diff -u b/date.module b/date.module
--- b/date.module
+++ b/date.module
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@
   );
   $themes = array(
     'date_combo' => $base + array('render element' => 'element'),
-	'date_form_element' => $base + array('render element' => 'element'),
+    'date_form_element' => $base + array('render element' => 'element'),
     'date_text_parts' => $base + array('render element' => 'element'),
     'date' => $base + array('render element' => 'element'),
     'date_display_single' => $base + array(
diff -u b/date_admin.inc b/date_admin.inc
--- b/date_admin.inc
+++ b/date_admin.inc
@@ -402,14 +402,14 @@
       );
     }
   }
-  
+
   $form['advanced']['no_fieldset'] = array(
     '#type' => 'checkbox',
     '#title' => t('Render as a regular field'),
     '#default_value' => !empty($settings['no_fieldset']),
     '#description' => t('Whether to render this field as a regular field instead of a fieldset. The date field elements are wrapped in a fieldset by default, and may not display well without it.'),
   );
-  
+
   $context = array(
     'field' => $field,
     'instance' => $instance,
diff -u b/date_api/date.css b/date_api/date.css
--- b/date_api/date.css
+++ b/date_api/date.css
@@ -15,9 +15,11 @@
 .container-inline-date > .form-item {
   display: inline-block;
   margin-right: 0.5em; /* LTR */
-  margin-bottom: 10px;
   vertical-align: top;
 }
+fieldset.date-combo .container-inline-date > .form-item {
+  margin-bottom: 10px;
+}
 .container-inline-date .form-item .form-item {
   float: left; /* LTR */
 }
@@ -174,8 +176,6 @@
   font-size: .9em;
   padding: 2px;
 }
-.date-form-element-content {
-}
 
 .date-form-element-content-multiline {
   padding: 10px;
diff -u b/date_elements.inc b/date_elements.inc
--- b/date_elements.inc
+++ b/date_elements.inc
@@ -124,13 +124,13 @@
       '#date_label_position' => $instance['widget']['settings']['label_position'],
       );
   }
-  
+
   // Make changes if instance is set to be rendered as a regular field.
   if (!empty($instance['widget']['settings']['no_fieldset'])) {
    $element['#title'] = check_plain($instance['label']);
    $element['#theme_wrappers'] = ($field['cardinality'] == 1) ? array('date_form_element') : array();
   }
-  
+
   return $element;
 }
 
@@ -417,7 +417,7 @@
       $element['#description'] .= '<span class="js-hide"> '. t("Empty 'End date' values will use the 'Start date' values.") .'</span>';
     }
   }
-  
+
   $context = array(
    'field' => $field,
    'instance' => $instance,
diff -u b/date_popup/date_popup.module b/date_popup/date_popup.module
--- b/date_popup/date_popup.module
+++ b/date_popup/date_popup.module
@@ -292,13 +292,14 @@
   $element['date'] = date_popup_process_date_part($element);
   $element['time'] = date_popup_process_time_part($element);
 
+  // Make changes if instance is set to be rendered as a regular field.
   if (!empty($element['#instance']['widget']['settings']['no_fieldset']) && $element['#field']['cardinality'] == 1) {
     if (!empty($element['date']) && empty($element['time'])) {
-      $element['date']['#title'] = $element['#instance']['label'];
+      $element['date']['#title'] = check_plain($element['#instance']['label']);
       $element['date']['#required'] = $element['#required'];
     }
     elseif (empty($element['date']) && !empty($element['time'])) {
-      $element['time']['#title'] = $element['#instance']['label'];
+      $element['time']['#title'] = check_plain($element['#instance']['label']);
       $element['time']['#required'] = $element['#required'];
     }
   }
diff -u b/date_repeat_field/date_repeat_field.module b/date_repeat_field/date_repeat_field.module
--- b/date_repeat_field/date_repeat_field.module
+++ b/date_repeat_field/date_repeat_field.module
@@ -257,14 +257,6 @@
         '#suffix' => '</div>',
         '#default_value' => isset($items[$delta]['rrule']) && !empty($items[$delta]['rrule']) ? 1 : 0,
       );
-	  
-	  // Make changes if instance is set to be rendered as a regular field.
-      if (!empty($instance['widget']['settings']['no_fieldset'])) {
-        $element['#title'] = check_plain($instance['label']);
-        $element['#description'] = field_filter_xss($instance['description']);
-        $element['#theme_wrappers'] = array('date_form_element');
-      }
-
     }
   }
 }
@@ -287,6 +279,13 @@
         '#suffix' => '</div>',
         '#default_value' => isset($items[$delta]['rrule']) && !empty($items[$delta]['rrule']) ? 1 : 0,
       );
+
+      // Make changes if instance is set to be rendered as a regular field.
+      if (!empty($instance['widget']['settings']['no_fieldset'])) {
+        $element['#title'] = check_plain($instance['label']);
+        $element['#description'] = field_filter_xss($instance['description']);
+        $element['#theme_wrappers'] = array('date_form_element');
+      }
     }
   }
 }
only in patch2:
unchanged:
--- a/date_api/date_api_elements.inc
+++ b/date_api/date_api_elements.inc
@@ -326,6 +326,13 @@ function date_text_element_process($element, &$form_state, $form) {
   $element['date']['#description'] = ' ' . t('Format: @date', array('@date' => date_format_date(date_example_date(), 'custom', $element['#date_format'])));
   $element['date']['#ajax'] = !empty($element['#ajax']) ? $element['#ajax'] : FALSE;
 
+  // Make changes if instance is set to be rendered as a regular field.
+  if (!empty($element['#instance']['widget']['settings']['no_fieldset']) && $element['#field']['cardinality'] == 1) {
+    $element['date']['#title'] = check_plain($element['#instance']['label']);
+    $element['date']['#title_display'] = $element['#title_display'];
+    $element['date']['#required'] = $element['#required'];
+  }
+
   // Keep the system from creating an error message for the sub-element.
   // We'll set our own message on the parent element.
   // $element['date']['#required'] = $element['#required'];