diff --git a/core/modules/comment/comment.api.php b/core/modules/comment/comment.api.php
index ec1707f..64d0992 100644
--- a/core/modules/comment/comment.api.php
+++ b/core/modules/comment/comment.api.php
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ function hook_comment_presave(Drupal\comment\Comment $comment) {
  */
 function hook_comment_insert(Drupal\comment\Comment $comment) {
   // Reindex the node when comments are added.
-  search_touch_node($comment->nid->target_id);
+  search_mark_for_reindex('node_search', $comment->nid->target_id);
 }
 
 /**
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ function hook_comment_insert(Drupal\comment\Comment $comment) {
  */
 function hook_comment_update(Drupal\comment\Comment $comment) {
   // Reindex the node when comments are updated.
-  search_touch_node($comment->nid->target_id);
+  search_mark_for_reindex('node_search', $comment->nid->target_id);
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/core/modules/node/lib/Drupal/node/Plugin/Search/NodeSearch.php b/core/modules/node/lib/Drupal/node/Plugin/Search/NodeSearch.php
index 9e9059a..e9c5ae3 100644
--- a/core/modules/node/lib/Drupal/node/Plugin/Search/NodeSearch.php
+++ b/core/modules/node/lib/Drupal/node/Plugin/Search/NodeSearch.php
@@ -162,7 +162,7 @@ public function execute() {
      $query->join('node_field_data', 'n', 'n.nid = i.sid');
      $query->condition('n.status', 1)
        ->addTag('node_access')
-       ->searchExpression($keys, 'node');
+       ->searchExpression($keys, $this->getPluginId());
 
      $parameters = $this->getParameters();
      // Combine the f query strings into one string to simplify searching.
@@ -272,7 +272,7 @@ protected function addNodeRankings(SelectExtender $query) {
   public function updateIndex() {
     $limit = (int) $this->searchSettings->get('index.cron_limit');
 
-    $result = $this->database->queryRange("SELECT n.nid FROM {node} n LEFT JOIN {search_dataset} d ON d.type = 'node' AND d.sid = n.nid WHERE d.sid IS NULL OR d.reindex <> 0 ORDER BY d.reindex ASC, n.nid ASC", 0, $limit, array(), array('target' => 'slave'));
+    $result = $this->database->queryRange("SELECT n.nid FROM {node} n LEFT JOIN {search_dataset} d ON d.type = :type AND d.sid = n.nid WHERE d.sid IS NULL OR d.reindex <> 0 ORDER BY d.reindex ASC, n.nid ASC", 0, $limit, array(':type' => $this->getPluginId()), array('target' => 'slave'));
     $nids = $result->fetchCol();
     if (!$nids) {
       return;
@@ -324,7 +324,7 @@ protected function indexNode(EntityInterface $node) {
       }
 
       // Update index.
-      $this->moduleHandler->invoke('search', 'index', array($node->id(), 'node', $text, $language->id));
+      $this->moduleHandler->invoke('search', 'index', array($node->id(), $this->getPluginId(), $text, $language->id));
     }
   }
 
@@ -334,7 +334,7 @@ protected function indexNode(EntityInterface $node) {
   public function resetIndex() {
     $this->database->update('search_dataset')
       ->fields(array('reindex' => REQUEST_TIME))
-      ->condition('type', 'node')
+      ->condition('type', $this->getPluginId())
       ->execute();
   }
 
@@ -343,7 +343,7 @@ public function resetIndex() {
    */
   public function indexStatus() {
     $total = $this->database->query('SELECT COUNT(*) FROM {node}')->fetchField();
-    $remaining = $this->database->query("SELECT COUNT(*) FROM {node} n LEFT JOIN {search_dataset} d ON d.type = 'node' AND d.sid = n.nid WHERE d.sid IS NULL OR d.reindex <> 0")->fetchField();
+    $remaining = $this->database->query("SELECT COUNT(*) FROM {node} n LEFT JOIN {search_dataset} d ON d.type = :type AND d.sid = n.nid WHERE d.sid IS NULL OR d.reindex <> 0", array(':type' => $this->getPluginId()))->fetchField();
     return array('remaining' => $remaining, 'total' => $total);
   }
 
