diff --git a/ds.module b/ds.module
index 18cf504..9c5c3cf 100644
--- a/ds.module
+++ b/ds.module
@@ -526,6 +526,8 @@ function ds_field_attach_view_alter(&$build, $context) {
  * This function is added in ds_theme_registry_alter().
  */
 function ds_entity_variables(&$vars) {
+  $start = microtime(TRUE);
+
   if (isset($vars['elements']) && $layout = ds_get_layout($vars['elements']['#entity_type'], $vars['elements']['#bundle'], $vars['elements']['#view_mode'])) {
 
     // Do not render panel layouts.
@@ -546,7 +548,7 @@ function ds_entity_variables(&$vars) {
       $object = 'term';
     }
     if (isset($vars[$object]->preprocess_fields)) {
-      foreach ($vars[$object]->preprocess_fields as $key => $field) {
+      foreach ($vars[$object]->preprocess_fields as $field) {
 
         // Process RDF if the module is enabled before moving preprocess fields.
         if (module_exists('rdf')) {
@@ -594,17 +596,23 @@ function ds_entity_variables(&$vars) {
     }
 
     // Create region variables based on the layout settings.
+    $layout_render_array = array();
     foreach ($layout['regions'] as $region_name => $region) {
 
       // Create the region content.
-      $vars[$region_name] = ds_render_region($vars[$render_container], $region_name, $layout);
+      $layout_render_array[$region_name] = array();
+      if (isset($layout['settings']['regions'][$region_name])) {
+        foreach ($layout['settings']['regions'][$region_name] as $field) {
+          $layout_render_array[$region_name][] = $vars[$render_container][$field];
+        }
+      }
 
       // Hide empty regions.
-      if ($hide_empty_regions && empty($vars[$region_name]) && empty($layout['flexible'])) {
-        $vars[$region_name] = FALSE;
+      if ($hide_empty_regions && empty($layout_render_array[$region_name]) && empty($layout['flexible'])) {
+        unset($layout_render_array[$region_name]);
       }
-      elseif (empty($vars[$region_name])) {
-        $vars[$region_name] = ' ';
+      elseif (empty($layout_render_array[$region_name])) {
+        $vars[$region_name] = array('#markup' => ' ');
       }
 
       // In case this is a panels layout, add the variable to the $content variable.
@@ -619,27 +627,16 @@ function ds_entity_variables(&$vars) {
       }
     }
   }
-}
 
-/**
- * Render a region.
- *
- * @param $content
- *   An array of content fields.
- * @param $region
- *   The name of region to render.
- * @param $layout
- *   The layout definition.
- */
-function ds_render_region($content, $region, $layout) {
-  $output = '';
-
-  if (isset($layout['settings']['regions'][$region])) {
-    foreach ($layout['settings']['regions'][$region] as $key => $field) {
-      $output .= render($content[$field]);
-    }
+  // Let other modules alter the ds array before creating the region variables.
+  drupal_alter('ds_prerender', $layout_render_array);
+  foreach ($layout_render_array as $region_name => $content) {
+    $vars[$region_name] = render($content);
   }
-  return $output;
+
+  $end = microtime(TRUE);
+  $diff = round(($start - $end) * 1000, 4);
+  dsm("Diff - $diff");
 }
 
 /**