diff --git a/apache2/modsecurity.c b/apache2/modsecurity.c
index 60f71374..9ec5685d 100644
--- a/apache2/modsecurity.c
+++ b/apache2/modsecurity.c
@@ -299,7 +299,7 @@ apr_status_t modsecurity_tx_init(modsec_rec *msr) {
     msr->tcache = apr_hash_make(msr->mp);
     if (msr->tcache == NULL) return -1;
 
-    msr->tx_severity = 7; /* lowest */
+    msr->highest_severity = 255; /* high, invalid value */
 
     return 1;
 }
diff --git a/apache2/modsecurity.h b/apache2/modsecurity.h
index 745c276c..6afadc77 100644
--- a/apache2/modsecurity.h
+++ b/apache2/modsecurity.h
@@ -320,7 +320,7 @@ struct modsec_rec {
     apr_time_t           time_checkpoint_3;
 
     const char          *matched_var;
-    int                  tx_severity;
+    int                  highest_severity;
 
     /* upload */
     int                  upload_extract_files;
diff --git a/apache2/re.c b/apache2/re.c
index 9f914590..e7630f4e 100644
--- a/apache2/re.c
+++ b/apache2/re.c
@@ -1254,8 +1254,9 @@ static int execute_operator(msre_var *var, msre_rule *rule, modsec_rec *msr,
         msr->matched_var = apr_pstrdup(msr->mp, var->name);
 
         /* Keep track of the highest severity matched so far */
-        if (acting_actionset->severity < msr->tx_severity) {
-            msr->tx_severity = acting_actionset->severity;
+        if ((acting_actionset->severity > 0) && (acting_actionset->severity < msr->highest_severity))
+        {
+            msr->highest_severity = acting_actionset->severity;
         }
 
 
diff --git a/apache2/re_variables.c b/apache2/re_variables.c
index c28c57e1..70c3bb96 100644
--- a/apache2/re_variables.c
+++ b/apache2/re_variables.c
@@ -734,14 +734,6 @@ static int var_tx_generate(modsec_rec *msr, msre_var *var, msre_rule *rule,
     return count;
 }
 
-/* TX_SEVERITY */
-
-static int var_tx_severity_generate(modsec_rec *msr, msre_var *var, msre_rule *rule,
-    apr_table_t *vartab, apr_pool_t *mptmp)
-{
-    return var_simple_generate(var, vartab, mptmp, apr_psprintf(mptmp, "%i", msr->tx_severity));
-}
-
 /* GEO */
 
 static int var_geo_generate(modsec_rec *msr, msre_var *var, msre_rule *rule,
@@ -786,6 +778,15 @@ static int var_geo_generate(modsec_rec *msr, msre_var *var, msre_rule *rule,
     return count;
 }
 
+/* HIGHEST_SEVERITY */
+
+static int var_highest_severity_generate(modsec_rec *msr, msre_var *var, msre_rule *rule,
+    apr_table_t *vartab, apr_pool_t *mptmp)
+{
+    return var_simple_generate(var, vartab, mptmp,
+                               apr_psprintf(mptmp, "%d", msr->highest_severity));
+}
+
 /* IP */
 
 static int var_ip_generate(modsec_rec *msr, msre_var *var, msre_rule *rule,
@@ -2203,6 +2204,17 @@ void msre_engine_register_default_variables(msre_engine *engine) {
         PHASE_REQUEST_HEADERS
     );
 
+    /* HIGHEST_SEVERITY */
+    msre_engine_variable_register(engine,
+        "HIGHEST_SEVERITY",
+        VAR_SIMPLE,
+        0, 0,
+        NULL,
+        var_highest_severity_generate,
+        VAR_DONT_CACHE,
+        PHASE_REQUEST_HEADERS
+    );
+
     /* IP */
     msre_engine_variable_register(engine,
         "IP",
@@ -2896,17 +2908,6 @@ void msre_engine_register_default_variables(msre_engine *engine) {
         PHASE_REQUEST_HEADERS
     );
 
-    /* TX_SEVERITY */
-    msre_engine_variable_register(engine,
-        "TX_SEVERITY",
-        VAR_SIMPLE,
-        0, 0,
-        NULL,
-        var_tx_severity_generate,
-        VAR_DONT_CACHE,
-        PHASE_REQUEST_HEADERS
-    );
-
     /* WEBAPPID */
     msre_engine_variable_register(engine,
         "WEBAPPID",
diff --git a/doc/modsecurity2-apache-reference.xml b/doc/modsecurity2-apache-reference.xml
index d40fe9f0..9f61be2c 100644
--- a/doc/modsecurity2-apache-reference.xml
+++ b/doc/modsecurity2-apache-reference.xml
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
   <title>ModSecurity Reference Manual</title>
 
   <articleinfo>
-    <releaseinfo>Version 2.5.0-trunk / (Aug 8, 2007)</releaseinfo>
+    <releaseinfo>Version 2.5.0-trunk / (Aug 9, 2007)</releaseinfo>
 
     <copyright>
       <year>2004-2007</year>
@@ -2224,6 +2224,23 @@ SecRule <emphasis role="bold">ENV:tag</emphasis> "suspicious"</programlisting>
 SecRule GEO:COUNTRY_CODE "!@streq UK"</programlisting>
     </section>
 
+    <section>
+      <title><literal moreinfo="none">HIGHEST_SEVERITY</literal></title>
+
+      <para>This variable holds the highest severity of any rules that have
+      matched so far. Severities are numeric values and thus can be used with
+      comparison operators such as <literal moreinfo="none">@lt</literal>,
+      etc.</para>
+
+      <note>
+        <para>Higher severities have a lower numeric value.</para>
+
+        <para>A value of 255 indicates no severity has been set.</para>
+      </note>
+
+      <programlisting format="linespecific">SecRule HIGHEST_SEVERITY "@le 2" "phase:2,deny,status:500,msg:'severity %{HIGHEST_SEVERITY}'"</programlisting>
+    </section>
+
     <section>
       <title><literal moreinfo="none">MODSEC_BUILD</literal></title>