diff --git a/.changeset/odd-pumpkins-care.md b/.changeset/odd-pumpkins-care.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..d2ecc5b0e2e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/odd-pumpkins-care.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+'@apollo/client': patch
+---
+
+Fixes a bug in `BatchHttpLink` that removed variables from all requests by default.
diff --git a/src/link/batch-http/__tests__/batchHttpLink.ts b/src/link/batch-http/__tests__/batchHttpLink.ts
index 88a99c1fbaf..208ae6f9b43 100644
--- a/src/link/batch-http/__tests__/batchHttpLink.ts
+++ b/src/link/batch-http/__tests__/batchHttpLink.ts
@@ -352,6 +352,62 @@ describe('SharedHttpTest', () => {
     );
   });
 
+  itAsync('strips unused variables, respecting nested fragments', (resolve, reject) => {
+    const link = createHttpLink({ uri: '/data' });
+
+    const query = gql`
+      query PEOPLE (
+        $declaredAndUsed: String,
+        $declaredButUnused: Int,
+      ) {
+        people(
+          surprise: $undeclared,
+          noSurprise: $declaredAndUsed,
+        ) {
+          ... on Doctor {
+            specialty(var: $usedByInlineFragment)
+          }
+          ...LawyerFragment
+        }
+      }
+      fragment LawyerFragment on Lawyer {
+        caseCount(var: $usedByNamedFragment)
+      }
+    `;
+
+    const variables = {
+      unused: 'strip',
+      declaredButUnused: 'strip',
+      declaredAndUsed: 'keep',
+      undeclared: 'keep',
+      usedByInlineFragment: 'keep',
+      usedByNamedFragment: 'keep',
+    };
+
+    execute(link, {
+      query,
+      variables,
+    }).subscribe({
+      next: makeCallback(resolve, reject, () => {
+        const [uri, options] = fetchMock.lastCall()!;
+        const { method, body } = options!;
+        expect(JSON.parse(body as string)).toEqual([{
+          operationName: "PEOPLE",
+          query: print(query),
+          variables: {
+            declaredAndUsed: 'keep',
+            undeclared: 'keep',
+            usedByInlineFragment: 'keep',
+            usedByNamedFragment: 'keep',
+          },
+        }]);
+        expect(method).toBe('POST');
+        expect(uri).toBe('/data');
+      }),
+      error: error => reject(error),
+    });
+  });
+
   itAsync('unsubscribes without calling subscriber', (resolve, reject) => {
     const link = createHttpLink({ uri: '/data' });
     const observable = execute(link, {
diff --git a/src/link/batch-http/batchHttpLink.ts b/src/link/batch-http/batchHttpLink.ts
index 380a578ada3..04753f9bf69 100644
--- a/src/link/batch-http/batchHttpLink.ts
+++ b/src/link/batch-http/batchHttpLink.ts
@@ -132,7 +132,10 @@ export class BatchHttpLink extends ApolloLink {
         );
 
         if (result.body.variables && !includeUnusedVariables) {
-          result.body.variables = filterOperationVariables(result.body, operation);
+          result.body.variables = filterOperationVariables(
+            result.body.variables,
+            operation.query
+          );
         }
 
         return result;
diff --git a/src/link/http/createHttpLink.ts b/src/link/http/createHttpLink.ts
index 48a9170cf01..f0858cc0f17 100644
--- a/src/link/http/createHttpLink.ts
+++ b/src/link/http/createHttpLink.ts
@@ -116,7 +116,7 @@ export const createHttpLink = (linkOptions: HttpOptions = {}) => {
     );
 
     if (body.variables && !includeUnusedVariables) {
-      body.variables = filterOperationVariables(body.variables, operation);
+      body.variables = filterOperationVariables(body.variables, operation.query);
     }
 
     let controller: any;
diff --git a/src/link/utils/__tests__/filterOperationVariables.ts b/src/link/utils/__tests__/filterOperationVariables.ts
index 5a4889a3944..3b54ef38cd4 100644
--- a/src/link/utils/__tests__/filterOperationVariables.ts
+++ b/src/link/utils/__tests__/filterOperationVariables.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 import gql from 'graphql-tag';
 import { filterOperationVariables } from '../filterOperationVariables';
-import { createOperation } from '../createOperation';
 
 const sampleQueryWithVariables = gql`
   query MyQuery($a: Int!) {
@@ -23,7 +22,7 @@ describe('filterOperationVariables', () => {
     const variables = { a: 1, b: 2, c: 3 };
     const result = filterOperationVariables(
       variables,
-      createOperation({}, { query: sampleQueryWithoutVariables, variables })
+      sampleQueryWithoutVariables
     );
     expect(result).toEqual({});
   });
@@ -32,7 +31,7 @@ describe('filterOperationVariables', () => {
     const variables = { a: 1, b: 2, c: 3 };
     const result = filterOperationVariables(
       variables,
-      createOperation({}, { query: sampleQueryWithVariables, variables })
+      sampleQueryWithVariables
     );
     expect(result).toEqual({ a: 1 });
   });
diff --git a/src/link/utils/filterOperationVariables.ts b/src/link/utils/filterOperationVariables.ts
index 8f1b9528903..5d35a2d6e58 100644
--- a/src/link/utils/filterOperationVariables.ts
+++ b/src/link/utils/filterOperationVariables.ts
@@ -1,23 +1,27 @@
-import type { VariableDefinitionNode} from "graphql";
-import { visit } from "graphql";
+import type { VariableDefinitionNode, DocumentNode } from 'graphql';
+import { visit } from 'graphql';
 
-import type { Operation } from "../core";
-
-export function filterOperationVariables(variables: Record<string, any>, operation: Operation) {
+export function filterOperationVariables(
+  variables: Record<string, any>,
+  query: DocumentNode
+) {
   const result = { ...variables };
   const unusedNames = new Set(Object.keys(variables));
-  visit(operation.query, {
+  visit(query, {
     Variable(node, _key, parent) {
       // A variable type definition at the top level of a query is not
       // enough to silence server-side errors about the variable being
       // unused, so variable definitions do not count as usage.
       // https://spec.graphql.org/draft/#sec-All-Variables-Used
-      if (parent && (parent as VariableDefinitionNode).kind !== 'VariableDefinition') {
+      if (
+        parent &&
+        (parent as VariableDefinitionNode).kind !== 'VariableDefinition'
+      ) {
         unusedNames.delete(node.name.value);
       }
     },
   });
-  unusedNames.forEach(name => {
+  unusedNames.forEach((name) => {
     delete result![name];
   });
   return result;