diff --git a/entityreference_prepopulate.module b/entityreference_prepopulate.module
index c8e88a1c155e76f7813168da95d389626962bc9a..bc9ccd6d13ede04fb19a896a93e5ca1fc77b3375 100644
--- a/entityreference_prepopulate.module
+++ b/entityreference_prepopulate.module
@@ -131,7 +131,7 @@ function entityreference_prepopulate_field_attach_form($entity_type, $entity, &$
 
       // Store prepopulated values in the form state to make them persistent,
       // in case the form is rebuilt by AJAX requests.
-      if ($values = entityreference_prepopulate_get_values($field, $instance, TRUE)) {
+      if ($values = entityreference_prepopulate_get_values($field, $instance)) {
         $form_state['entityreference_prepopulate'][$instance['entity_type']][$instance['bundle']][$field['field_name']] = $values;
       }
 
@@ -208,17 +208,17 @@ function entityreference_prepopulate_field_access($op, $field, $entity_type, $en
  *   TRUE if the group IDs should be sent as a simple array. FALSE, if we
  *   need to build array suited for field API's $items value.
  */
-function entityreference_prepopulate_get_values($field, $instance, $flat_array = FALSE, $validate = TRUE) {
+function entityreference_prepopulate_get_values($field, $instance, $flat_array = FALSE) {
   $settings = $instance['settings']['behaviors']['prepopulate'];
 
   if (!empty($settings['og_context']) && module_exists('og_context')) {
-    return entityreference_prepopulate_get_values_from_og_context($field, $instance, $flat_array, $validate);
+    return entityreference_prepopulate_get_values_from_og_context($field, $instance, $flat_array);
   }
 
-  return entityreference_prepopulate_get_values_from_url($field, $instance, $flat_array, $validate);
+  return entityreference_prepopulate_get_values_from_url($field, $instance, $flat_array);
 }
 
-function entityreference_prepopulate_get_values_from_og_context($field, $instance, $flat_array = FALSE, $validate = TRUE) {
+function entityreference_prepopulate_get_values_from_og_context($field, $instance, $flat_array = FALSE) {
   $field_name = $field['field_name'];
 
   if (!og_is_group_audience_field($field_name) || !$og_context = og_context()) {
@@ -249,7 +249,7 @@ function entityreference_prepopulate_get_values_from_og_context($field, $instanc
  * @see
  *   entityreference_prepopulate_get_values()
  */
-function entityreference_prepopulate_get_values_from_url($field, $instance, $flat_array = FALSE, $validate = TRUE) {
+function entityreference_prepopulate_get_values_from_url($field, $instance, $flat_array = FALSE) {
   $cache = &drupal_static(__FUNCTION__, array());
   $field_name = $field['field_name'];
   $identifier = $instance['entity_type'] . ':' . $instance['bundle'] . ':' . $field_name . ':' . $flat_array;
@@ -263,37 +263,18 @@ function entityreference_prepopulate_get_values_from_url($field, $instance, $fla
     return;
   }
 
-  // Get the value from the URL if possible.
-  if (!empty($_GET[$field_name]) && is_string($_GET[$field_name])) {
-    $ids = explode(',', $_GET[$field_name]);
-  }
-  else {
-    // Try to get the form out of cache.
-    $form_build_id = isset($_GET['form_build_id']) ? $_GET['form_build_id'] : isset($_POST['form_build_id']) ? $_POST['form_build_id'] : NULL;
-    $form_state = array();
-    $form = form_get_cache($form_build_id, $form_state);
-
-    // If successful, get the value from the form_state.
-    if (isset($form_state['entityreference_prepopulate'][$instance['entity_type']][$instance['bundle']][$field_name])) {
-      $ids = $form_state['entityreference_prepopulate'][$instance['entity_type']][$instance['bundle']][$field_name];
-    }
-    // If not, do nothing and return.
-    else {
-      $cache[$identifier] = FALSE;
-      return;
-    }
+  if (!$ids = entityreference_prepopulate_get_url_or_cached_values($field_name, $instance)) {
+    $cache[$identifier] = FALSE;
+    return;
   }
 
-  // Check if the IDs are valid, and get filter out the ones that are not valid.
-  if ($validate) {
-    $handler = entityreference_get_selection_handler($field, $instance);
-    if (!$ids = $handler->validateReferencableEntities($ids)) {
-      $cache[$identifier] = FALSE;
-      return;
-    }
+  // Check if the IDs are valid, and filter out the invalid ones.
+  $handler = entityreference_get_selection_handler($field, $instance);
+  if (!$ids = $handler->validateReferencableEntities($ids)) {
+    $cache[$identifier] = FALSE;
+    return;
   }
 
-
   // Check access to the provided entities.
   $target_type = $field['settings']['target_type'];
   entity_load($target_type, $ids);
@@ -308,6 +289,27 @@ function entityreference_prepopulate_get_values_from_url($field, $instance, $fla
   return $items;
 }
 
+
+/**
+ * Helper function to get the values from the URL or cached form.
+ *
+ * @param $field_name
+ *   The field name.
+ */
+function entityreference_prepopulate_get_url_or_cached_values($field_name, $instance) {
+  // Get the value from the URL if possible.
+  if (!empty($_GET[$field_name]) && is_string($_GET[$field_name])) {
+    return explode(',', $_GET[$field_name]);
+  }
+  // Try to get the form out of cache.
+  $form_build_id = isset($_GET['form_build_id']) ? $_GET['form_build_id'] : isset($_POST['form_build_id']) ? $_POST['form_build_id'] : NULL;
+  $form_state = array();
+  $form = form_get_cache($form_build_id, $form_state);
+
+  // If successful, get the value from the form_state.
+  return isset($form_state['entityreference_prepopulate'][$instance['entity_type']][$instance['bundle']][$field_name]) ? isset($form_state['entityreference_prepopulate'][$instance['entity_type']][$instance['bundle']][$field_name]) : FALSE;
+}
+
 /**
  * Return a form element with crafted links to create nodes for a group.
  *