diff -u b/core/modules/search/search.install b/core/modules/search/search.install
--- b/core/modules/search/search.install
+++ b/core/modules/search/search.install
@@ -181,6 +181,12 @@
  * Adds the langcode field and indexes to {search_dataset} and {search_index}.
  */
 function search_update_8001() {
+  // In order to upgrade the existing entries to have the correct langcode we
+  // need to recreate search data through running cron.
+  db_truncate('search_dataset');
+  db_truncate('search_index');
+  db_truncate('search_node_links');
+
   // Add the fields and indexes.
   db_drop_primary_key('search_dataset');
   db_add_field('search_dataset', 'langcode', array(
@@ -209,4 +215,2 @@
   db_add_primary_key('search_index', array('word', 'sid', 'langcode', 'type'));
-
-  // How do we upgrade the existing entries to have the correct langcode?
 }
diff -u b/core/modules/system/lib/Drupal/system/Tests/Upgrade/LanguageUpgradePathTest.php b/core/modules/system/lib/Drupal/system/Tests/Upgrade/LanguageUpgradePathTest.php
--- b/core/modules/system/lib/Drupal/system/Tests/Upgrade/LanguageUpgradePathTest.php
+++ b/core/modules/system/lib/Drupal/system/Tests/Upgrade/LanguageUpgradePathTest.php
@@ -7,6 +7,8 @@
 
 namespace Drupal\system\Tests\Upgrade;
 
+use Drupal\Core\Database\DatabaseException;
+
 /**
  * Tests upgrading a filled database with language data.
  *
@@ -137,8 +139,16 @@
     $translation_string = db_query("SELECT * FROM {locales_target} WHERE lid = 22 AND language = 'ca'")->fetchObject();
     $this->assertEqual($translation_string->translation, implode(LOCALE_PLURAL_DELIMITER, array('1 byte', '@count bytes')));
 
-    // Ensure that re-indexing the search does not fail.
-    search_reindex();
+    // Ensure that re-indexing search for a specific language does not fail. It
+    // does not matter if the sid exists on not. This tests whether or not
+    // search_update_8001() has added the langcode fields.
+    try {
+      search_reindex(1, 'node', FALSE, 'ca');
+      $this->pass("Calling search_reindex succeeds after upgrade.");
+    }
+    catch (DatabaseException $e) {
+      $this->fail("Calling search_reindex fails after upgrade.");
+    }
   }
 
   /**