diff --git a/arduino/cores/packagemanager/package_manager.go b/arduino/cores/packagemanager/package_manager.go
index 175a783025b..7561e38707e 100644
--- a/arduino/cores/packagemanager/package_manager.go
+++ b/arduino/cores/packagemanager/package_manager.go
@@ -380,13 +380,13 @@ func (pme *Explorer) ResolveFQBN(fqbn *cores.FQBN) (
 }
 
 func (pme *Explorer) determineReferencedPlatformRelease(boardBuildProperties *properties.Map, boardPlatformRelease *cores.PlatformRelease, fqbn *cores.FQBN) (string, *cores.PlatformRelease, string, *cores.PlatformRelease, error) {
-	core := boardBuildProperties.Get("build.core")
+	core := boardBuildProperties.ExpandPropsInString(boardBuildProperties.Get("build.core"))
 	referredCore := ""
 	if split := strings.Split(core, ":"); len(split) > 1 {
 		referredCore, core = split[0], split[1]
 	}
 
-	variant := boardBuildProperties.Get("build.variant")
+	variant := boardBuildProperties.ExpandPropsInString(boardBuildProperties.Get("build.variant"))
 	referredVariant := ""
 	if split := strings.Split(variant, ":"); len(split) > 1 {
 		referredVariant, variant = split[0], split[1]
diff --git a/arduino/cores/packagemanager/package_manager_test.go b/arduino/cores/packagemanager/package_manager_test.go
index 5cab6878485..42053c9fa30 100644
--- a/arduino/cores/packagemanager/package_manager_test.go
+++ b/arduino/cores/packagemanager/package_manager_test.go
@@ -807,6 +807,102 @@ func TestLegacyPackageConversionToPluggableDiscovery(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestVariantAndCoreSelection(t *testing.T) {
+	// Pass nil, since these paths are only used for installing
+	pmb := NewBuilder(nil, nil, nil, nil, "test")
+	// Hardware from main packages directory
+	pmb.LoadHardwareFromDirectory(dataDir1.Join("packages"))
+	pm := pmb.Build()
+	pme, release := pm.NewExplorer()
+	defer release()
+
+	requireSameFile := func(f1, f2 *paths.Path) {
+		require.True(t, f1.EquivalentTo(f2), "%s must be equivalent to %s", f1, f2)
+	}
+
+	// build.core test suite
+	t.Run("CoreWithoutSubstitutions", func(t *testing.T) {
+		fqbn, err := cores.ParseFQBN("test2:avr:test")
+		require.NoError(t, err)
+		require.NotNil(t, fqbn)
+		_, _, _, buildProps, _, err := pme.ResolveFQBN(fqbn)
+		require.NoError(t, err)
+		require.Equal(t, "arduino", buildProps.Get("build.core"))
+		requireSameFile(buildProps.GetPath("build.core.path"), dataDir1.Join("packages", "test2", "hardware", "avr", "1.0.0", "cores", "arduino"))
+	})
+	t.Run("CoreWithSubstitutions", func(t *testing.T) {
+		fqbn, err := cores.ParseFQBN("test2:avr:test2")
+		require.NoError(t, err)
+		require.NotNil(t, fqbn)
+		_, _, _, buildProps, _, err := pme.ResolveFQBN(fqbn)
+		require.NoError(t, err)
+		require.Equal(t, "{my_core}", buildProps.Get("build.core"))
+		require.Equal(t, "arduino", buildProps.Get("my_core"))
+		requireSameFile(buildProps.GetPath("build.core.path"), dataDir1.Join("packages", "test2", "hardware", "avr", "1.0.0", "cores", "arduino"))
+	})
+	t.Run("CoreWithSubstitutionsAndDefaultOption", func(t *testing.T) {
+		fqbn, err := cores.ParseFQBN("test2:avr:test3")
+		require.NoError(t, err)
+		require.NotNil(t, fqbn)
+		_, _, _, buildProps, _, err := pme.ResolveFQBN(fqbn)
+		require.NoError(t, err)
+		require.Equal(t, "{my_core}", buildProps.Get("build.core"))
+		require.Equal(t, "arduino", buildProps.Get("my_core"))
+		requireSameFile(buildProps.GetPath("build.core.path"), dataDir1.Join("packages", "test2", "hardware", "avr", "1.0.0", "cores", "arduino"))
+	})
+	t.Run("CoreWithSubstitutionsAndNonDefaultOption", func(t *testing.T) {
+		fqbn, err := cores.ParseFQBN("test2:avr:test3:core=referenced")
+		require.NoError(t, err)
+		require.NotNil(t, fqbn)
+		_, _, _, buildProps, _, err := pme.ResolveFQBN(fqbn)
+		require.NoError(t, err)
+		require.Equal(t, "{my_core}", buildProps.Get("build.core"))
+		require.Equal(t, "arduino:arduino", buildProps.Get("my_core"))
