diff --git a/core/includes/common.inc b/core/includes/common.inc
index f954b20..04305bf 100644
--- a/core/includes/common.inc
+++ b/core/includes/common.inc
@@ -3801,6 +3801,17 @@ function drupal_render(&$elements) {
     return '';
   }
 
+  // If the special '#render_children' key is set, call drupal_render_children()
+  // instead of drupal_render() to prevent recursion.
+  if (isset($elements['#render_children'])) {
+    $children_keys = element_children($elements);
+    $output = '';
+    foreach ($children_keys as $key) {
+      $output .= drupal_render($element[$key]);
+    }
+    return $output;
+  }
+
   // Do not print elements twice.
   if (!empty($elements['#printed'])) {
     return '';
@@ -3850,7 +3861,7 @@ function drupal_render(&$elements) {
   // element have to be rendered there. If the internal #render_children
   // property is set, do not call the #theme function to prevent infinite
   // recursion.
-  if ($theme_is_implemented && !isset($elements['#render_children'])) {
+  if ($theme_is_implemented) {
     $elements['#children'] = theme($elements['#theme'], $elements);
 
     // If theme() returns FALSE this means that the hook in #theme was not found
@@ -3862,7 +3873,7 @@ function drupal_render(&$elements) {
   // If #theme is not implemented or #render_children is set and the element has
   // an empty #children attribute, render the children now. This is the same
   // process as drupal_render_children() but is inlined for speed.
-  if ((!$theme_is_implemented || isset($elements['#render_children'])) && empty($elements['#children'])) {
+  if ((!$theme_is_implemented) && empty($elements['#children'])) {
     foreach ($children as $key) {
       $elements['#children'] .= drupal_render($elements[$key]);
     }
@@ -3898,7 +3909,7 @@ function drupal_render(&$elements) {
   // assets otherwise.
   // If the internal #render_children property is set, do not call the
   // #theme_wrappers function(s) to prevent infinite recursion.
-  if (isset($elements['#theme_wrappers']) && !isset($elements['#render_children'])) {
+  if (isset($elements['#theme_wrappers'])) {
     foreach ($elements['#theme_wrappers'] as $key => $value) {
       // If the value of a #theme_wrappers item is an array then the theme hook
       // is found in the key of the item and the value contains attribute