diff --git a/core/includes/menu.inc b/core/includes/menu.inc
index 10deda6..014b78f 100644
--- a/core/includes/menu.inc
+++ b/core/includes/menu.inc
@@ -2784,34 +2784,18 @@ function menu_get_router() {
  * Recursive helper to save menu links.
  */
 function _menu_link_save_recursive($controller, $machine_name, &$children, &$links) {
-  $link = $links[$machine_name];
-  if (!isset($link['plid']) && !empty($link['parent']) && !empty($links[$link['parent']])) {
-    $parent = $links[$link['parent']];
-    if (empty($link['menu_name']) || $parent['menu_name'] == $link['menu_name']) {
-      $link['plid'] = $parent['mlid'];
+  $menu_link = $links[$machine_name];
+  if ($menu_link->isNew() || !$menu_link->customized) {
+    if (!isset($menu_link->plid) && !empty($menu_link->parent) && !empty($links[$menu_link->parent])) {
+      $parent = $links[$menu_link->parent];
+      
+      if (empty($menu_link->menu_name) || $parent->menu_name == $menu_link->menu_name) {
+        $menu_link->plid = $parent->id();
+        $menu_link->menu_name = $parent->menu_name;
+      }
     }
+    $controller->save($menu_link);
   }
-  // Note, we set this as 'system', so that we can be sure to distinguish all
-  // the menu links generated automatically from hook_default_menu_links().
-  $link['module'] = 'system';
-  $link += array(
-    'type' => MENU_NORMAL_ITEM,
-    'hidden' => 0,
-    'options' => empty($link['description']) ? array() : array('attributes' => array('title' => $link['description'])),
-  );
-  // Suggested items are disabled by default.
-  if ($link['type'] == MENU_SUGGESTED_ITEM) {
-    $link['hidden'] = 1;
-  }
-  // Hide all items that are not visible in the tree.
-  elseif (!($link['type'] & MENU_VISIBLE_IN_TREE)) {
-    $link['hidden'] = -1;
-  }
-
-  $entity = $controller->create($link);
-  $controller->save($entity);
-  // Update the uuid, mlid, etc.
-  $links[$machine_name] = get_object_vars($entity);
   if (!empty($children[$machine_name])) {
     foreach ($children[$machine_name] as $next_name) {
       _menu_link_save_recursive($controller, $next_name, $children, $links);
@@ -2838,17 +2822,21 @@ function menu_default_links_rebuild() {
   foreach (Drupal::moduleHandler()->getImplementations('default_menu_links') as $module) {
     $default_links = call_user_func($module . '_default_menu_links');
     foreach ($default_links as $machine_name => $link) {
-      // Note, we set this as 'system', so that we can be sure to distinguish
-      // the menu links generated automatically from entries in
-      // hook_default_menu_links().
-      $link['machine_name'] = $machine_name;
-      if (!empty($link['parent'])) {
-        $children[$link['parent']][$machine_name] = $machine_name;
+      // Note, we set this as 'system', so that we can be sure to distinguish all
+      // the menu links generated automatically from hook_default_menu_links().
+      $link['module'] = 'system';
+      $link += array(
+        'type' => MENU_NORMAL_ITEM,
+        'hidden' => 0,
+        'options' => empty($link['description']) ? array() : array('attributes' => array('title' => $link['description'])),
+      );
+      // Suggested items are disabled by default.
+      if ($link['type'] == MENU_SUGGESTED_ITEM) {
+        $link['hidden'] = 1;
       }
-      else {
-        // A top level link - we need them to root our tree.
-        $top_links[$machine_name] = $machine_name;
-        $link['plid'] = 0;
+      // Hide all items that are not visible in the tree.
+      elseif (!($link['type'] & MENU_VISIBLE_IN_TREE)) {
+        $link['hidden'] = -1;
       }
       // For performance reasons, do a straight query now and convert to a menu
       // link entity later.
@@ -2857,38 +2845,45 @@ function menu_default_links_rebuild() {
         ->fields('menu_links')
         ->condition('machine_name', $machine_name)
         ->condition('module', 'system')
-        ->execute()->fetchAll();
+        ->execute()->fetchAssoc();
