diff --git a/apisix/core/utils.lua b/apisix/core/utils.lua
index cfea756542bd..12160ae9d68f 100644
--- a/apisix/core/utils.lua
+++ b/apisix/core/utils.lua
@@ -461,5 +461,4 @@ function _M.check_tls_bool(fields, conf, plugin_name)
     end
 end
 
-
 return _M
diff --git a/apisix/upstream.lua b/apisix/upstream.lua
index 624cb031bd7c..e2fe62e4545d 100644
--- a/apisix/upstream.lua
+++ b/apisix/upstream.lua
@@ -297,7 +297,12 @@ function _M.set_by_route(route, api_ctx)
             return 503, err
         end
 
-        local new_nodes, err = dis.nodes(up_conf.service_name, up_conf.discovery_args)
+        local service_name, err = core.utils.resolve_var(up_conf.service_name, api_ctx.var)
+        if not service_name or service_name == "" then
+            return 503, "resolve_var resolves to empty string: " .. (err or "nil")
+        end
+
+        local new_nodes, err = dis.nodes(service_name, up_conf.discovery_args)
         if not new_nodes then
             return HTTP_CODE_UPSTREAM_UNAVAILABLE, "no valid upstream node: " .. (err or "nil")
         end
diff --git a/docs/en/latest/discovery.md b/docs/en/latest/discovery.md
index 6844ede9f87a..7f891b4e0a49 100644
--- a/docs/en/latest/discovery.md
+++ b/docs/en/latest/discovery.md
@@ -216,6 +216,35 @@ Server: APISIX web server
 {"node":{"value":{"uri":"\/user\/*","upstream": {"service_name": "USER-SERVICE", "type": "roundrobin", "discovery_type": "eureka"}},"createdIndex":61925,"key":"\/apisix\/routes\/1","modifiedIndex":61925}}
 ```
 
+You can also use variables in the service name. For example, to route requests based on the host header using nginx map:
+
+First, configure the map in your nginx configuration:
+
+```nginx
+map $http_host $backend {
+    hostnames;
+    default service_a;
+    x.domain.local service_x;
+    y.domain.local service_y;
+}
+```
+
+Then use the mapped variable in your route configuration:
+
+```shell
+$ curl http://127.0.0.1:9180/apisix/admin/routes/1 -H "X-API-KEY: $admin_key" -X PUT -i -d '
+{
+    "uri": "/*",
+    "upstream": {
+        "service_name": "${backend}",
+        "type": "roundrobin",
+        "discovery_type": "eureka"
+    }
+}'
+```
+
+In this example, requests to `x.domain.local` will be routed to the service named "service_a", while requests to `y.domain.local` will be routed to "service_b".
+
 Because the upstream interface URL may have conflict, usually in the gateway by prefix to distinguish:
 
 ```shell
diff --git a/t/discovery/consul.t b/t/discovery/consul.t
index 9ec87202118e..b07a43c23461 100644
--- a/t/discovery/consul.t
+++ b/t/discovery/consul.t
@@ -26,7 +26,6 @@ add_block_preprocessor(sub {
     my ($block) = @_;
 
     my $http_config = $block->http_config // <<_EOC_;
-
     server {
         listen 20999;
 
@@ -781,3 +780,78 @@ location /sleep {
     qr//
 ]
 --- ignore_error_log
+
+
+
+=== TEST 16: test service_name as variable in route configuration
+--- yaml_config eval: $::yaml_config
+--- apisix_yaml
+routes:
+  -
+    uri: /hello
+    upstream:
+      service_name: "${backend}"
+      discovery_type: consul
+      type: roundrobin
+#END
+--- config
+    location /t {
+        set $backend "service_a";
+        content_by_lua_block {
+            local http = require "resty.http"
+            local httpc = http.new()
+            local uri = "http://127.0.0.1:" .. ngx.var.server_port .. "/hello"
+            local res, err = httpc:request_uri(uri, { method = "GET"})
+            if err then
+                ngx.log(ngx.ERR, err)
+                ngx.status = res.status
+                return
+            end
+            ngx.say(res.body)
+        }
+    }
+--- request
+GET /t
+--- response_body_like eval
+qr/server [1-2]\n/
+--- no_error_log
+[error]
+
+
+
+=== TEST 17: test empty variable in service_name
+--- yaml_config eval: $::yaml_config
+--- apisix_yaml
+routes:
+  -
+    uri: /hello
+    upstream:
+      service_name: "${backend}"
+      discovery_type: consul
+      type: roundrobin
+#END
+--- config
+    location /t {
+        set $backend "service_a";
+        content_by_lua_block {
+            -- Set empty nginx map variable
+            ngx.var.backend = ""
+
+            local http = require "resty.http"
+            local httpc = http.new()
+            local uri = "http://127.0.0.1:" .. ngx.var.server_port .. "/hello"
+            local res, err = httpc:request_uri(uri, { method = "GET"})
+            if err then
+                ngx.log(ngx.ERR, err)
+                ngx.status = res.status
+                return
+            end
+            ngx.say(res.status)
+        }
+    }
+--- request
+GET /t
+--- response_body
+503
+--- error_log
+resolve_var resolves to empty string