pipeline) { create(:ci_pipeline, pipeline_schedule: pipeline_schedule) }
+
+      before do
+        create(:ci_pipeline_variable, pipeline: pipeline, key: 'VAR1', value: 'value1')
+        create(:ci_pipeline_variable, pipeline: pipeline, key: 'VAR2', value: 'value2 $VAR1')
+        create(:ci_pipeline_variable, pipeline: pipeline, key: 'VAR3', value: 'value3 $VAR1', raw: true)
+
+        pipeline_schedule.variables.create!(key: 'VAR4', value: 'value4 $VAR1')
+        pipeline_schedule.variables.create!(key: 'VAR5', value: 'value5 $VAR1', raw: true)
+
+        bridge.yaml_variables.concat(yaml_variables)
+      end
+
+      it 'expands variables according to their raw attributes' do
+        expect(downstream_variables).to contain_exactly(
+          { key: 'BRIDGE', value: 'cross' },
+          { key: 'VAR1', value: 'value1' },
+          { key: 'VAR2', value: 'value2 value1' },
+          { key: 'VAR3', value: 'value3 $VAR1', raw: true },
+          { key: 'VAR4', value: 'value4 value1' },
+          { key: 'VAR5', value: 'value5 $VAR1', raw: true },
+          { key: 'VAR6', value: 'value6 value1' },
+          { key: 'VAR7', value: 'value7 $VAR1', raw: true }
+        )
+      end
+
+      context 'when the FF ci_raw_variables_in_yaml_config is disabled' do
+        before do
+          stub_feature_flags(ci_raw_variables_in_yaml_config: false)
+        end
+
+        it 'ignores the raw attribute' do
+          expect(downstream_variables).to contain_exactly(
+            { key: 'BRIDGE', value: 'cross' },
+            { key: 'VAR1', value: 'value1' },
+            { key: 'VAR2', value: 'value2 value1' },
+            { key: 'VAR3', value: 'value3 value1' },
+            { key: 'VAR4', value: 'value4 value1' },
+            { key: 'VAR5', value: 'value5 value1' },
+            { key: 'VAR6', value: 'value6 value1' },
+            { key: 'VAR7', value: 'value7 value1' }
+          )
+        end
+      end
+    end
   end
 
   describe 'metadata support' do
diff --git a/spec/services/ci/create_pipeline_service/variables_spec.rb b/spec/services/ci/create_pipeline_service/variables_spec.rb
index c0ed8ad2a9e77ae179b066637b8dfa73f5788405..e9e0cf2c6e048c35d74713bb1f7d3193daeb8f58 100644
--- a/spec/services/ci/create_pipeline_service/variables_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/services/ci/create_pipeline_service/variables_spec.rb
@@ -82,6 +82,50 @@
         end
       end
     end
+
+    context 'when trigger variables have expand: true/false' do
+      let(:config) do
+        <<-YAML
+        child:
+          variables:
+            VAR1: "PROJECTID-$CI_PROJECT_ID"
+            VAR2: "PIPELINEID-$CI_PIPELINE_ID and $VAR1"
+            VAR3:
+              value: "PIPELINEID-$CI_PIPELINE_ID and $VAR1"
+              expand: false
+          trigger:
+            include: child.yml
+        YAML
+      end
+
+      let(:child) { find_job('child') }
+
+      it 'creates the pipeline with a trigger job that has downstream_variables expanded according to "expand"' do
+        expect(pipeline).to be_created_successfully
+
+        expect(child.downstream_variables).to include(
+          { key: 'VAR1', value: "PROJECTID-#{project.id}" },
+          { key: 'VAR2', value: "PIPELINEID-#{pipeline.id} and PROJECTID-$CI_PROJECT_ID" },
+          { key: 'VAR3', value: "PIPELINEID-$CI_PIPELINE_ID and $VAR1", raw: true }
+        )
+      end
+
+      context 'when the FF ci_raw_variables_in_yaml_config is disabled' do
+        before do
+          stub_feature_flags(ci_raw_variables_in_yaml_config: false)
+        end
+
+        it 'creates the pipeline with a job that has all variables expanded' do
+          expect(pipeline).to be_created_successfully
+
+          expect(child.downstream_variables).to include(
+            { key: 'VAR1', value: "PROJECTID-#{project.id}" },
+            { key: 'VAR2', value: "PIPELINEID-#{pipeline.id} and PROJECTID-$CI_PROJECT_ID" },
+            { key: 'VAR3', value: "PIPELINEID-#{pipeline.id} and PROJECTID-$CI_PROJECT_ID" }
+          )
+        end
+      end
+    end
   end
 
   private