diff -u includes/common.inc includes/common.inc
--- includes/common.inc	20 Sep 2010 04:57:39 -0000
+++ includes/common.inc	20 Sep 2010 15:17:35 -0000
@@ -5041,14 +5041,15 @@
   $element += array('#links' => array());
   foreach (element_children($element) as $key) {
     $child = &$element[$key];
-    // This element may have children with #links that need to be recursively
-    // merged. If not, this will at least force the child to have #links
-    // defined as an empty array.
-    $child = drupal_pre_render_links($child);
     // If the child has not been printed yet and the user has access to it,
-    // merge its links in to the parent and mark them as having been printed
-    // already (so that they cannot be mistakenly rendered twice).
+    // merge its links in to the parent.
     if (empty($child['#printed']) && (!isset($child['#access']) || $child['#access'])) {
+      // The child element itself may have children with #links that need to be
+      // recursively merged. (If not, calling this will at least guarantee that
+      // $child['#links'] is defined, so that it can be used below.)
+      $child = drupal_pre_render_links($child);
+      // Merge in the links and mark the child as having been printed already
+      // (so that its links cannot be mistakenly rendered twice).
       $element['#links'] += $child['#links'];
       $child['#printed'] = TRUE;
     }