diff -u b/core/modules/system/system.admin.inc b/core/modules/system/system.admin.inc
--- b/core/modules/system/system.admin.inc
+++ b/core/modules/system/system.admin.inc
@@ -1010,8 +1010,8 @@
     $system_compact_link['#attributes']['title'] = t('Compress layout by hiding descriptions.');
   }
   $system_compact = array(
-    '#theme' => 'container',
-    '#children' => drupal_render($system_compact_link),
+    '#theme_wrappers' => array('container'),
+    'system_compact_link' => $system_compact_link,
     '#attributes' => array(
       'class' => array('compact-link'),
     ),
@@ -1084,8 +1084,8 @@
     $system_compact_link['#attributes']['title'] = t('Compress layout by hiding descriptions.');
   }
   $system_compact = array(
-    '#theme' => 'container',
-    '#children' =>  drupal_render($system_compact_link),
+    '#theme_wrappers' => array('container'),
+    'system_compact_link' => $system_compact_link,
     '#attributes' => array(
       'class' => array('compact-link'),
     ),
diff -u b/core/modules/user/user.admin.inc b/core/modules/user/user.admin.inc
--- b/core/modules/user/user.admin.inc
+++ b/core/modules/user/user.admin.inc
@@ -252,8 +252,8 @@
     $system_compact_link['#attributes']['title'] = t('Compress layout by hiding descriptions.');
   }
   $system_compact = array(
-    '#theme' => 'container',
-    '#children' => drupal_render($system_compact_link),
+    '#theme_wrappers' => array('container'),
+    'system_compact_link' => $system_compact_link,
     '#attributes' => array(
       'class' => array('compact-link'),
     ),