diff --git a/base/key_descender.php b/base/key_descender.php
index 3ce4e70..6875df1 100644
--- a/base/key_descender.php
+++ b/base/key_descender.php
@@ -66,6 +66,20 @@ class KeyDescender
 		return $current;
 	}

+	// Returns a key, ignoring the |$this->throw_undefined_errors| setting and
+	// returning NULL if not found.
+	public function getSilent($key)
+	{
+		$value = null;
+		try
+		{
+			$value = $this->get($key);
+		}
+		catch (UndefinedKeyException $e)
+		{}
+		return $value;
+	}
+
 	// Sets a value for a given key.
 	public function set($key, $value)
 	{
diff --git a/input/form_key.php b/input/form_key.php
index a7d4695..2327d8a 100644
--- a/input/form_key.php
+++ b/input/form_key.php
@@ -137,22 +137,8 @@ class ValidateFormKeyEvent extends \phalanx\events\Event

 	public function handle()
 	{
-		$valid = true;
-		$key = '';
-
-		try
-		{
-			$key = $this->context()->gpc()->get($this->post_variable);
-		}
-		catch (\phalanx\base\UndefinedKeyException $e)
-		{
-			$valid = false;
-		}
-
-		if (!$this->manager->validate($key))
-			$valid = false;
-
-		if (!$valid)
+		$key = $this->context()->gpc()->getSilent('p.' . $this->post_variable);
+		if (!$key || !$this->manager->validate($key))
 			throw new FormKeyException('Form key "' . $key . '" did not validate.');
 	}
 }
diff --git a/testing/tests/base/key_descender_test.php b/testing/tests/base/key_descender_test.php
index b71815d..fe0cd08 100644
--- a/testing/tests/base/key_descender_test.php
+++ b/testing/tests/base/key_descender_test.php
@@ -99,6 +99,21 @@ class KeyDescenderTest extends \PHPUnit_Framework_TestCase
 		$this->assertNull($desc->get('undefined.key'));
 	}

+	public function testGetSilent()
+	{
+		$array = array();
+		$desc = new KeyDescender($array);
+		$desc->set_throw_undefined_errors(true);
+		try
+		{
+			$this->assertNull($desc->getSilent('undefined_key'));
+		}
+		catch (\phalanx\base\UndefinedKeyException $e)
+		{
+			$this->fail('unexpected \phalanx\base\UndefinedKeyException');
+		}
+	}
+
 	public function testSetSingleLevelArray()
 	{
 		$array = array('foo' => 'bar');