+		requireSameFile(buildProps.GetPath("build.core.path"), dataDir1.Join("packages", "arduino", "hardware", "avr", "1.8.3", "cores", "arduino"))
+	})
+
+	// build.variant test suite
+	t.Run("VariantWithoutSubstitutions", func(t *testing.T) {
+		fqbn, err := cores.ParseFQBN("test2:avr:test4")
+		require.NoError(t, err)
+		require.NotNil(t, fqbn)
+		_, _, _, buildProps, _, err := pme.ResolveFQBN(fqbn)
+		require.NoError(t, err)
+		require.Equal(t, "standard", buildProps.Get("build.variant"))
+		requireSameFile(buildProps.GetPath("build.variant.path"), dataDir1.Join("packages", "test2", "hardware", "avr", "1.0.0", "variants", "standard"))
+	})
+	t.Run("VariantWithSubstitutions", func(t *testing.T) {
+		fqbn, err := cores.ParseFQBN("test2:avr:test5")
+		require.NoError(t, err)
+		require.NotNil(t, fqbn)
+		_, _, _, buildProps, _, err := pme.ResolveFQBN(fqbn)
+		require.NoError(t, err)
+		require.Equal(t, "{my_variant}", buildProps.Get("build.variant"))
+		require.Equal(t, "standard", buildProps.Get("my_variant"))
+		requireSameFile(buildProps.GetPath("build.variant.path"), dataDir1.Join("packages", "test2", "hardware", "avr", "1.0.0", "variants", "standard"))
+	})
+	t.Run("VariantWithSubstitutionsAndDefaultOption", func(t *testing.T) {
+		fqbn, err := cores.ParseFQBN("test2:avr:test6")
+		require.NoError(t, err)
+		require.NotNil(t, fqbn)
+		_, _, _, buildProps, _, err := pme.ResolveFQBN(fqbn)
+		require.NoError(t, err)
+		require.Equal(t, "{my_variant}", buildProps.Get("build.variant"))
+		require.Equal(t, "standard", buildProps.Get("my_variant"))
+		requireSameFile(buildProps.GetPath("build.variant.path"), dataDir1.Join("packages", "test2", "hardware", "avr", "1.0.0", "variants", "standard"))
+	})
+	t.Run("VariantWithSubstitutionsAndNonDefaultOption", func(t *testing.T) {
+		fqbn, err := cores.ParseFQBN("test2:avr:test6:variant=referenced")
+		require.NoError(t, err)
+		require.NotNil(t, fqbn)
+		_, _, _, buildProps, _, err := pme.ResolveFQBN(fqbn)
+		require.NoError(t, err)
+		require.Equal(t, "{my_variant}", buildProps.Get("build.variant"))
+		require.Equal(t, "arduino:standard", buildProps.Get("my_variant"))
+		requireSameFile(buildProps.GetPath("build.variant.path"), dataDir1.Join("packages", "arduino", "hardware", "avr", "1.8.3", "variants", "standard"))
+	})
+}
+
 func TestRunPostInstall(t *testing.T) {
 	pmb := NewBuilder(nil, nil, nil, nil, "test")
 	pm := pmb.Build()
diff --git a/arduino/cores/packagemanager/testdata/data_dir_1/packages/test2/hardware/avr/1.0.0/boards.txt b/arduino/cores/packagemanager/testdata/data_dir_1/packages/test2/hardware/avr/1.0.0/boards.txt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..7829201e7e9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/arduino/cores/packagemanager/testdata/data_dir_1/packages/test2/hardware/avr/1.0.0/boards.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+menu.core=Core
+menu.variant=Variant
+
+## Test cases for core selection
+
+test.name=Test Board
+test.build.board=AVR_TEST
+test.build.core=arduino
+test.build.variant=standard
+
+test2.name=Test Board 2
+test2.build.board=AVR_TEST_2
+test2.build.core={my_core}
+test2.my_core=arduino
+test2.build.variant=standard
+
+test3.name=Test Board 2
+test3.build.board=AVR_TEST_2
+test3.build.core={my_core}
+test3.my_core=arduino
+test3.build.variant=standard
+test3.menu.core.default=Default
+test3.menu.core.referenced=Referenced
+test3.menu.core.referenced.my_core=arduino:arduino
+
+## Test cases for variant selection
+
+test4.name=Test Board
+test4.build.board=AVR_TEST
+test4.build.core=arduino
+test4.build.variant=standard
+
+test5.name=Test Board 2
+test5.build.board=AVR_TEST_2
+test5.build.core=arduino
+test5.my_variant=standard
+test5.build.variant={my_variant}
+
+test6.name=Test Board 2
+test6.build.board=AVR_TEST_2
+test5.build.core=arduino
+test6.my_variant=standard
+test6.build.variant={my_variant}
+test6.menu.variant.default=Default
+test6.menu.variant.referenced=Referenced
+test6.menu.variant.referenced.my_variant=arduino:standard
+