diff --git a/includes/form.inc b/includes/form.inc
index e8f1c791047..86fd2c72cf2 100644
--- a/includes/form.inc
+++ b/includes/form.inc
@@ -3042,33 +3042,28 @@ function theme_form_element($variables) {
 
   $output = '<div class="' . implode(' ', $class) . '">' . "\n";
 
-  if (isset($element['#field_prefix'])) {
-    $output .= '<span class="field-prefix">' . $element['#field_prefix'] . '</span> ';
-  }
+  $prefix = isset($element['#field_prefix']) ? '<span class="field-prefix">' . $element['#field_prefix'] . '</span> ' : '';
+  $suffix = isset($element['#field_suffix']) ? ' <span class="field-suffix">' . $element['#field_suffix'] . '</span>' : '';
 
   switch ($element['#title_display']) {
     case 'before':
       $output .= ' ' . theme('form_element_label', $variables);
-      $output .= ' ' . $element['#children'] . "\n";
+      $output .= ' ' . $prefix . $element['#children'] . $suffix . "\n";
       break;
 
     case 'invisible':
     case 'after':
-      $output .= ' ' . $element['#children'];
+      $output .= ' ' . $prefix . $element['#children'] . $suffix;
       $output .= ' ' . theme('form_element_label', $variables) . "\n";
       break;
 
     case 'none':
     case 'attribute':
       // Output no label and no required marker, only the children.
-      $output .= ' ' . $element['#children'] . "\n";
+      $output .= ' ' . $prefix . $element['#children'] . $suffix . "\n";
       break;
   }
 
-  if (isset($element['#field_suffix'])) {
-    $output .= ' <span class="field-suffix">' . $element['#field_suffix'] . '</span>';
-  }
-
   if (!empty($element['#description'])) {
     $output .= ' <div class="description">' . $element['#description'] . "</div>\n";
   }
diff --git a/modules/simpletest/tests/form.test b/modules/simpletest/tests/form.test
index 40c7490da42..0181dcafb0e 100644
--- a/modules/simpletest/tests/form.test
+++ b/modules/simpletest/tests/form.test
@@ -375,6 +375,20 @@ class FormsElementsLabelsTestCase extends DrupalWebTestCase {
 
     $elements = $this->xpath('//label[@for="edit-form-textfield-test-title-no-show"]');
     $this->assertFalse(isset($elements[0]), t("No label tag when title set not to display."));
+
+    // Check #field_prefix and #field_suffix placement.
+    $elements = $this->xpath('//span[@class="field-prefix"]/following-sibling::div[@id="edit-form-radios-test"]');
+    $this->assertTrue(isset($elements[0]), t("Properly placed the #field_prefix element after the label and before the field."));
+
+    $elements = $this->xpath('//span[@class="field-suffix"]/preceding-sibling::div[@id="edit-form-radios-test"]');
+    $this->assertTrue(isset($elements[0]), t("Properly places the #field_suffix element immediately after the form field."));
+
+    // Check #prefix and #suffix placement.
+    $elements = $this->xpath('//div[@id="form-test-textfield-title-prefix"]/following-sibling::div[contains(@class, \'form-item-form-textfield-test-title\')]');
+    $this->assertTrue(isset($elements[0]), t("Properly places the #prefix element before the form item."));
+
+    $elements = $this->xpath('//div[@id="form-test-textfield-title-suffix"]/preceding-sibling::div[contains(@class, \'form-item-form-textfield-test-title\')]');
+    $this->assertTrue(isset($elements[0]), t("Properly places the #suffix element before the form item."));
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/modules/simpletest/tests/form_test.module b/modules/simpletest/tests/form_test.module
index a8a22abfa0f..94d10faee60 100644
--- a/modules/simpletest/tests/form_test.module
+++ b/modules/simpletest/tests/form_test.module
@@ -576,6 +576,9 @@ function form_label_test_form() {
       'second-radio' => t('Second radio'),
       'third-radio' => t('Third radio'),
     ),
+    // Test #field_prefix and #field_suffix placement.
+    '#field_prefix' => '<span id="form-test-radios-field-prefix">' . t('Radios #field_prefix element') . '</span>',
+    '#field_suffix' => '<span id="form-test-radios-field-suffix">' . t('Radios #field_suffix element') . '</span>',
   );
   $form['form_checkbox_test'] = array(
     '#type' => 'checkbox',
@@ -597,6 +600,9 @@ function form_label_test_form() {
     '#type' => 'textfield',
     '#title' => t('Textfield test for title only'),
     // Not required.
+    // Test #prefix and #suffix placement.
+    '#prefix' => '<div id="form-test-textfield-title-prefix">' . t('Textfield #prefix element') . '</div>',
+    '#suffix' => '<div id="form-test-textfield-title-suffix">' . t('Textfield #suffix element') . '</div>',
   );
   $form['form_textfield_test_title_after'] = array(
     '#type' => 'textfield',