diff --git a/includes/form.inc b/includes/form.inc
index a337b03..30b5a5e 100644
--- a/includes/form.inc
+++ b/includes/form.inc
@@ -1789,9 +1789,9 @@ function form_builder($form_id, &$element, &$form_state) {
     $element['#after_build_done'] = TRUE;
   }
 
-  // If there is a file element, we need to flip a flag so later the
+  // If there is a visible file element, we need to flip a flag so later the
   // form encoding can be set.
-  if (isset($element['#type']) && $element['#type'] == 'file') {
+  if (isset($element['#type']) && $element['#type'] == 'file' && !(isset($element['#access']) && $element['#access'] == FALSE)) {
     $form_state['has_file_element'] = TRUE;
   }
 
diff --git a/modules/simpletest/tests/form.test b/modules/simpletest/tests/form.test
index e7ae9de..beaf3d0 100644
--- a/modules/simpletest/tests/form.test
+++ b/modules/simpletest/tests/form.test
@@ -426,6 +426,22 @@ class FormElementTestCase extends DrupalWebTestCase {
       )));
     }
   }
+
+  /**
+   * Test form with file element.
+   */
+  function testFileElement() {
+    // Test visible file element.
+    $form_state = array();
+    $form = drupal_build_form('form_test_file_element', $form_state);
+    $this->assertTrue($form_state['has_file_element'], t('File element was proccessed correctly.'));
+
+    // Test hidden (no access) file element.
+    $form_state = array();
+    $form_state['deny file access'] = TRUE;
+    $form = drupal_build_form('form_test_file_element', $form_state);
+    $this->assertTrue(empty($form_state['has_file_element']), t('File element with no access was proccessed correctly.'));
+  }
 }
 
 /**
@@ -521,7 +537,7 @@ class FormValidationTestCase extends DrupalWebTestCase {
    */
   function testValidateLimitErrors() {
     $edit = array(
-      'test' => 'invalid', 
+      'test' => 'invalid',
       'test_numeric_index[0]' => 'invalid',
       'test_substring[foo]' => 'invalid',
     );
diff --git a/modules/simpletest/tests/form_test.module b/modules/simpletest/tests/form_test.module
index 00be7d2..2811cd8 100644
--- a/modules/simpletest/tests/form_test.module
+++ b/modules/simpletest/tests/form_test.module
@@ -332,6 +332,27 @@ function form_test_validate_form_validate(&$form, &$form_state) {
 }
 
 /**
+ * Builds a form with a file element, and set its access.
+ */
+function form_test_file_element($form, &$form_state) {
+  $form['title'] = array(
+    '#type' => 'textfield',
+    '#title' => 'Title',
+    '#required' => TRUE,
+  );
+  $form['file_element'] = array(
+    '#type' => 'file',
+    '#title' => t('File element'),
+  );
+
+  if (!empty($form_state['deny file access'])) {
+    $form['file_element']['#access'] = FALSE;
+  }
+
+  return $form;
+}
+
+/**
  * Builds a simple form with a button triggering partial validation.
  */
 function form_test_limit_validation_errors_form($form, &$form_state) {