diff --git a/ChangeLog.adoc b/ChangeLog.adoc
index 3ab350871..3c1b85850 100644
--- a/ChangeLog.adoc
+++ b/ChangeLog.adoc
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ New features::
 
 Bug fixes::
 
+  * core: evaluate left/right part of comparison after split on the comparison operator in ${if:xxx} (issue #1627)
   * core: prevent switching to start of visited buffers when jumping to next (issue #1591, issue #1592)
   * core: recreate buflist and fset bars on /reload when WeeChat is started without configuration files (issue #1618)
   * buflist: fix comparison of hotlists in option buflist.look.sort (issue #1621)
diff --git a/src/core/wee-eval.c b/src/core/wee-eval.c
index 18f582398..8fc2b4754 100644
--- a/src/core/wee-eval.c
+++ b/src/core/wee-eval.c
@@ -666,7 +666,7 @@ char *
 eval_string_if (const char *text, struct t_eval_context *eval_context)
 {
     const char *pos, *pos2;
-    char *value, *condition, *tmp, *tmp2;
+    char *value, *condition, *tmp;
     int rc;
 
     value = NULL;
@@ -679,13 +679,10 @@ eval_string_if (const char *text, struct t_eval_context *eval_context)
         strndup (text, pos - text) : strdup (text);
     if (!condition)
         return strdup ("");
-    tmp = eval_replace_vars (condition, eval_context);
-    tmp2 = eval_expression_condition ((tmp) ? tmp : "", eval_context);
-    rc = eval_is_true (tmp2);
+    tmp = eval_expression_condition (condition, eval_context);
+    rc = eval_is_true (tmp);
     if (tmp)
         free (tmp);
-    if (tmp2)
-        free (tmp2);
     if (rc)
     {
         /*
diff --git a/tests/unit/core/test-core-eval.cpp b/tests/unit/core/test-core-eval.cpp
index de86cdd65..eca88db81 100644
--- a/tests/unit/core/test-core-eval.cpp
+++ b/tests/unit/core/test-core-eval.cpp
@@ -86,6 +86,9 @@ TEST(CoreEval, EvalCondition)
                                 NULL, NULL);
     CHECK(extra_vars);
     hashtable_set (extra_vars, "test", "value");
+    hashtable_set (extra_vars, "var_abc", "abc");
+    hashtable_set (extra_vars, "var_cond_true", "a==a");
+    hashtable_set (extra_vars, "var_cond_false", "a==b");
 
     options = hashtable_new (32,
                              WEECHAT_HASHTABLE_STRING,
@@ -175,6 +178,8 @@ TEST(CoreEval, EvalCondition)
     WEE_CHECK_EVAL("0", "${if:${buffer.number}==2?yes:no} == yes");
     WEE_CHECK_EVAL("0", "yes == ${if:${buffer.number}==2?yes:no}");
     WEE_CHECK_EVAL("0", "${if:\\$==A?yes:}");
+    WEE_CHECK_EVAL("0", "${var_does_not_exist}");
+    WEE_CHECK_EVAL("0", "${var_abc} == def");
 
     /* conditions evaluated as true */
     WEE_CHECK_EVAL("1", "1");
@@ -262,6 +267,14 @@ TEST(CoreEval, EvalCondition)
     WEE_CHECK_EVAL("1", "${if:${buffer.number}==1?yes:no} == yes");
     WEE_CHECK_EVAL("1", "yes == ${if:${buffer.number}==1?yes:no}");
     WEE_CHECK_EVAL("1", "${if:\\$==\\$?yes:}");
+    WEE_CHECK_EVAL("1", "${var_abc}");
+    WEE_CHECK_EVAL("1", "${var_abc} == abc");
+    WEE_CHECK_EVAL("1", "${var_cond_true}");
+    WEE_CHECK_EVAL("0", "${var_cond_true} == zzz");
+    WEE_CHECK_EVAL("1", "${var_cond_true} != zzz");
+    WEE_CHECK_EVAL("1", "${var_cond_false}");
+    WEE_CHECK_EVAL("0", "${var_cond_false} == zzz");
+    WEE_CHECK_EVAL("1", "${var_cond_false} != zzz");
 
