diff --git a/field_collection.module b/field_collection.module
index 753cc1b..c123d88 100644
--- a/field_collection.module
+++ b/field_collection.module
@@ -897,25 +897,27 @@ function field_collection_field_settings_form($field, $instance) {
  */
 function field_collection_field_insert($host_entity_type, $host_entity, $field, $instance, $langcode, &$items) {
   foreach ($items as &$item) {
-    if ($entity = field_collection_field_get_entity($item)) {
-      if (!empty($host_entity->is_new) && empty($entity->is_new)) {
-        // If the host entity is new but we have a field_collection that is not
-        // new, it means that its host is being cloned. Thus we need to clone
-        // the field collection entity as well.
-        $new_entity = clone $entity;
-        $new_entity->item_id = NULL;
-        $new_entity->revision_id = NULL;
-        $new_entity->is_new = TRUE;
-        $entity = $new_entity;
-      }
-      if (!empty($entity->is_new)) {
-        $entity->setHostEntity($host_entity_type, $host_entity, LANGUAGE_NONE, FALSE);
+    if (isset($item['entity'])) {
+      if ($entity = field_collection_field_get_entity($item)) {
+        if (!empty($host_entity->is_new) && empty($entity->is_new)) {
+          // If the host entity is new but we have a field_collection that is not
+          // new, it means that its host is being cloned. Thus we need to clone
+          // the field collection entity as well.
+          $new_entity = clone $entity;
+          $new_entity->item_id = NULL;
+          $new_entity->revision_id = NULL;
+          $new_entity->is_new = TRUE;
+          $entity = $new_entity;
+        }
+        if (!empty($entity->is_new)) {
+          $entity->setHostEntity($host_entity_type, $host_entity, LANGUAGE_NONE, FALSE);
+        }
+        $entity->save(TRUE);
+        $item = array(
+          'value' => $entity->item_id,
+          'revision_id' => $entity->revision_id,
+        );
       }
-      $entity->save(TRUE);
-      $item = array(
-        'value' => $entity->item_id,
-        'revision_id' => $entity->revision_id,
-      );
     }
   }
 }