diff --git a/core/modules/node/node.module b/core/modules/node/node.module
index 6dd3787..a4f1a6d 100644
--- a/core/modules/node/node.module
+++ b/core/modules/node/node.module
@@ -2261,3 +2261,65 @@ function node_system_info_alter(&$info, $file, $type) {
     $info['hidden'] = !module_exists('translation') && config('system.module.disabled')->get('translation') === NULL;
   }
 }
+
+/**
+ * Mark a node to be re-indexed by the node_search plugin.
+ *
+ * @param int $nid
+ *   The Node ID.
+ */
+function node_reindex_node_search($nid) {
+  if (Drupal::moduleHandler()->moduleExists('search')) {
+    // Reindex node context indexed by the node module search plugin.
+    search_mark_for_reindex('node_search', $nid);
+  }
+}
+
+/**
+ * Implements hook_node_update().
+ */
+function node_node_update(EntityInterface $node) {
+  // Reindex the node when it is updated. The node is automatically indexed
+  // when it is added, simply by being added to the node table.
+  node_reindex_node_search($node->id());
+}
+
+/**
+ * Implements hook_comment_insert().
+ */
+function node_comment_insert($comment) {
+  // Reindex the node when comments are added.
+  node_reindex_node_search($comment->nid->target_id);
+}
+
+/**
+ * Implements hook_comment_update().
+ */
+function node_comment_update($comment) {
+  // Reindex the node when comments are changed.
+  node_reindex_node_search($comment->nid->target_id);
+}
+
+/**
+ * Implements hook_comment_delete().
+ */
+function node_comment_delete($comment) {
+  // Reindex the node when comments are deleted.
+  node_reindex_node_search($comment->nid->target_id);
+}
+
+/**
+ * Implements hook_comment_publish().
+ */
+function node_comment_publish($comment) {
+  // Reindex the node when comments are published.
+  node_reindex_node_search($comment->nid->target_id);
+}
+
+/**
+ * Implements hook_comment_unpublish().
+ */
+function node_comment_unpublish($comment) {
+  // Reindex the node when comments are unpublished.
+  node_reindex_node_search($comment->nid->target_id);
+}
diff --git a/core/modules/search/lib/Drupal/search/SearchExpression.php b/core/modules/search/lib/Drupal/search/SearchExpression.php
index cd5e5dc..5662389 100644
--- a/core/modules/search/lib/Drupal/search/SearchExpression.php
+++ b/core/modules/search/lib/Drupal/search/SearchExpression.php
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ public function getExpression() {
   }
 
   /**
-   * Extracts a module-specific search option from a search expression.
+   * Extracts a type-specific search option from a search expression.
    *
    * Search options are added using SearchExpression::insert() and retrieved
    * using SearchExpression::extract(). They take the form option:value, and
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ public function extract($option) {
   }
 
   /**
-   * Adds a module-specific search option to a search expression.
+   * Adds a type-specific search option to a search expression.
    *
    * Search options are added using SearchExpression::insert() and retrieved
    * using SearchExpression::extract(). They take the form option:value, and
diff --git a/core/modules/search/lib/Drupal/search/SearchPluginManager.php b/core/modules/search/lib/Drupal/search/SearchPluginManager.php
index 207023b..c8d5ef3 100644
--- a/core/modules/search/lib/Drupal/search/SearchPluginManager.php
+++ b/core/modules/search/lib/Drupal/search/SearchPluginManager.php
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 use Drupal\Component\Utility\NestedArray;
 use Drupal\Core\Config\ConfigFactory;
 use Drupal\Core\Plugin\DefaultPluginManager;
+use Drupal\Core\Session\AccountInterface;
 
