diff --git a/course/edit.php b/course/edit.php
index c549cc13929..ebe4ab9948c 100644
--- a/course/edit.php
+++ b/course/edit.php
@@ -45,8 +45,11 @@ if ($id) { // editing course
         print_error('cannoteditsiteform');
     }
 
-    $course = course_get_format($id)->get_course();
+    // Login to the course and retrieve also all fields defined by course format.
+    $course = get_course($id);
     require_login($course);
+    $course = course_get_format($course)->get_course();
+
     $category = $DB->get_record('course_categories', array('id'=>$course->category), '*', MUST_EXIST);
     $coursecontext = context_course::instance($course->id);
     require_capability('moodle/course:update', $coursecontext);
diff --git a/course/format/lib.php b/course/format/lib.php
index 76e764931d4..acccb97603b 100644
--- a/course/format/lib.php
+++ b/course/format/lib.php
@@ -237,14 +237,21 @@ abstract class format_base {
         if ($this->course === false) {
             $this->course = get_course($this->courseid);
             $options = $this->get_format_options();
+            $dbcoursecolumns = null;
             foreach ($options as $optionname => $optionvalue) {
-                if (!isset($this->course->$optionname)) {
-                    $this->course->$optionname = $optionvalue;
-                } else {
-                    debugging('The option name '.$optionname.' in course format '.$this->format.
-                        ' is invalid because the field with the same name exists in {course} table',
-                        DEBUG_DEVELOPER);
+                if (isset($this->course->$optionname)) {
+                    // Course format options must not have the same names as existing columns in db table "course".
+                    if (!isset($dbcoursecolumns)) {
+                        $dbcoursecolumns = $DB->get_columns('course');
+                    }
+                    if (isset($dbcoursecolumns[$optionname])) {
+                        debugging('The option name '.$optionname.' in course format '.$this->format.
+                            ' is invalid because the field with the same name exists in {course} table',
+                            DEBUG_DEVELOPER);
+                        continue;
+                    }
                 }
+                $this->course->$optionname = $optionvalue;
             }
         }
         return $this->course;