       if ($existing_item) {
-        $existing_item = reset($existing_item);
-        $existing_item->options = unserialize($existing_item->options);
-
-        $link['mlid'] = $existing_item->mlid;
-        $link['uuid'] = $existing_item->uuid;
-        // A change in hook_menu may move the link to a different menu
-        if (empty($link['menu_name']) || ($link['menu_name'] == $existing_item->menu_name)) {
-          $link['menu_name'] = $existing_item->menu_name;
-          $link['plid'] = $existing_item->plid;
+        $existing_item['options'] = unserialize($existing_item['options']);
+        $existing_item['route_parameters'] = unserialize($existing_item['route_parameters']);
+        $existing_item = $menu_link_controller->create($existing_item);
+        $menu_link = $existing_item;
+        if (!$menu_link->customized) {
+          // A change in hook_menu may move the link to a different menu
+          if (!empty($link['menu_name']) && ($link['menu_name'] != $existing_item->menu_name)) {
+            $menu_link->plid = NULL;
+          }
+          // Since the comparison in drupal_write_record just compares based on
+          // get_objet_vars(), there is no value to converting to an entity here.
+          $menu_link->original = clone $existing_item;
         }
-        else {
-          // It moved to a new menu.
-          // Let Drupal\menu_link\MenuLinkStorageController::save() try to find
-          // a new parent.
-          unset($link['plid']);
+      }
+      else {
+        if (empty($link['route_name']) && empty($link['link_path'])) {
+          $link['route_name'] = '<front>';
         }
-        $link['has_children'] = $existing_item->has_children;
-        $link['updated'] = $existing_item->updated;
-        // Since the comparison in drupal_write_record just compares based on
-        // get_objet_vars(), there is no value to converting to an entity here.
-        $link['original'] = $existing_item;
+        $menu_link = $menu_link_controller->create($link);
+        // Overwrite the default.
+        if (empty($link['menu_name'])) {
+          $menu_link->menu_name = NULL;
+        }
+      }
+      if (!empty($link['parent'])) {
+        $children[$link['parent']][$machine_name] = $machine_name;
+        $menu_link->parent = $link['parent'];
       }
-      if (empty($link['route_name']) && empty($link['link_path'])) {
-        $link['route_name'] = '<front>';
+      else {
+        // A top level link - we need them to root our tree.
+        $top_links[$machine_name] = $machine_name;
+        $menu_link->plid = 0;
       }
-
-      $links[$machine_name] = $link;
+      $links[$machine_name] = $menu_link;
     }
   }
-
+    debug($top_links, NULL, 1);
   foreach ($top_links as $machine_name) {
     _menu_link_save_recursive($menu_link_controller, $machine_name, $children, $links);
   }
@@ -2896,7 +2891,7 @@ function menu_default_links_rebuild() {
   foreach ($children as $missing_parent => $orphan_links) {
     foreach ($orphan_links as $machine_name) {
       // Force it to the top level.
-      $links[$machine_name]['plid'] = 0;
+      $links[$machine_name]->plid = 0;
       _menu_link_save_recursive($menu_link_controller, $machine_name, $children, $links);
     }
   }
diff --git a/core/modules/system/lib/Drupal/system/Controller/SystemController.php b/core/modules/system/lib/Drupal/system/Controller/SystemController.php
index 03f516f..aeae612 100644
--- a/core/modules/system/lib/Drupal/system/Controller/SystemController.php
+++ b/core/modules/system/lib/Drupal/system/Controller/SystemController.php
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ public function overview() {
           //   https://drupal.org/node/1987814.
           $block['content'] = array(
             '#theme' => 'admin_block_content',
-            '#content' => system_admin_menu_block($this->request),
+            '#content' => system_admin_menu_block($item),
           );
 