     /* evaluation of extra_vars */
     hashtable_set (options, "extra", "eval");
@@ -455,6 +468,9 @@ TEST(CoreEval, EvalExpression)
                                 NULL, NULL);
     CHECK(extra_vars);
     hashtable_set (extra_vars, "test", "value");
+    hashtable_set (extra_vars, "var_abc", "abc");
+    hashtable_set (extra_vars, "var_cond_true", "a==a");
+    hashtable_set (extra_vars, "var_cond_false", "a==b");
 
     options = hashtable_new (32,
                              WEECHAT_HASHTABLE_STRING,
@@ -486,6 +502,12 @@ TEST(CoreEval, EvalExpression)
     WEE_CHECK_EVAL("0", "${eval_cond:}");
     WEE_CHECK_EVAL("0", "${eval_cond:${buffer.number} == 2}");
     WEE_CHECK_EVAL("1", "${eval_cond:${buffer.number} == 1}");
+    WEE_CHECK_EVAL("1", "${eval_cond:${var_abc}}");
+    WEE_CHECK_EVAL("1", "${eval_cond:${var_abc} == abc}");
+    WEE_CHECK_EVAL("0", "${eval_cond:${var_abc} == def}");
+    WEE_CHECK_EVAL("1", "${eval_cond:${var_cond_true}}");
+    WEE_CHECK_EVAL("1", "${eval_cond:${var_cond_true}}");
+    WEE_CHECK_EVAL("0", "${eval_cond:${var_cond_false}}");
 
     /* test value from extra_vars */
     WEE_CHECK_EVAL("value", "${test}");
@@ -702,13 +724,24 @@ TEST(CoreEval, EvalExpression)
     WEE_CHECK_EVAL("yes-no", "${if:5>2?${if:1>7?yes-yes:yes-no}:${if:9>4?no-yes:no-no}}");
     WEE_CHECK_EVAL("no-yes", "${if:1>7?${if:6>3?yes-yes:yes-no}:${if:9>4?no-yes:no-no}}");
     WEE_CHECK_EVAL("no-no", "${if:1>7?${if:1>7?yes-yes:yes-no}:${if:1>7?no-yes:no-no}}");
+    WEE_CHECK_EVAL("0", "${if:}");
     WEE_CHECK_EVAL("0", "${if:0}");
     WEE_CHECK_EVAL("1", "${if:1}");
+    WEE_CHECK_EVAL("1", "${if:abc}");
     WEE_CHECK_EVAL("0", "${if:abc!=abc}");
     WEE_CHECK_EVAL("1", "${if:abc==abc}");
     WEE_CHECK_EVAL("1", "${if:${if:abc==abc}}");
     WEE_CHECK_EVAL("0", "${if:${rev:${if:42==42?hello:bye}}==eyb}");
     WEE_CHECK_EVAL("1", "${if:${rev:${if:42==42?hello:bye}}==olleh}");
+    WEE_CHECK_EVAL("1", "${if:${var_abc}}");
+    WEE_CHECK_EVAL("1", "${if:${var_abc} == abc}");
+    WEE_CHECK_EVAL("0", "${if:${var_abc} == def}");
+    WEE_CHECK_EVAL("1", "${if:${var_cond_true}}");
+    WEE_CHECK_EVAL("0", "${if:${var_cond_true} == zzz}");
+    WEE_CHECK_EVAL("1", "${if:${var_cond_true} != zzz}");
+    WEE_CHECK_EVAL("1", "${if:${var_cond_false}}");
+    WEE_CHECK_EVAL("0", "${if:${var_cond_false} == zzz}");
+    WEE_CHECK_EVAL("1", "${if:${var_cond_false} != zzz}");
 
     /* test calc */
     WEE_CHECK_EVAL("0", "${calc:}");