diff --git a/core/includes/common.inc b/core/includes/common.inc
index 9601c76..aeb76c8 100644
--- a/core/includes/common.inc
+++ b/core/includes/common.inc
@@ -5045,7 +5045,7 @@ function drupal_cron_run() {
     }
 
     // Record cron time.
-    variable_set('cron_last', REQUEST_TIME);
+    state()->set('system.cron_last', REQUEST_TIME);
     watchdog('cron', 'Cron run completed.', array(), WATCHDOG_NOTICE);
 
     // Release cron lock.
diff --git a/core/modules/node/node.install b/core/modules/node/node.install
index 570cb26..36f1f9a 100644
--- a/core/modules/node/node.install
+++ b/core/modules/node/node.install
@@ -487,9 +487,11 @@ function node_uninstall() {
   // Delete remaining general module variables.
   variable_del('node_access_needs_rebuild');
   variable_del('node_admin_theme');
-  variable_del('node_cron_last');
   variable_del('node_recent_block_count');
   variable_del('default_nodes_main');
+
+  // Delete any stored state.
+  state()->delete('node.cron_last');
 }
 
 /**
@@ -712,6 +714,19 @@ function node_update_8008() {
 }
 
 /**
+ * Moves node cron last run time from variable to state.
+ *
+ * @ingroup state_upgrade
+ */
+function node_update_8009() {
+  // Only migrate the variable if it exists and is not the default value.
+  if ($cron_last = update_variable_get('node_cron_last', 0)) {
+    state()->set('node.cron_last', $cron_last);
+  }
+  update_variable_del('node_cron_last');
+}
+
+/**
  * @} End of "addtogroup updates-7.x-to-8.x"
  * The next series of updates should start at 9000.
  */
diff --git a/core/modules/node/node.module b/core/modules/node/node.module
index a09aee1..ee6d2ac 100644
--- a/core/modules/node/node.module
+++ b/core/modules/node/node.module
@@ -1488,7 +1488,7 @@ function node_ranking() {
   );
 
   // Add relevance based on creation or changed date.
-  if ($node_cron_last = variable_get('node_cron_last', 0)) {
+  if ($node_cron_last = state()->get('node.cron_last')) {
     $ranking['recent'] = array(
       'title' => t('Recently posted'),
       // Exponential decay with half-life of 6 months, starting at last indexed node
@@ -2512,7 +2512,7 @@ function _node_index_node(Node $node) {
 
   // Save the changed time of the most recent indexed node, for the search
   // results half-life calculation.
-  variable_set('node_cron_last', $node->changed);
+  state()->set('node.cron_last', $node->changed);
 
   $languages = array_merge(array(language_load($node->langcode)), $node->translations());
 
diff --git a/core/modules/search/search.api.php b/core/modules/search/search.api.php
index 0dd0a84..fe65b33 100644
--- a/core/modules/search/search.api.php
+++ b/core/modules/search/search.api.php
@@ -359,7 +359,7 @@ function hook_update_index() {
 
     // Save the changed time of the most recent indexed node, for the search
     // results half-life calculation.
-    variable_set('node_cron_last', $node->changed);
+    state()->set('node.cron_last', $node->changed);
 
     // Render the node.
     $build = node_view($node, 'search_index');
diff --git a/core/modules/system/lib/Drupal/system/Tests/System/CronRunTest.php b/core/modules/system/lib/Drupal/system/Tests/System/CronRunTest.php
index 1bdb269..ebf6b5c 100644
--- a/core/modules/system/lib/Drupal/system/Tests/System/CronRunTest.php
+++ b/core/modules/system/lib/Drupal/system/Tests/System/CronRunTest.php
@@ -58,19 +58,19 @@ function testAutomaticCron() {
     // not passed.
     $cron_last = time();
     $cron_safe_threshold = 100;
-    variable_set('cron_last', $cron_last);
+    state()->set('system.cron_last', $cron_last);
     config('system.cron')
       ->set('threshold.autorun', $cron_safe_threshold)
       ->save();
     $this->drupalGet('');
-    $this->assertTrue($cron_last == variable_get('cron_last', NULL), 'Cron does not run when the cron threshold is not passed.');
+    $this->assertTrue($cron_last == state()->get('system.cron_last'), 'Cron does not run when the cron threshold is not passed.');
 
     // Test if cron runs when the cron threshold was passed.
     $cron_last = time() - 200;
-    variable_set('cron_last', $cron_last);
+    state()->set('system.cron_last', $cron_last);
     $this->drupalGet('');
     sleep(1);
-    $this->assertTrue($cron_last < variable_get('cron_last', NULL), 'Cron runs when the cron threshold is passed.');
+    $this->assertTrue($cron_last < state()->get('system.cron_last'), 'Cron runs when the cron threshold is passed.');
 
     // Disable the cron threshold through the interface.
     $admin_user = $this->drupalCreateUser(array('administer site configuration'));
@@ -81,21 +81,21 @@ function testAutomaticCron() {
 
