diff --git a/resources/install/scripts/resources/functions/format_ringback.lua b/resources/install/scripts/resources/functions/format_ringback.lua
index 032b666cb6..83dcc95547 100644
--- a/resources/install/scripts/resources/functions/format_ringback.lua
+++ b/resources/install/scripts/resources/functions/format_ringback.lua
@@ -1,21 +1,26 @@
 
 --add the format_ringback function
-	function format_ringback (ringback) 
-		if (ringback == nil or ringback == "") then
-			--get the default ring back
-				ringback = session:getVariable("hold_music");
-		elseif (ringback:match("%${.*}")) then
-			--strip the ${ and }
-				ringback = ringback:gsub("%${", "");
-				ringback = ringback:gsub("}", "");
-			--get the ringback variable
-				ringback = session:getVariable(ringback);
-			--fallback to us-ring
-				if (ringback == "") then
-					ringback = session:getVariable("us-ring");
-				end
-			--convert to tone_stream
-				ringback = "tone_stream://" .. ringback .. ";loops=-1";
-		end
+	function format_ringback (ringback)
+		--include trim
+			require "resources.functions.trim";
+		--prepare the api object
+			api = freeswitch.API();
+		--handle ringback
+			if (ringback == nil or ringback == "") then
+				--get the default ring back
+					ringback = trim(api:execute("global_getvar", "hold_music"));
+			elseif (ringback:match("%${.*}")) then
+				--strip the ${ and }
+					ringback = ringback:gsub("%${", "");
+					ringback = ringback:gsub("}", "");
+				--get the ringback variable
+					ringback = trim(api:execute("global_getvar", ringback));
+				--fallback to us-ring
+					if (ringback == "") then
+						ringback = trim(api:execute("global_getvar", "us-ring"));
+					end
+				--convert to tone_stream
+					ringback = "tone_stream://" .. ringback .. ";loops=-1";
+			end
 		return ringback;
 	end
\ No newline at end of file