 /**
  * SearchExecute plugin manager.
@@ -92,4 +93,27 @@ public function getActiveDefinitions() {
     }
     return $active_definitions;
   }
+
+  /**
+   * Check whether access is allowed to search results from a given plugin.
+   *
+   * @param string $plugin_id
+   *   The id of the plugin being checked.
+   * @param \Drupal\Core\Session\AccountInterface $account
+   *   The account being checked for access
+   *
+   * @return bool
+   *   TRUE if access is allowed, FALSE otherwise.
+   */
+  public function pluginAccess($plugin_id, AccountInterface $account) {
+    $definition = $this->getDefinition($plugin_id);
+    if (empty($definition['class'])) {
+      return FALSE;
+    }
+    // Plugins that implement AccessibleInterface can deny access.
+    if (is_subclass_of($definition['class'], '\Drupal\Core\TypedData\AccessibleInterface')) {
+      return $this->createInstance($plugin_id)->access('view', $account);
+    }
+    return TRUE;
+  }
 }
diff --git a/core/modules/search/lib/Drupal/search/Tests/SearchCommentTest.php b/core/modules/search/lib/Drupal/search/Tests/SearchCommentTest.php
index e2d0d9f..d5c339b 100644
--- a/core/modules/search/lib/Drupal/search/Tests/SearchCommentTest.php
+++ b/core/modules/search/lib/Drupal/search/Tests/SearchCommentTest.php
@@ -194,7 +194,7 @@ function setRolePermissions($rid, $access_comments = FALSE, $search_content = TR
    */
   function assertCommentAccess($assume_access, $message) {
     // Invoke search index update.
-    search_touch_node($this->node->id());
+    search_mark_for_reindex('node_search', $this->node->id());
     $this->cronRun();
 
     // Search for the comment subject.
diff --git a/core/modules/search/search.install b/core/modules/search/search.install
index 6c3e652..0cb52d3 100644
--- a/core/modules/search/search.install
+++ b/core/modules/search/search.install
@@ -120,43 +120,6 @@ function search_schema() {
     'primary key' => array('word'),
   );
 
-  $schema['search_node_links'] = array(
-    'description' => 'Stores items (like nodes) that link to other nodes, used to improve search scores for nodes that are frequently linked to.',
-    'fields' => array(
-      'sid' => array(
-        'type' => 'int',
-        'unsigned' => TRUE,
-        'not null' => TRUE,
-        'default' => 0,
-        'description' => 'The {search_dataset}.sid of the searchable item containing the link to the node.',
-      ),
-      'type' => array(
-        'type' => 'varchar',
-        'length' => 16,
-        'not null' => TRUE,
-        'default' => '',
-        'description' => 'The {search_dataset}.type of the searchable item containing the link to the node.',
-      ),
-      'nid' => array(
-        'type' => 'int',
-        'unsigned' => TRUE,
-        'not null' => TRUE,
-        'default' => 0,
-        'description' => 'The {node}.nid that this item links to.',
-      ),
-      'caption' => array(
-        'type' => 'text',
-        'size' => 'big',
-        'not null' => FALSE,
-        'description' => 'The text used to link to the {node}.nid.',
-      ),
-    ),
-    'primary key' => array('sid', 'type', 'nid'),
-    'indexes' => array(
-      'nid' => array('nid'),
-    ),
-  );
-
   return $schema;
 }
 
@@ -210,7 +173,8 @@ function search_update_8001() {
   // need to recreate search data through running cron.
   db_truncate('search_dataset');
   db_truncate('search_index');
-  db_truncate('search_node_links');
+  // This table is no longer used.
+  db_drop_table('search_node_links');
 
