diff --git a/src/Element/InlineEntityForm.php b/src/Element/InlineEntityForm.php
index 8537089..b636edc 100644
--- a/src/Element/InlineEntityForm.php
+++ b/src/Element/InlineEntityForm.php
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ class InlineEntityForm extends RenderElement {
       '#display_actions' => FALSE,
       // Will save entity on submit if set to TRUE.
       '#save_entity' => TRUE,
+      '#ief_element_validate' => [],
       '#ief_element_submit' => [],
       // Needs to be set to FALSE if one wants to implement it's own submit logic.
       '#handle_submit' => TRUE,
@@ -127,7 +128,8 @@ class InlineEntityForm extends RenderElement {
 
     // Attach submit callbacks to main submit buttons.
     if ($element['#handle_submit']) {
-      static::attachMainSubmit($complete_form);
+      static::attachMainSubmit($complete_form, '#submit');
+      static::attachMainSubmit($complete_form, '#validate');
     }
 
     return $element;
@@ -139,16 +141,20 @@ class InlineEntityForm extends RenderElement {
    * @param array $complete_form
    *   Form structure.
    */
-  public static function attachMainSubmit(&$complete_form) {
+  public static function attachMainSubmit(&$complete_form, $type) {
     $submit_attached = FALSE;
-    $submit = array_merge([[get_called_class(), 'triggerIefSubmit']], $complete_form['#submit']);
+
+    $trigger_callback = $type == '#submit' ? 'triggerIefSubmit' : 'triggerIefValidate';
+
+    $submit = array_merge([[get_called_class(), $trigger_callback]], $complete_form[$type]);
+
 
     if (!empty($complete_form['submit'])) {
-      if (empty($complete_form['submit']['#submit'])) {
-        $complete_form['submit']['#submit'] = $submit;
+      if (empty($complete_form['submit'][$type])) {
+        $complete_form['submit'][$type] = $submit;
       }
       else {
-        $complete_form['submit']['#submit'] = array_merge([[get_called_class(), 'triggerIefSubmit']], $complete_form['submit']['#submit']);
+        $complete_form['submit'][$type] = array_merge([[get_called_class(), $trigger_callback]], $complete_form['submit'][$type]);
       }
       $complete_form['submit']['#ief_submit_all'] = TRUE;
       $submit_attached = TRUE;
@@ -156,11 +162,11 @@ class InlineEntityForm extends RenderElement {
 
     foreach (['submit', 'publish', 'unpublish'] as $action) {
       if (!empty($complete_form['actions'][$action])) {
-        if (empty($complete_form['actions'][$action]['#submit'])) {
-          $complete_form['actions'][$action]['#submit'] = $submit;
+        if (empty($complete_form['actions'][$action][$type])) {
+          $complete_form['actions'][$action][$type] = $submit;
         }
         else {
-          $complete_form['actions'][$action]['#submit'] = array_merge([[get_called_class(), 'triggerIefSubmit']], $complete_form['actions'][$action]['#submit']);
+          $complete_form['actions'][$action][$type] = array_merge([[get_called_class(), $trigger_callback]], $complete_form['actions'][$action][$type]);
         }
         $complete_form['actions'][$action]['#ief_submit_all'] = TRUE;
         $submit_attached = TRUE;
@@ -170,7 +176,7 @@ class InlineEntityForm extends RenderElement {
     // If we didn't attach submit to one of the most common buttons let's search
     // the form for any submit with #button_type == primary and attach to that.
     if (!$submit_attached) {
-      static::recurseAttachMainSubmit($complete_form, $submit);
+      static::recurseAttachMainSubmit($complete_form, $submit, $type);
     }
   }
 
@@ -189,14 +195,14 @@ class InlineEntityForm extends RenderElement {
    * @return bool
    *   TRUE if appropriate element was found. FALSE otherwise.
    */
-  public static function recurseAttachMainSubmit(&$element, $submit_callbacks) {
+  public static function recurseAttachMainSubmit(&$element, $submit_callbacks, $type) {
     foreach (Element::children($element) as $child) {
       if (!empty($element[$child]['#type']) && $element[$child]['#type'] == 'submit' && $element[$child]['#button_type'] == 'preview') {
-        $element[$child]['#submit'] = empty($element[$child]['#submit']) ? $submit_callbacks : array_merge($submit_callbacks, $element[$child]['#submit']);
+        $element[$child][$type] = empty($element[$child]['#submit']) ? $submit_callbacks : array_merge($submit_callbacks, $element[$child][$type]);
         $element[$child]['#ief_submit_all'] = TRUE;
         return TRUE;
       }
-      elseif (static::recurseAttachMainSubmit($element[$child], $submit_callbacks)) {
+      elseif (static::recurseAttachMainSubmit($element[$child], $submit_callbacks, $type)) {
         return TRUE;
       }
     }
@@ -226,6 +232,21 @@ class InlineEntityForm extends RenderElement {
     }
   }
 
