diff --git a/modules/formulize/class/forms.php b/modules/formulize/class/forms.php
index 9ccdbf5ac..6269bfe32 100755
--- a/modules/formulize/class/forms.php
+++ b/modules/formulize/class/forms.php
@@ -1255,11 +1255,11 @@ function getPerGroupFilterWhereClause($fid, $formAlias="", $groupids=false) {
 			$filterOOM = array();
 			for($i=0;$i<count((array) $filterSettings[3]);$i++) {
 				// ensure filterSettings[0] is an array of element handles! (will be stored as IDs but we need the handles for lower code to work)
-				if($elementObject = $element_handler->get($filterSettings[0][$i])) {
+				if(!isMetaDataField($filterSettings[0][$i]) AND $elementObject = $element_handler->get($filterSettings[0][$i])) {
 					$filterSettings[0][$i] = $elementObject->getVar('ele_handle');
 				} else {
 					print "Formulize Error: a per-group permission filter on form $fid is referencing an element that does not exist. Was it renamed or deleted?<br>";
-					return "";
+					exit(); // can't invoke intended per-group permissions, must fail out rather than risk showing data user should not have access to :(
 				}
 				if($filterSettings[3][$i] == "all") {
 					$filterAll[] = $i;
diff --git a/modules/formulize/include/elementdisplay.php b/modules/formulize/include/elementdisplay.php
index 38b4f1318..c5d8001f8 100644
--- a/modules/formulize/include/elementdisplay.php
+++ b/modules/formulize/include/elementdisplay.php
@@ -459,21 +459,23 @@ function buildEvaluationCondition($match,$indexes,$filterElements,$filterOps,$fi
 		$element_handler = xoops_getmodulehandler('elements', 'formulize');
 
     foreach ($filterElements as $key => $element) {
-			// make sure that the filterElements array is using handles, as originally designed and required by code below
-			if($filterElementObject = $element_handler->get($element)) {
-				$filterElements[$key] = $filterElementObject->getVar('ele_handle');
-			} else {
-				print "Formulize Error: a display or disabled condition for a form element, is referencing a non existent element in another form. Probably the element was deleted?<br>";
-				return false;
-			}
-			$element_metadata = formulize_getElementMetaData($element, !is_numeric($element));
-			if($element_metadata['ele_uitextshow'] AND isset($element_metadata['ele_uitext'])) {
-				$filterTerms[$key] = formulize_swapUIText($filterTerms[$key], unserialize($element_metadata['ele_uitext']));
+			if(!isMetaDataField($element)) {
+				// make sure that the filterElements array is using handles, as originally designed and required by code below
+				if($filterElementObject = $element_handler->get($element)) {
+					$filterElements[$key] = $filterElementObject->getVar('ele_handle');
+				} else {
+					print "Formulize Error: a display or disabled condition for a form element, is referencing a non existent element in another form. Probably the element was deleted?<br>";
+					return false;
+				}
+				$element_metadata = formulize_getElementMetaData($element, !is_numeric($element));
+				if($element_metadata['ele_uitextshow'] AND isset($element_metadata['ele_uitext'])) {
+					$filterTerms[$key] = formulize_swapUIText($filterTerms[$key], unserialize($element_metadata['ele_uitext']));
+				}
+				if($element_metadata['ele_type'] == 'yn' AND ($filterTerms[$key] == 'Yes' OR $filterTerms[$key] == 'No') AND $xoopsConfig['language'] == 'french') {
+					$filterTerms[$key] = $filterTerms[$key] == 'Yes' ? 'Oui' : $filterTerms[$key];
+					$filterTerms[$key] = $filterTerms[$key] == 'No' ? 'Non' : $filterTerms[$key];
+				}
 			}
-			if($element_metadata['ele_type'] == 'yn' AND ($filterTerms[$key] == 'Yes' OR $filterTerms[$key] == 'No') AND $xoopsConfig['language'] == 'french') {
-				$filterTerms[$key] = $filterTerms[$key] == 'Yes' ? 'Oui' : $filterTerms[$key];
-				$filterTerms[$key] = $filterTerms[$key] == 'No' ? 'Non' : $filterTerms[$key];
-    	}
     }