   // Add the fields and indexes.
   db_drop_primary_key('search_dataset');
diff --git a/core/modules/search/search.module b/core/modules/search/search.module
index f6231ec..0aa10a6 100644
--- a/core/modules/search/search.module
+++ b/core/modules/search/search.module
@@ -256,15 +256,7 @@ function _search_menu_access($plugin_id) {
   // that the account will be populated, especially during tests.
   // @see https://drupal.org/node/2032553
   $access = !empty($account) && $account->hasPermission('search content');
-  if ($access) {
-    $manager = Drupal::service('plugin.manager.search');
-    $definition = $manager->getDefinition($plugin_id);
-    // Plugins that implement AccessibleInterface can deny access.
-    if (is_subclass_of($definition['class'], '\Drupal\Core\TypedData\AccessibleInterface')) {
-      $access = $access && $manager->createInstance($plugin_id)->access('view', $account);
-    }
-  }
-  return $access;
+  return $access && Drupal::service('plugin.manager.search')->pluginAccess($plugin_id, $account);
 }
 
 /**
@@ -272,10 +264,10 @@ function _search_menu_access($plugin_id) {
  *
  * @param $sid
  *   (optional) The ID of the item to remove from the search index. If
- *   specified, $plugin_id must also be given. Omit both $sid and $plugin_id to clear
+ *   specified, $type must also be given. Omit both $sid and $type to clear
  *   the entire search index.
  * @param $type
- *   (optional) The entity type of other machine-readable type for the item to
+ *   (optional) The plugin ID other machine-readable type for the item to
  *   remove from the search index.
  * @param $reindex
  *   (optional) Boolean to specify whether reindexing happens.
@@ -305,14 +297,6 @@ function search_reindex($sid = NULL, $type = NULL, $reindex = FALSE, $langcode =
       $query->condition('langcode', $langcode);
     }
     $query->execute();
-
-    // Don't remove links if re-indexing.
-    if (!$reindex) {
-      db_delete('search_node_links')
-        ->condition('sid', $sid)
-        ->condition('type', $type)
-        ->execute();
-    }
   }
 }
 
@@ -529,7 +513,7 @@ function search_invoke_preprocess(&$text, $langcode = NULL) {
  * @param $sid
  *   An ID number identifying this particular item (e.g., node ID).
  * @param $type
- *   The entity type or other machine-readable type of this item.
+ *   The plugin ID or other machine-readable type of this item.
  * @param $text
  *   The content of this item. Must be a piece of HTML or plain text.
  * @param $langcode
@@ -540,17 +524,13 @@ function search_invoke_preprocess(&$text, $langcode = NULL) {
 function search_index($sid, $type, $text, $langcode) {
   $minimum_word_size = config('search.settings')->get('index.minimum_word_size');
 
-  // Link matching
-  global $base_url;
-  $node_regexp = '@href=[\'"]?(?:' . preg_quote($base_url, '@') . '/|' . preg_quote(base_path(), '@') . ')(?:\?q=)?/?((?![a-z]+:)[^\'">]+)[\'">]@i';
-
-  // Multipliers for scores of words inside certain HTML tags. The weights are stored
-  // in a variable so that modules can overwrite the default weights.
+  // Multipliers for scores of words inside certain HTML tags. The weights are
+  // stored in config so that modules can overwrite the default weights.
   // Note: 'a' must be included for link ranking to work.
   $tags = config('search.settings')->get('index.tag_weights');
 
-  // Strip off all ignored tags to speed up processing, but insert space before/after
-  // them to keep word boundaries.
+  // Strip off all ignored tags to speed up processing, but insert space before
+  // and after them to keep word boundaries.
   $text = str_replace(array('<', '>'), array(' <', '> '), $text);
   $text = strip_tags($text, '<' . implode('><', array_keys($tags)) . '>');
 
@@ -560,14 +540,13 @@ function search_index($sid, $type, $text, $langcode) {
   // and begins and ends with a literal (inserting $null as required).
 
