diff --git a/applications/utilities/miscellaneous/foamFormatConvert/foamFormatConvert.C b/applications/utilities/miscellaneous/foamFormatConvert/foamFormatConvert.C
index 81971b85f5..b024745f42 100644
--- a/applications/utilities/miscellaneous/foamFormatConvert/foamFormatConvert.C
+++ b/applications/utilities/miscellaneous/foamFormatConvert/foamFormatConvert.C
@@ -191,7 +191,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
             << endl;
     }
 
-    int oldFlag = entry::disableFunctionEntries;
+    const int oldFlag = entry::disableFunctionEntries;
     if (!enableEntries)
     {
         // By default disable dictionary expansion for fields
diff --git a/applications/utilities/preProcessing/changeDictionary/changeDictionary.C b/applications/utilities/preProcessing/changeDictionary/changeDictionary.C
index d9a7fbb8fc..ea80da840f 100644
--- a/applications/utilities/preProcessing/changeDictionary/changeDictionary.C
+++ b/applications/utilities/preProcessing/changeDictionary/changeDictionary.C
@@ -464,7 +464,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
             << endl;
     }
 
-    int oldFlag = entry::disableFunctionEntries;
+    const int oldFlag = entry::disableFunctionEntries;
     if (!enableEntries)
     {
         // By default disable dictionary expansion for fields
diff --git a/applications/utilities/preProcessing/foamUpgradeCyclics/foamUpgradeCyclics.C b/applications/utilities/preProcessing/foamUpgradeCyclics/foamUpgradeCyclics.C
index bca1b7a394..b35b5b3707 100644
--- a/applications/utilities/preProcessing/foamUpgradeCyclics/foamUpgradeCyclics.C
+++ b/applications/utilities/preProcessing/foamUpgradeCyclics/foamUpgradeCyclics.C
@@ -500,7 +500,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
         IOobjectList objects(runTime, runTime.timeName());
 
 
-        int oldFlag = entry::disableFunctionEntries;
+        const int oldFlag = entry::disableFunctionEntries;
         if (!enableEntries)
         {
             // By default disable dictionary expansion for fields
diff --git a/src/OpenFOAM/db/dictionary/entry/entryIO.C b/src/OpenFOAM/db/dictionary/entry/entryIO.C
index e4a5a1a73b..86afb024ba 100644
--- a/src/OpenFOAM/db/dictionary/entry/entryIO.C
+++ b/src/OpenFOAM/db/dictionary/entry/entryIO.C
@@ -283,15 +283,21 @@ bool Foam::entry::New(dictionary& parentDict, Istream& is)
                 }
                 else if (functionEntries::inputModeEntry::protect())
                 {
-                    // read and discard the entry
+                    // Read and discard the entry.
+                    // Disable function/variable expansion to avoid side-effects
+                    const int oldFlag = entry::disableFunctionEntries;
+                    entry::disableFunctionEntries = 1;
+
                     if (nextToken == token::BEGIN_BLOCK)
                     {
-                        dictionaryEntry dummy(keyword, parentDict, is);
+                        dictionaryEntry dummy("dummy", parentDict, is);
                     }
                     else
                     {
-                        primitiveEntry  dummy(keyword, parentDict, is);
+                        primitiveEntry  dummy("dummy", parentDict, is);
                     }
+
+                    entry::disableFunctionEntries = oldFlag;
                     return true;
                 }
                 else if (functionEntries::inputModeEntry::error())