diff --git a/field_collection.module b/field_collection.module
index 3a8f9e9..bb3381e 100644
--- a/field_collection.module
+++ b/field_collection.module
@@ -554,7 +554,11 @@ class FieldCollectionItemEntity extends Entity {
     $delta = $this->delta();
     if ($this->item_id && isset($delta)) {
       unset($this->hostEntity->{$this->field_name}[$this->langcode][$delta]);
-      entity_save($this->hostEntityType, $this->hostEntity);
+      // Do not save when the host entity is being deleted. See
+      // field_collection_field_delete().
+      if (empty($this->hostEntity->field_collection_deleting)) {
+        entity_save($this->hostEntityType, $this->hostEntity);
+      }
     }
   }
 
@@ -1061,7 +1065,9 @@ function field_collection_field_delete($entity_type, $entity, $field, $instance,
         unset($ids[$id_key]);
       }
     }
-
+    // Set a flag to remember that the host entity is being deleted. See
+    // FieldCollectionItemEntity::deleteHostEntityReference().
+    $entity->field_collection_deleting = TRUE;
     entity_delete_multiple('field_collection_item', $ids);
   }
 }