diff --git includes/common.inc includes/common.inc
index 1066bdf..653f83b 100644
--- includes/common.inc
+++ includes/common.inc
@@ -5491,6 +5491,54 @@ function element_get_visible_children(array $elements) {
 }
 
 /**
+ * Sets a value in a deeply nested array.
+ *
+ * @param $array
+ *   A reference to the array to modify.
+ * @param $parents
+ *   An ordered array of parent keys, starting with the outer most entry.
+ * @param $value
+ *   The value to set.
+ */
+function drupal_set_array_deep(&$array, $parents, $value) {
+  $parent = array_shift($parents);
+  if (empty($parents)) {
+    $array[$parent] = $value;
+  }
+  else {
+    if (!isset($array[$parent])) {
+      $array[$parent] = array();
+    }
+    drupal_set_array_deep($array[$parent], $parents, $value);
+  }
+}
+
+/**
+ * Gets a value sitting in a deeply nested array.
+ *
+ * @param $array
+ *   The array from which to get a value.
+ * @param $parents
+ *   An ordered array of parent keys of the value, starting with the outer most
+ *   entry.
+ * @return
+ *   An array with the first entry being the value. As second entry a boolean
+ *   flag is returned, which determines whether all given parent keys are set.
+ */
+function drupal_get_array_deep($array, $parents) {
+  $parent = array_shift($parents);
+  if (array_key_exists($parent, $array)) {
+    if (empty($parents)) {
+      return array($array[$parent], TRUE);
+    }
+    if (is_array($array[$parent])) {
+      return drupal_get_array_deep($array[$parent], $parents);
+    }
+  }
+  return array(NULL, FALSE);
+}
+
+/**
  * Provide theme registration for themes across .inc files.
  */
 function drupal_common_theme() {
diff --git includes/form.inc includes/form.inc
index 4d5633c..1bfbf50 100644
--- includes/form.inc
+++ includes/form.inc
@@ -917,6 +917,25 @@ function drupal_validate_form($form_id, &$form, &$form_state) {
 
   _form_validate($form, $form_state, $form_id);
   $validated_forms[$form_id] = TRUE;
+
+  // If validation errors are limited remove any not validated form values, so
+  // that only values that passed validation are left for submit callbacks.
+  if (isset($form_state['triggering_element']['#limit_validation_errors']) && $form_state['triggering_element']['#limit_validation_errors'] !== FALSE) {
+    $values = array();
+    // For convenience we always make the form values of pressed buttons
+    // available.
+    if (isset($form_state['triggering_element']['#button_type'])) {
+      $values[$form_state['triggering_element']['#name']] = $form_state['triggering_element']['#value'];
+      $form_state['triggering_element']['#limit_validation_errors'][] = $form_state['triggering_element']['#parents'];
+    }
+    foreach ($form_state['triggering_element']['#limit_validation_errors'] as $section) {
+      list($value, $value_exists) = drupal_get_array_deep($form_state['values'], $section);
+      if ($value_exists) {
+        drupal_set_array_deep($values, $section, $value);
+      }
+    }
+    $form_state['values'] = $values;
+  }
 }
 
 /**
@@ -1683,11 +1702,9 @@ function _form_builder_handle_input_element($form_id, &$element, &$form_state) {
       // submit explicit NULL values when calling drupal_form_submit(), so we do
       // not modify $form_state['input'] for them.
       if (!$input_exists && !$form_state['rebuild'] && !$form_state['programmed']) {
-        // We leverage the internal logic of form_set_value() to change the
-        // input values by passing $form_state['input'] instead of the usual
-        // $form_state['values']. In effect, this adds the necessary parent keys
-        // to $form_state['input'] and sets the element's input value to NULL.
-        _form_set_value($form_state['input'], $element, $element['#parents'], NULL);
+        // Add the necessary parent keys to $form_state['input'] and sets the
+        // element's input value to NULL.
+        drupal_set_array_deep($form_state['input'], $element['#parents'], NULL);
         $input_exists = TRUE;
       }
       // If we have input for the current element, assign it to the #value
@@ -1746,11 +1763,8 @@ function _form_builder_handle_input_element($form_id, &$element, &$form_state) {
 
