diff --git a/app/controllers/my_profile/profile_editor_controller.rb b/app/controllers/my_profile/profile_editor_controller.rb
index 472112c..f30e017 100644
--- a/app/controllers/my_profile/profile_editor_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/my_profile/profile_editor_controller.rb
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ class ProfileEditorController < MyProfileController
   def header_footer
     @no_design_blocks = true
     if request.post?
-      @profile.update_attributes!(:custom_footer => params[:custom_footer], :custom_header => params[:custom_header])
+      @profile.update_header_and_footer(params[:custom_header], params[:custom_footer])
       redirect_to :action => 'index'
     else
       @header = boxes_holder.custom_header
diff --git a/app/controllers/my_profile/themes_controller.rb b/app/controllers/my_profile/themes_controller.rb
index 650fc45..06ff502 100644
--- a/app/controllers/my_profile/themes_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/my_profile/themes_controller.rb
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ class ThemesController < MyProfileController
   no_design_blocks
 
   def set
-    profile.update_attributes!(:theme => params[:id])
+    profile.update_theme(params[:id])
     redirect_to :action => 'index'
   end
 
@@ -79,8 +79,7 @@ class ThemesController < MyProfileController
   end
 
   def set_layout_template
-    profile.layout_template = params[:id]
-    profile.save!
+    profile.update_layout_template(params[:id])
     redirect_to :action => 'index'
   end
 
diff --git a/app/models/profile.rb b/app/models/profile.rb
index 05aeb6f..c3316c3 100644
--- a/app/models/profile.rb
+++ b/app/models/profile.rb
@@ -643,4 +643,18 @@ class Profile < ActiveRecord::Base
     ProfileSweeper.new().after_create(profile)
   end
 
+  def update_header_and_footer(header, footer)
+    self.custom_header = header
+    self.custom_footer = footer
+    self.save(false)
+  end
+
+  def update_theme(theme)
+    self.update_attribute(:theme, theme)
+  end
+
+  def update_layout_template(template)
+    self.update_attribute(:layout_template, template)
+  end
+
 end
diff --git a/test/functional/profile_editor_controller_test.rb b/test/functional/profile_editor_controller_test.rb
index 2170050..9430143 100644
--- a/test/functional/profile_editor_controller_test.rb
+++ b/test/functional/profile_editor_controller_test.rb
@@ -534,6 +534,17 @@ class ProfileEditorControllerTest < Test::Unit::TestCase
     assert_equal 'new footer', person.custom_footer
   end
 
+  should 'save header and footer even if model is invalid' do
+    person = create_user('designtestuser').person
+    person.sex = nil; person.save!
+    person.environment.custom_person_fields = {'sex' => {'required' => 'true', 'active' => 'true'} }; person.environment.save!
+
+    post :header_footer, :profile => 'designtestuser', :custom_header => 'new header', :custom_footer => 'new footer'
+    person = Person.find(person.id)
+    assert_equal 'new header', person.custom_header
+    assert_equal 'new footer', person.custom_footer
+  end
+
   should 'go back to editor after saving header/footer' do
     person = create_user('designtestuser').person
     post :header_footer, :profile => 'designtestuser', :custom_header => 'new header', :custom_footer => 'new footer'
diff --git a/test/functional/themes_controller_test.rb b/test/functional/themes_controller_test.rb
index ed6ac6d..1d62456 100644
--- a/test/functional/themes_controller_test.rb
+++ b/test/functional/themes_controller_test.rb
@@ -78,6 +78,16 @@ class ThemesControllerTest < Test::Unit::TestCase
     assert_equal 'onetheme', profile.theme
   end
 
+  should 'save selection of theme even if model is invalid' do
+    @profile.sex = nil
+    @profile.save!
+    @profile.environment.custom_person_fields = { 'sex' => {'required' => 'true', 'active' => 'true'} }; @profile.environment.save!
+
+    get :set, :profile => 'testinguser', :id => 'onetheme'
+    profile = Profile.find(@profile.id)
+    assert_equal 'onetheme', profile.theme
+  end
+
   should 'point back to control panel' do
     get :index, :profile => 'testinguser'
     assert_tag :tag => 'a', :attributes => { :href =>  '/myprofile/testinguser' }, :content => 'Back'
@@ -258,6 +268,17 @@ class ThemesControllerTest < Test::Unit::TestCase
     assert_redirected_to :action => 'index'
   end
 
+  should 'set template even if the model is invalid' do
+    @profile.sex = nil
+    @profile.save!
+    @profile.environment.custom_person_fields = { 'sex' => {'required' => 'true', 'active' => 'true'} }; @profile.environment.save!
+
+    post :set_layout_template, :profile => 'testinguser', :id => 'leftbar'
+    profile = Profile.find(@profile.id)
+    assert_equal 'leftbar', profile.layout_template
+    assert_redirected_to :action => 'index'
+  end
+
   should 'not display "new theme" button when user themes are disabled' do
     env.disable('user_themes')
     env.save!
--
libgit2 0.21.2