diff --git a/field_collection.module b/field_collection.module
index e9290af..ddd2ec3 100644
--- a/field_collection.module
+++ b/field_collection.module
@@ -897,7 +897,7 @@ function field_collection_field_settings_form($field, $instance) {
  */
 function field_collection_field_insert($host_entity_type, $host_entity, $field, $instance, $langcode, &$items) {
   foreach ($items as &$item) {
-    if ($entity = field_collection_field_get_entity($item)) {
+    if (isset($item['entity']) && $entity = field_collection_field_get_entity($item)) {
       if (!empty($host_entity->is_new) && empty($entity->is_new)) {
         // If the host entity is new but we have a field_collection that is not
         // new, it means that its host is being cloned. Thus we need to clone
diff --git a/field_collection.test b/field_collection.test
index 9a22e49..e8123bf 100644
--- a/field_collection.test
+++ b/field_collection.test
@@ -304,35 +304,37 @@ class FieldCollectionBasicTestCase extends DrupalWebTestCase {
    * Make sure that field_collection-entities are copied when host-entities do.
    */
   public function testCopyingEntities() {
-    list($node, $entity) = $this->createNodeWithFieldCollection();
+    list($node, $original_field_collection) = $this->createNodeWithFieldCollection();
 
     // Create a copy of that node.
-    $node->nid = NULL;
-    $node->vid = NULL;
-    $node->is_new = TRUE;
+    $original_node = clone $node;
+    $original_node->nid = NULL;
+    $original_node->vid = NULL;
+    $original_node->is_new = TRUE;
 
-    node_save($node);
-    $item = $node->{$this->field_name}[LANGUAGE_NONE][0];
-    $this->assertNotEqual($entity->item_id, $item['value']);
+    node_save($original_node);
+    $original_field_collection_id = $original_node->{$this->field_name}[LANGUAGE_NONE][0];
+    $this->assertNotEqual($original_field_collection->item_id, $original_field_collection_id['value']);
 
     // Do a php clone to the $node object and save it.
-    $node2 = clone $node;
-    $node2->nid = NULL;
-    $node2->is_new = TRUE;
-    $node2->vid = NULL;
-    node_save($node2);
+    $duplicate_node = clone $original_node;
+    $duplicate_node->nid = NULL;
+    $duplicate_node->is_new = TRUE;
+    $duplicate_node->vid = NULL;
+    node_save($duplicate_node);
 
-    $item2 = $node2->{$this->field_name}[LANGUAGE_NONE][0];
-    $this->assertNotEqual($item2['value'], $item['value']);
+    $duplicate_field_collection_id = $duplicate_node->{$this->field_name}[LANGUAGE_NONE][0];
+    $this->assertNotEqual($original_field_collection->item_id, $duplicate_field_collection_id['value']);
 
     // Create another copy this time (needlessly) forcing a new revision.
-    $node->nid = NULL;
-    $node->vid = NULL;
-    $node->is_new = TRUE;
-    $node->revision = TRUE;
-    node_save($node);
-    $item3 = $node->{$this->field_name}[LANGUAGE_NONE][0];
-    $this->assertNotEqual($item['value'], $item3['value']);
+    $tertiary_node = clone $original_node;
+    $tertiary_node->nid = NULL;
+    $tertiary_node->vid = NULL;
+    $tertiary_node->is_new = TRUE;
+    $tertiary_node->revision = TRUE;
+    node_save($tertiary_node);
+    $tertiary_field_collection_id = $node->{$this->field_name}[LANGUAGE_NONE][0];
+    $this->assertNotEqual($original_field_collection->item_id, $tertiary_field_collection_id['value']);
   }
 
 }