   $tag = FALSE; // Odd/even counter. Tag or no tag.
-  $link = FALSE; // State variable for link analyzer
   $score = 1; // Starting score per word
   $accum = ' '; // Accumulator for cleaned up data
   $tagstack = array(); // Stack with open tags
   $tagwords = 0; // Counter for consecutive words
   $focus = 1; // Focus state
 
-  $results = array(0 => array()); // Accumulator for words for index
+  $scored_words = array(); // Accumulator for words for index
 
   foreach ($split as $value) {
     if ($tag) {
@@ -586,9 +565,6 @@ function search_index($sid, $type, $text, $langcode) {
           // Remove from tag stack and decrement score
           $score = max(1, $score - $tags[array_shift($tagstack)]);
         }
-        if ($tagname == 'a') {
-          $link = FALSE;
-        }
       }
       else {
         if (isset($tagstack[0]) && $tagstack[0] == $tagname) {
@@ -602,20 +578,6 @@ function search_index($sid, $type, $text, $langcode) {
           array_unshift($tagstack, $tagname);
           $score += $tags[$tagname];
         }
-        if ($tagname == 'a') {
-          // Check if link points to a node on this site
-          if (preg_match($node_regexp, $value, $match)) {
-            $path = Drupal::service('path.alias_manager')->getSystemPath($match[1]);
-            if (preg_match('!(?:node|book)/(?:view/)?([0-9]+)!i', $path, $match)) {
-              $linknid = $match[1];
-              if ($linknid > 0) {
-                $link = TRUE;
-                $node = node_load($linknid);
-                $linktitle = $node->label();
-              }
-            }
-          }
-        }
       }
       // A tag change occurred, reset counter.
       $tagwords = 0;
@@ -623,36 +585,19 @@ function search_index($sid, $type, $text, $langcode) {
     else {
       // Note: use of PREG_SPLIT_DELIM_CAPTURE above will introduce empty values
       if ($value != '') {
-        if ($link) {
-          // Check to see if the node link text is its URL. If so, we use the target node title instead.
-          if (preg_match('!^https?://!i', $value)) {
-            $value = $linktitle;
-          }
-        }
         $words = search_index_split($value, $langcode);
         foreach ($words as $word) {
           // Add word to accumulator
           $accum .= $word . ' ';
           // Check wordlength
           if (is_numeric($word) || drupal_strlen($word) >= $minimum_word_size) {
-            // Links score mainly for the target.
-            if ($link) {
-              if (!isset($results[$linknid])) {
-                $results[$linknid] = array();
-              }
-              $results[$linknid][] = $word;
-              // Reduce score of the link caption in the source.
-              $focus *= 0.2;
+            if (!isset($scored_words[$word])) {
+              $scored_words[$word] = 0;
             }
-            // Fall-through
-            if (!isset($results[0][$word])) {
-              $results[0][$word] = 0;
-            }
-            $results[0][$word] += $score * $focus;
-
+            $scored_words[$word] += $score * $focus;
             // Focus is a decaying value in terms of the amount of unique words up to this point.
             // From 100 words and more, it decays, to e.g. 0.5 at 500 words and 0.3 at 1000 words.
-            $focus = min(1, .01 + 3.5 / (2 + count($results[0]) * .015));
+            $focus = min(1, .01 + 3.5 / (2 + count($scored_words) * .015));
           }
           $tagwords++;
           // Too many words inside a single tag probably mean a tag was accidentally left open.
@@ -680,7 +625,7 @@ function search_index($sid, $type, $text, $langcode) {
     ->execute();
 
