diff -u b/core/includes/config.inc b/core/includes/config.inc
--- b/core/includes/config.inc
+++ b/core/includes/config.inc
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@
 }
 
 /**
- * Returns a list of differences between configuration storages.
+ * Returns config sync actions using the contents of the source storage.
  *
  * @param Drupal\Core\Config\StorageInterface $source_storage
  *   The storage to synchronize configuration from.
@@ -108,8 +108,8 @@
  *   The storage to synchronize configuration to.
  *
  * @return array|bool
- *   An assocative array containing the differences between source and target
- *   storage, or FALSE if there are no differences.
+ *   An associative array containing config sync actions to import the config
+ *   from source storage to the target storage, or FALSE if there are none.
  */
 function config_sync_get_changes(StorageInterface $source_storage, StorageInterface $target_storage) {
   // Config entities maintain 'manifest' files that list the objects they
@@ -163,6 +163,51 @@
 }
 
 /**
+ * Returns a list of differences between configuration storages.
+ *
+ * @param Drupal\Core\Config\StorageInterface $source_storage
+ *   The storage to synchronize configuration from.
+ * @param Drupal\Core\Config\StorageInterface $target_storage
+ *   The storage to synchronize configuration to.
+ *
+ * @return array|bool
+ *   An assocative array containing the differences between source and target
+ *   storage, or FALSE if there are no differences.
+ */
+function config_compare_storage_contents(StorageInterface $source_storage, StorageInterface $target_storage) {
+  // Config entities maintain 'manifest' files that list the objects they
+  // are currently handling. Each file is a simple indexed array of config
+  // object names. In order to generate a list of objects that have been
+  // created or deleted we need to open these files in both the source and
+  // target storage, generate an array of the objects, and compare them.
+  $active_config = $source_storage->listAll();
+  $target_config = $target_storage->listAll();
+
+
+  $config_changes = array(
+    'create' => array_diff($target_config, $active_config),
+    'change' => array(),
+    'delete' => array_diff($active_config, $target_config),
+  );
+
+
+  foreach (array_intersect($active_config, $target_config) as $name) {
+    $source_config_data = $source_storage->read($name);
+    $target_config_data = $target_storage->read($name);
+    if ($source_config_data !== $target_config_data) {
+      $config_changes['change'][] = $name;
+    }
+  }
+
+  // Do not trigger subsequent synchronization operations if there are no
+  // changes in any category.
+  if (empty($config_changes['create']) && empty($config_changes['change']) && empty($config_changes['delete'])) {
+    return FALSE;
+  }
+  return $config_changes;
+}
+
+/**
  * Writes an array of config file changes from a source storage to a target storage.
  *
  * @param array $config_changes
diff -u b/core/modules/config/lib/Drupal/config/Tests/ConfigSnapshotTest.php b/core/modules/config/lib/Drupal/config/Tests/ConfigSnapshotTest.php
--- b/core/modules/config/lib/Drupal/config/Tests/ConfigSnapshotTest.php
+++ b/core/modules/config/lib/Drupal/config/Tests/ConfigSnapshotTest.php
@@ -51,17 +51,15 @@
 
     // Install the default config.
     config_install_default_config('module', 'config_test');
-    // Although we have imported config this has not affected the snapshot and
-    // no differences are show because: manifests are only compared if they
-    // exist in the snapshot and simple config is only listed if it is changed.
-    $this->assertFalse(config_sync_get_changes($snapshot, $active));
+    // Although we have imported config this has not affected the snapshot.
+    $this->assertTrue(config_compare_storage_contents($snapshot, $active));
 
     // Update the config snapshot.
     config_import_create_snapshot($active, $snapshot);
 
     // The snapshot and active config should now contain the same config
     // objects.
-    $this->assertIdentical($active->listAll(), $snapshot->listAll());
+    $this->assertFalse(config_compare_storage_contents($snapshot, $active));
 
     // Change a configuration value in staging.
     $staging_data = config($config_name)->get();
@@ -70,9 +68,9 @@
 
     // Verify that active and snapshot match, and that staging doesn't match
     // either of them.
-    $this->assertFalse(config_sync_get_changes($snapshot, $active));
-    $this->assertTrue(config_sync_get_changes($snapshot, $staging));
-    $this->assertTrue(config_sync_get_changes($staging, $active));
+    $this->assertFalse(config_compare_storage_contents($snapshot, $active));
+    $this->assertTrue(config_compare_storage_contents($snapshot, $staging));
+    $this->assertTrue(config_compare_storage_contents($staging, $active));
 
     // Import changed data from staging to active.
     config_import();
@@ -82,7 +80,7 @@
 
     // Verify that a new snapshot was created which and that it matches
     // the active config.
-    $this->assertFalse(config_sync_get_changes($snapshot, $active));
+    $this->assertFalse(config_compare_storage_contents($snapshot, $active));
   }
 
 }