     // Test if cron does not run when the cron threshold is disabled.
     $cron_last = time() - 200;
-    variable_set('cron_last', $cron_last);
+    state()->set('system.cron_last', $cron_last);
     $this->drupalGet('');
-    $this->assertTrue($cron_last == variable_get('cron_last', NULL), 'Cron does not run when the cron threshold is disabled.');
+    $this->assertTrue($cron_last == state()->get('system.cron_last'), 'Cron does not run when the cron threshold is disabled.');
   }
 
   /**
    * Make sure exceptions thrown on hook_cron() don't affect other modules.
    */
   function testCronExceptions() {
-    variable_del('common_test_cron');
+    state()->delete('common_test.cron');
     // The common_test module throws an exception. If it isn't caught, the tests
     // won't finish successfully.
     // The common_test_cron_helper module sets the 'common_test_cron' variable.
     $this->cronRun();
-    $result = variable_get('common_test_cron');
+    $result = state()->get('common_test.cron');
     $this->assertEqual($result, 'success', 'Cron correctly handles exceptions thrown during hook_cron() invocations.');
   }
 }
diff --git a/core/modules/system/system.api.php b/core/modules/system/system.api.php
index 2d09534..b319727 100644
--- a/core/modules/system/system.api.php
+++ b/core/modules/system/system.api.php
@@ -128,11 +128,14 @@ function hook_admin_paths_alter(&$paths) {
 function hook_cron() {
   // Short-running operation example, not using a queue:
   // Delete all expired records since the last cron run.
-  $expires = variable_get('mymodule_cron_last_run', REQUEST_TIME);
-  db_delete('mymodule_table')
+  $expires = state()->get('mymodule.cron_last_run');
+  if (!$expires) {
+    $expires = REQUEST_TIME;
+  }
+    db_delete('mymodule_table')
     ->condition('expires', $expires, '>=')
     ->execute();
-  variable_set('mymodule_cron_last_run', REQUEST_TIME);
+  state()->set('mymodule.cron_last_run', REQUEST_TIME);
 
   // Long-running operation example, leveraging a queue:
   // Fetch feeds from other sites.
@@ -2545,7 +2548,7 @@ function hook_requirements($phase) {
 
   // Report cron status
   if ($phase == 'runtime') {
-    $cron_last = variable_get('cron_last');
+    $cron_last = state()->get('system.cron_last');
 
     if (is_numeric($cron_last)) {
       $requirements['cron']['value'] = $t('Last run !time ago', array('!time' => format_interval(REQUEST_TIME - $cron_last)));
diff --git a/core/modules/system/system.install b/core/modules/system/system.install
index e938128..dd3da76 100644
--- a/core/modules/system/system.install
+++ b/core/modules/system/system.install
@@ -272,7 +272,7 @@ function system_requirements($phase) {
     $help = $t('For more information, see the online handbook entry for <a href="@cron-handbook">configuring cron jobs</a>.', array('@cron-handbook' => 'http://drupal.org/cron'));
 
     // Determine when cron last ran.
-    $cron_last = variable_get('cron_last');
+    $cron_last = state()->get('system.cron_last');
     if (!is_numeric($cron_last)) {
       $cron_last = state()->get('system.install_time') ?: 0;
     }
@@ -2215,6 +2215,19 @@ function system_update_8032() {
 }
 
 /**
+ * Moves cron last run time from variable to state.
+ *
+ * @ingroup state_upgrade
+ */
+function system_update_8033() {
+  // Only migrate the variable if it exists and is not the default value.
+  if ($cron_last = update_variable_get('cron_last', 0)) {
+    state()->set('system.cron_last', $cron_last);
+  }
+  update_variable_del('cron_last');
+}
+
+/**
  * @} End of "defgroup updates-7.x-to-8.x".
  * The next series of updates should start at 9000.
  */
diff --git a/core/modules/system/system.module b/core/modules/system/system.module
index 7f9f33a..b4a8559 100644
--- a/core/modules/system/system.module
+++ b/core/modules/system/system.module
@@ -3679,7 +3679,7 @@ function system_run_automated_cron() {
   // Otherwise it could be triggered prematurely by Ajax requests during
   // installation.
   if (($threshold = config('system.cron')->get('threshold.autorun')) > 0 && state()->get('system.install_task') == 'done') {
-    $cron_last = variable_get('cron_last', NULL);
+    $cron_last = state()->get('system.cron_last');
     if (!isset($cron_last) || (REQUEST_TIME - $cron_last > $threshold)) {
       drupal_cron_run();
     }
diff --git a/core/modules/system/tests/modules/common_test_cron_helper/common_test_cron_helper.module b/core/modules/system/tests/modules/common_test_cron_helper/common_test_cron_helper.module
index 5cb4186..e2154ed 100644
--- a/core/modules/system/tests/modules/common_test_cron_helper/common_test_cron_helper.module
+++ b/core/modules/system/tests/modules/common_test_cron_helper/common_test_cron_helper.module
@@ -14,5 +14,5 @@
  * @see common_test_cron()
  */
 function common_test_cron_helper_cron() {
-  variable_set('common_test_cron', 'success');
+  state()->set('common_test.cron', 'success');
 }