           if (!empty($block['content'])) {
@@ -140,7 +140,7 @@ public function overview() {
    */
   public function compactPage($mode) {
     user_cookie_save(array('admin_compact_mode' => ($mode == 'on')));
-    return $this->redirect('front');
+    return $this->redirect(findChildrenRelativeDepth);
   }
 
 }
diff --git a/core/modules/system/system.admin.inc b/core/modules/system/system.admin.inc
index 4fb7951..bcbd498 100644
--- a/core/modules/system/system.admin.inc
+++ b/core/modules/system/system.admin.inc
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 use Symfony\Component\HttpFoundation\RedirectResponse;
 use Symfony\Component\HttpFoundation\Response;
 use Symfony\Component\HttpKernel\Exception\AccessDeniedHttpException;
+use Symfony\Cmf\Component\Routing\RouteObjectInterface;
 
 /**
  * Provide a single block from the administration menu as a page.
@@ -23,7 +24,17 @@
  */
 function system_admin_menu_block_page() {
   $request = Drupal::request();
-  if ($content = system_admin_menu_block($request)) {
+  // Look for a link saved by system_default_menu_links().
+  $properties = array('module' => 'system');
+  if ($route_name = $request->attributes->get(RouteObjectInterface::ROUTE_NAME)) {
+    $properties['route_name'] = $route_name;
+  }
+  else {
+    $properties['link_path'] = current_path();
+  }
+  $menu_links = entity_load_multiple_by_properties('menu_link', $properties);
+  $menu_link = reset($menu_links);
+  if ($content = system_admin_menu_block($menu_link)) {
     $output = theme('admin_block_content', array('content' => $content));
   }
   else {
diff --git a/core/modules/system/system.module b/core/modules/system/system.module
index 5ec0c7c..a6f4987 100644
--- a/core/modules/system/system.module
+++ b/core/modules/system/system.module
@@ -15,7 +15,6 @@
 use Symfony\Component\HttpFoundation\RedirectResponse;
 use Symfony\Component\HttpFoundation\Response;
 use Symfony\Component\HttpFoundation\Request;
-use Symfony\Cmf\Component\Routing\RouteObjectInterface;
 use Guzzle\Http\Exception\BadResponseException;
 use Guzzle\Http\Exception\RequestException;
 
@@ -1065,6 +1064,7 @@ function system_default_menu_links() {
   $items['admin/config/regional'] = array(
     'link_path' => 'admin/config/regional',
     'link_title' => 'Regional and language',
+    'parent' => 'admin/config',
     'description' => 'Regional settings, localization and translation.',
     'weight' => -5,
   );
@@ -1096,6 +1096,7 @@ function system_default_menu_links() {
   $items['admin/config/system'] = array(
     'link_title' => 'System',
     'link_path' => 'admin/config/system',
+    'parent' => 'admin/config',
     'description' => 'General system related configuration.',
     'weight' => -20,
   );
@@ -2527,22 +2528,10 @@ function system_preprocess_block(&$variables) {
  * Provide a single block on the administration overview page.
  *
  * @param $item
- *   The menu item to be displayed.
+ *   The route name or path of the menu link to be displayed.
  */
-function system_admin_menu_block(Request $request) {
+function system_admin_menu_block(\Drupal\menu_link\MenuLinkInterface $menu_link = NULL) {
   $cache = &drupal_static(__FUNCTION__, array());
-  $menu_link = NULL;
-
-  // Look for a link saved by system_default_menu_links().
-  $properties = array('module' => 'system');
-  if ($route_name = $request->attributes->get(RouteObjectInterface::ROUTE_NAME)) {
-    $properties['route_name'] = $route_name;
-  }
-  else {
-    $properties['link_path'] = current_path();
-  }
-  $menu_links = entity_load_multiple_by_properties('menu_link', $properties);
-  $menu_link = reset($menu_links);
 
   if (empty($menu_link)) {
     return;