   // Set the element's value in $form_state['values'], but only, if its key
   // does not exist yet (a #value_callback may have already populated it).
-  $values = $form_state['values'];
-  foreach ($element['#parents'] as $key) {
-    $values = (isset($values[$key]) ? $values[$key] : NULL);
-  }
-  if (!isset($values)) {
+  list($values, $value_exists) = drupal_get_array_deep($form_state['values'], $element['#parents']);
+  if (!$value_exists) {
     form_set_value($element, $element['#value'], $form_state);
   }
 }
@@ -2082,26 +2096,7 @@ function form_type_token_value($element, $input = FALSE) {
  *   Form state array where the value change should be recorded.
  */
 function form_set_value($element, $value, &$form_state) {
-  _form_set_value($form_state['values'], $element, $element['#parents'], $value);
-}
-
-/**
- * Helper function for form_set_value() and _form_builder_handle_input_element().
- *
- * We iterate over $parents and create nested arrays for them in $form_values if
- * needed. Then we insert the value into the last parent key.
- */
-function _form_set_value(&$form_values, $element, $parents, $value) {
-  $parent = array_shift($parents);
-  if (empty($parents)) {
-    $form_values[$parent] = $value;
-  }
-  else {
-    if (!isset($form_values[$parent])) {
-      $form_values[$parent] = array();
-    }
-    _form_set_value($form_values[$parent], $element, $parents, $value);
-  }
+  drupal_set_array_deep($form_state['values'], $element['#parents'], $value);
 }
 
 /**
diff --git modules/file/file.module modules/file/file.module
index 4075d65..2d75000 100644
--- modules/file/file.module
+++ modules/file/file.module
@@ -553,10 +553,7 @@ function file_managed_file_submit($form, &$form_state) {
   // and set $element to the managed_file element that contains that button.
   $parents = $form_state['triggering_element']['#array_parents'];
   $button_key = array_pop($parents);
-  $element = $form;
-  foreach ($parents as $parent) {
-    $element = $element[$parent];
-  }
+  list($element) = drupal_get_array_deep($form, $parents);
 
   // No action is needed here for the upload button, because all file uploads on
   // the form are processed by file_managed_file_value() regardless of which
@@ -574,13 +571,10 @@ function file_managed_file_submit($form, &$form_state) {
     // run, and for form building functions that run during the rebuild, such as
     // when the managed_file element is part of a field widget.
     // $form_state['input'] must be updated so that file_managed_file_value()
-    // has correct information during the rebuild. The Form API provides no
-    // equivalent of form_set_value() for updating $form_state['input'], so
-    // inline that implementation with the same logic that form_set_value()
-    // uses.
+    // has correct information during the rebuild.
     $values_element = $element['#extended'] ? $element['fid'] : $element;
     form_set_value($values_element, NULL, $form_state);
-    _form_set_value($form_state['input'], $values_element, $values_element['#parents'], NULL);
+    drupal_set_array_deep($form_state['input'], $values_element['#parents'], NULL);
   }
 
   // Set the form to rebuild so that $form is correctly updated in response to
diff --git modules/simpletest/tests/form.test modules/simpletest/tests/form.test
index efaac4b..0e094e4 100644
--- modules/simpletest/tests/form.test
+++ modules/simpletest/tests/form.test
@@ -324,6 +324,10 @@ class FormValidationTestCase extends DrupalWebTestCase {
     $this->assertNoText(t('!name field is required.', array('!name' => 'Title')));
     $this->assertText('Test element is invalid');
 
+    // Ensure not validated values are not available to submit handlers.
+    $this->drupalPost($path, array('test' => 'valid'), t('Partial validate'));
+    $this->assertText('Only validated values appear in the form values.');
+
     // Now test full form validation and ensure that the #element_validate
     // handler is still triggered.
     $this->drupalPost($path, $edit, t('Full validate'));
diff --git modules/simpletest/tests/form_test.module modules/simpletest/tests/form_test.module
index 065df57..d496655 100644
--- modules/simpletest/tests/form_test.module
+++ modules/simpletest/tests/form_test.module
@@ -296,7 +296,7 @@ function form_test_limit_validation_errors_form($form, &$form_state) {
   $form['actions']['partial'] = array(
     '#type' => 'submit',
     '#limit_validation_errors' => array(array('test')),
-    '#submit' => array(),
+    '#submit' => array('form_test_limit_validation_errors_form_partial_submit'),
     '#value' => t('Partial validate'),
   );
   $form['actions']['full'] = array(
@@ -316,6 +316,15 @@ function form_test_limit_validation_errors_element_validate_test(&$element, &$fo
 }
 
 /**
+ * Form submit handler for the partial validation submit button.
+ */
+function form_test_limit_validation_errors_form_partial_submit($form, $form_state) {
+  if (!isset($form_state['values']['title']) && isset($form_state['values']['test'])) {
+    drupal_set_message('Only validated values appear in the form values.');
+  }
+}
+
+/**
  * Create a header and options array. Helper function for callbacks.
  */
 function _form_test_tableselect_get_data() {