+  public static function triggerIefValidate($form, FormStateInterface $form_state) {
+    $triggered_element = $form_state->getTriggeringElement();
+    if (!empty($triggered_element['#ief_submit_all'])) {
+      // The parent form was submitted, process all IEFs and their children.
+      static::iefValidate($form, $form_state);
+    }
+    else {
+      // A specific entity form was submitted, process it and all of its children.
+      $array_parents = $triggered_element['#array_parents'];
+      $array_parents = array_slice($array_parents, 0, -2);
+      $element = NestedArray::getValue($form, $array_parents);
+      static::iefValidate($element, $form_state);
+    }
+  }
+
   /**
    * Submits entity forms by calling their #ief_element_submit callbacks.
    *
@@ -252,4 +273,20 @@ class InlineEntityForm extends RenderElement {
     }
   }
 
+  public static function iefValidate($elements, FormStateInterface $form_state) {
+    // Recurse through all children.
+    foreach (Element::children($elements) as $key) {
+      if (!empty($elements[$key])) {
+        static::iefValidate($elements[$key], $form_state);
+      }
+    }
+
+    // If there are callbacks on this level, run them.
+    if (!empty($elements['#ief_element_validate'])) {
+      foreach ($elements['#ief_element_validate'] as $function) {
+        $function($elements, $form_state);
+      }
+    }
+  }
+
 }
diff --git a/src/Form/EntityInlineForm.php b/src/Form/EntityInlineForm.php
index 91a09a5..7e05635 100644
--- a/src/Form/EntityInlineForm.php
+++ b/src/Form/EntityInlineForm.php
@@ -140,8 +140,10 @@ class EntityInlineForm implements InlineFormInterface {
    */
   public function entityForm($entity_form, FormStateInterface $form_state) {
     $operation = 'default';
-    $controller = $this->entityManager->getFormObject($entity_form['#entity']->getEntityTypeId(), $operation);
+    $controller = $this->entityManager->getFormObject($entity_form['#entity']->getEntityTypeId(), $operation, FALSE);
     $controller->setEntity($entity_form['#entity']);
+    $form_state->set(['inline_entity_form', $entity_form['#ief_id'], 'entity_form'], $controller);
+
     $child_form_state = $this->buildChildFormState($controller, $form_state, $entity_form['#entity'], $operation, $entity_form['#parents']);
 
     $entity_form = $controller->buildForm($entity_form, $child_form_state);
@@ -189,8 +191,8 @@ class EntityInlineForm implements InlineFormInterface {
       $entity = $entity_form['#entity'];
       $operation = 'default';
 
-      $controller = \Drupal::entityManager()
-        ->getFormObject($entity->getEntityTypeId(), $operation);
+      /** @var \Drupal\Core\Entity\EntityFormInterface $controller */
+      $controller = $form_state->get(['inline_entity_form', $entity_form['#ief_id'], 'entity_form']);
       $child_form_state = static::buildChildFormState($controller, $form_state, $entity, $operation, $entity_form['#parents']);
       $entity_form['#entity'] = $controller->validateForm($entity_form, $child_form_state);
 
@@ -227,7 +229,8 @@ class EntityInlineForm implements InlineFormInterface {
     /** @var \Drupal\Core\Entity\EntityInterface $entity */
     $entity = $entity_form['#entity'];
     $operation = 'default';
-    $controller = \Drupal::entityManager()->getFormObject($entity->getEntityTypeId(), $operation);
+    /** @var \Drupal\Core\Entity\EntityFormInterface $controller */
+    $controller = $form_state->get(['inline_entity_form', $entity_form['#ief_id'], 'entity_form']);
     $controller->setEntity($entity);
 