   // Insert results into search index
-  foreach ($results[0] as $word => $score) {
+  foreach ($scored_words as $word => $score) {
     // If a word already exists in the database, its score gets increased
     // appropriately. If not, we create a new record with the appropriate
     // starting score.
@@ -696,139 +641,25 @@ function search_index($sid, $type, $text, $langcode) {
       ->execute();
     search_dirty($word);
   }
-  unset($results[0]);
-
-  // Get all previous links from this item.
-  $result = db_query("SELECT nid, caption FROM {search_node_links} WHERE sid = :sid AND type = :type", array(
-    ':sid' => $sid,
-    ':type' => $type,
-  ), array('target' => 'slave'));
-  $links = array();
-  foreach ($result as $link) {
-    $links[$link->nid] = $link->caption;
-  }
-
-  // Now store links to nodes.
-  foreach ($results as $nid => $words) {
-    $caption = implode(' ', $words);
-    if (isset($links[$nid])) {
-      if ($links[$nid] != $caption) {
-        // Update the existing link and mark the node for reindexing.
-        db_update('search_node_links')
-          ->fields(array('caption' => $caption))
-          ->condition('sid', $sid)
-          ->condition('type', $type)
-          ->condition('nid', $nid)
-          ->execute();
-        search_touch_node($nid);
-      }
-      // Unset the link to mark it as processed.
-      unset($links[$nid]);
-    }
-    elseif ($sid != $nid || $type != 'node') {
-      // Insert the existing link and mark the node for reindexing, but don't
-      // reindex if this is a link in a node pointing to itself.
-      db_insert('search_node_links')
-        ->fields(array(
-          'caption' => $caption,
-          'sid' => $sid,
-          'type' => $type,
-          'nid' => $nid,
-        ))
-        ->execute();
-      search_touch_node($nid);
-    }
-  }
-  // Any left-over links in $links no longer exist. Delete them and mark the nodes for reindexing.
-  foreach ($links as $nid => $caption) {
-    db_delete('search_node_links')
-      ->condition('sid', $sid)
-      ->condition('type', $type)
-      ->condition('nid', $nid)
-      ->execute();
-    search_touch_node($nid);
-  }
 }
 
 /**
- * Changes a node's changed timestamp to 'now' to force reindexing.
+ * Changes the timestamp on an indexed item to 'now' to force reindexing.
  *
- * @param $nid
- *   The node ID of the node that needs reindexing.
+ * @param $type
+ *   The plugin ID or other machine-readable type of this item.
+ *  * @param $sid
+ *   An ID number identifying this particular item (e.g., node ID).
  */
-function search_touch_node($nid) {
+function search_mark_for_reindex($type, $sid) {
   db_update('search_dataset')
     ->fields(array('reindex' => REQUEST_TIME))
-    ->condition('type', 'node')
-    ->condition('sid', $nid)
+    ->condition('type', $type)
+    ->condition('sid', $sid)
     ->execute();
 }
 
 /**
- * Implements hook_node_update_index().
- */
-function search_node_update_index(EntityInterface $node) {
-  // Transplant links to a node into the target node.
-  $result = db_query("SELECT caption FROM {search_node_links} WHERE nid = :nid", array(':nid' => $node->id()), array('target' => 'slave'));
-  $output = array();
-  foreach ($result as $link) {
-    $output[] = $link->caption;
-  }
-  if (count($output)) {
-    return '<a>(' . implode(', ', $output) . ')</a>';
-  }
-}
-
-/**
- * Implements hook_node_update().
- */
-function search_node_update(EntityInterface $node) {
-  // Reindex the node when it is updated. The node is automatically indexed
-  // when it is added, simply by being added to the node table.
-  search_touch_node($node->id());
-}
-
-/**
- * Implements hook_comment_insert().
- */
-function search_comment_insert($comment) {
-  // Reindex the node when comments are added.
-  search_touch_node($comment->nid->target_id);
-}
-
-/**
- * Implements hook_comment_update().
- */
-function search_comment_update($comment) {
-  // Reindex the node when comments are changed.
-  search_touch_node($comment->nid->target_id);
-}
-
-/**
- * Implements hook_comment_delete().
- */
-function search_comment_delete($comment) {
-  // Reindex the node when comments are deleted.
-  search_touch_node($comment->nid->target_id);
-}
-
-/**
- * Implements hook_comment_publish().
- */
-function search_comment_publish($comment) {
-  // Reindex the node when comments are published.
-  search_touch_node($comment->nid->target_id);
-}
-
-/**
- * Implements hook_comment_unpublish().
- */
-function search_comment_unpublish($comment) {
-  // Reindex the node when comments are unpublished.
-  search_touch_node($comment->nid->target_id);
-}
-
-/**
  * Extracts a type-specific search option from a search expression.
  *
  * Search options are added using search_expression_insert(), and retrieved