diff --git a/includes/registration.forms.inc b/includes/registration.forms.inc
index e0abb58..385d6c9 100644
--- a/includes/registration.forms.inc
+++ b/includes/registration.forms.inc
@@ -1035,14 +1035,14 @@ function registration_convert_form_settings($values, $entity) {
 /**
  * Combines a relative date with the event date into a new date value.
  *
- * @param reference $field
+ * @param &$field
  *   Reference to the field that will be converted.
  * @param string $event_date
  *   Date of the event (base date for relative calculations).
  * @param string $relative_date
  *   Relative date.
  */
-function registration_convert_relative_date(reference &$field, $event_date, $relative_date) {
+function registration_convert_relative_date(&$field, $event_date, $relative_date) {
   if (!empty($relative_date)) {
     $field = date('Y-m-d H:i:s', strtotime($relative_date, $event_date));
   }
diff --git a/registration.module b/registration.module
index 29303dc..766cbf0 100644
--- a/registration.module
+++ b/registration.module
@@ -804,10 +804,10 @@ function registration_event_count($entity_type, $entity_id, $registration_id = N
 function registration_entity_insert($entity, $entity_type) {
   $registration_type = registration_get_entity_registration_type($entity_type, $entity);
   if ($registration_type !== FALSE) {
-    registration_entity_set_default_settings($entity_type, $entity);
     list($entity_id) = entity_extract_ids($entity_type, $entity);
-    $settings = registration_entity_settings($entity_type, $entity_id);
-    registration_entity_update_relative_dates($entity_type, $entity, $settings);
+    if ($settings = registration_entity_get_default_settings($entity_type, $entity)) {
+      registration_entity_update_relative_dates($entity_type, $entity, $settings);
+    }
   }
 }
 
@@ -830,23 +830,43 @@ function registration_entity_update($entity, $entity_type) {
 }
 
 /**
- * Sets the the registration entity settings to the defaults.
+ * Gets the default registration entity settings.
  *
  * @param $entity_type
  * @param $entity
+ *
+ * @return array|NULL
  */
-function registration_entity_set_default_settings($entity_type, $entity) {
-  list($entity_id, , $bundle) = entity_extract_ids($entity_type, $entity);
+function registration_entity_get_default_settings($entity_type, $entity) {
+  list(, , $bundle) = entity_extract_ids($entity_type, $entity);
   $registration_instances = registration_get_registration_instances(array(
     'entity_type' => $entity_type,
     'bundle' => $bundle
   ));
+  $settings = NULL;
   foreach ($registration_instances as $instance) {
     if (isset($instance['settings']['default_registration_settings'])) {
+      // Stash the settings so that we end up with the last set of default
+      // settings in the odd case that there are multiple.
       $settings = registration_convert_form_settings($instance['settings']['default_registration_settings'], $entity);
-      registration_update_entity_settings($entity_type, $entity_id, $settings);
+      $settings['settings'] = unserialize($settings['settings']);
     }
   }
+  return $settings;
+}
+ 
+
+/**
+ * Sets the the registration entity settings to the defaults.
+ *
+ * @param $entity_type
+ * @param $entity
+ */
+function registration_entity_set_default_settings($entity_type, $entity) {
+  list($entity_id) = entity_extract_ids($entity_type, $entity);
+  if ($settings = registration_entity_get_default_settings($entity_type, $entity)) {
+    registration_update_entity_settings($entity_type, $entity_id, $settings);
+  }
 }
 
 /**
@@ -913,12 +933,9 @@ function registration_get_base_entity_date($entity_type, $entity, $date_field_na
       $field_items[0]['value'],
       $field_items[0]['timezone_db']
     );
-    $event_timestamp = $offset_date->getTimestamp();
+    return $offset_date->getTimestamp();
   }
-  else {
-    $event_timestamp = NULL;
-  }
-  return $event_timestamp;
+  return NULL;
 }
 
 /**
@@ -1175,6 +1192,9 @@ function registration_send_broadcast($entity_type, $entity_id, $subject, $messag
  *   Array keyed by field names from {registration_entity}
  */
 function registration_update_entity_settings($entity_type, $entity_id, $settings) {
+  if (is_array($settings['settings'])) {
+    $settings['settings'] = serialize($settings['settings']);
+  }
   // Insert or update registration entity settings.
   db_merge('registration_entity')
     ->key(array(