     $child_form_state = static::buildChildFormState($controller, $form_state, $entity, $operation, $entity_form['#parents']);
diff --git a/src/Plugin/Field/FieldWidget/InlineEntityFormBase.php b/src/Plugin/Field/FieldWidget/InlineEntityFormBase.php
index 4cc2db4..8f91545 100644
--- a/src/Plugin/Field/FieldWidget/InlineEntityFormBase.php
+++ b/src/Plugin/Field/FieldWidget/InlineEntityFormBase.php
@@ -314,6 +314,11 @@ abstract class InlineEntityFormBase extends WidgetBase implements ContainerFacto
    * @param array $element
    *   Form array structure.
    */
+  public static function addIefValidateCallbacks($element) {
+    $element['#ief_element_validate'][] = [get_called_class(), 'validateSaveEntity'];
+    return $element;
+  }
+
   public static function addIefSubmitCallbacks($element) {
     $element['#ief_element_submit'][] = [get_called_class(), 'submitSaveEntity'];
     return $element;
@@ -365,7 +370,7 @@ abstract class InlineEntityFormBase extends WidgetBase implements ContainerFacto
    * @param $form_state
    *   The form state of the parent form.
    */
-  public static function submitSaveEntity($entity_form, FormStateInterface $form_state) {
+  public static function validateSaveEntity($entity_form, FormStateInterface $form_state) {
     $ief_id = $entity_form['#ief_id'];
     $entity = $entity_form['#entity'];
 
@@ -381,7 +386,7 @@ abstract class InlineEntityFormBase extends WidgetBase implements ContainerFacto
         'entity' => $entity,
         '_weight' => $weight,
         'form' => NULL,
-        'needs_save' => TRUE,
+        'needs_save' => FALSE,
       );
       $form_state->set(['inline_entity_form', $ief_id, 'entities'], $entities);
     }
@@ -389,6 +394,27 @@ abstract class InlineEntityFormBase extends WidgetBase implements ContainerFacto
       $delta = $entity_form['#ief_row_delta'];
       $entities = $form_state->get(['inline_entity_form', $ief_id, 'entities']);
       $entities[$delta]['entity'] = $entity;
+      $entities[$delta]['needs_save'] = FALSE;
+      $form_state->set(['inline_entity_form', $ief_id, 'entities'], $entities);
+    }
+  }
+
+  public static function submitSaveEntity($entity_form, FormStateInterface $form_state) {
+    $ief_id = $entity_form['#ief_id'];
+    $entity = $entity_form['#entity'];
+
+    if ($entity_form['#op'] == 'add') {
+      $entities = $form_state->get(['inline_entity_form', $ief_id, 'entities']);
+      $item = array_pop($entities);
+      $item['entity'] = $entity;
+      $item['needs_save'] = TRUE;
+      array_push($entities, $item);
+      $form_state->set(['inline_entity_form', $ief_id, 'entities'], $entities);
+    }
+    else {
+      $delta = $entity_form['#ief_row_delta'];
+      $entities = $form_state->get(['inline_entity_form', $ief_id, 'entities']);
+      $entities[$delta]['entity'] = $entity;
       $entities[$delta]['needs_save'] = TRUE;
       $form_state->set(['inline_entity_form', $ief_id, 'entities'], $entities);
     }
diff --git a/src/Plugin/Field/FieldWidget/InlineEntityFormComplex.php b/src/Plugin/Field/FieldWidget/InlineEntityFormComplex.php
index a7781ff..0d83dd9 100644
--- a/src/Plugin/Field/FieldWidget/InlineEntityFormComplex.php
+++ b/src/Plugin/Field/FieldWidget/InlineEntityFormComplex.php
@@ -318,7 +318,7 @@ class InlineEntityFormComplex extends InlineEntityFormBase implements ContainerF
 
           $element['entities'][$key]['form']['inline_entity_form']['#process'] = [
             ['\Drupal\inline_entity_form\Element\InlineEntityForm', 'processEntityForm'],
-            [get_class($this), 'addIefSubmitCallbacks'],
+            [get_class($this), 'addIefValidateCallbacks'],
             [get_class($this), 'buildEntityFormActions'],
           ];
         }
@@ -515,6 +515,7 @@ class InlineEntityFormComplex extends InlineEntityFormBase implements ContainerF
         ];
         $element['form']['inline_entity_form']['#process'] = [
           ['\Drupal\inline_entity_form\Element\InlineEntityForm', 'processEntityForm'],
+          [get_class($this), 'addIefValidateCallbacks'],
           [get_class($this), 'addIefSubmitCallbacks'],
           [get_class($this), 'buildEntityFormActions'],
         ];
@@ -655,6 +656,10 @@ class InlineEntityFormComplex extends InlineEntityFormBase implements ContainerF
         $item['target_id'] = $item['entity']->id();
         $items[] = $item;
       }
+      else {
+        $item['target_id'] = NULL;
+        $items[] = $item;
+      }
     }
 
     // Sort items by _weight.