This branch: https://github.com/emacs-mirror/emacs/blob/emacs-29/lisp/cus-edit.el#L1109 No it does not saves only one variable to file, it only saves one variable to file if you have only modified one variable. As a matter of fact, custom-variable-save, custom-variable-mark-to-reset-standard, custom-face-save, custom-face-mark-to-reset-standard and custom-group-save all have the same problem. They all call custom-save-all and they all dump all modified customizable variable values on file without regard to whether it’s a single variable, face or a group the user asked Emacs to save. On 4 Jun 2023 at 2:23 PM +0100, Eli Zaretskii , wrote: > > Date: Sun, 4 Jun 2023 14:02:55 +0100 > > From: Jimmy Wong > > Cc: 63891@debbugs.gnu.org > > > > Yes sorry, I mean customize-save-variable, custom-save-variable doesn’t exist. There’s a branch in > > customize-save-variable that saves all previously updated variables to the custom file if it exists. > > I don't think I understand. customize-save-variable saves only a > single variable: the one whose name you type, with the value you type. > Which branch there does more, and how can you invoke that branch? > > > I just took a look at cus-edit.el, there appears to be no function that can surgically serialize just one > > variable value to the custom file. > > customize-save-variable is that function.