diff --git a/core/modules/block/lib/Drupal/block/BlockBase.php b/core/modules/block/lib/Drupal/block/BlockBase.php
index 6efda89..c743e5d 100644
--- a/core/modules/block/lib/Drupal/block/BlockBase.php
+++ b/core/modules/block/lib/Drupal/block/BlockBase.php
@@ -224,4 +224,12 @@ public function submit($form, &$form_state) {
    * @see \Drupal\block\BlockBase::submit()
    */
   public function blockSubmit($form, &$form_state) {}
+
+  /**
+   * {@inheritdoc}
+   */
+  public function getMachineNameSuggestion() {
+    $definition = $this->getPluginDefinition();
+    return preg_replace('/[^a-z0-9_.]+/', '', strtolower($definition['admin_label']));
+  }
 }
diff --git a/core/modules/block/lib/Drupal/block/BlockFormController.php b/core/modules/block/lib/Drupal/block/BlockFormController.php
index 828c5d4..aa93dc2 100644
--- a/core/modules/block/lib/Drupal/block/BlockFormController.php
+++ b/core/modules/block/lib/Drupal/block/BlockFormController.php
@@ -27,12 +27,29 @@ public function form(array $form, array &$form_state) {
     );
     $form['settings'] = $entity->getPlugin()->form(array(), $form_state);
 
+    // If creating a new block, calculate a safe default machine name.
+    if ($entity->isNew()) {
+      $machine_base = $entity->getPlugin()->getMachineNameSuggestion();
+      $block_ids = array_map(function ($block_id) {
+        $parts = explode('.', $block_id);
+        return end($parts);
+      }, array_keys(\Drupal::entityManager()->getStorageController('block')->load()));
+
+      // Iterate through potential IDs until we get a new one. E.g.
+      // 'views_block__MYVIEW_PAGE_1_2'
+      $count = 1;
+      $machine_default = $machine_base;
+      while (in_array($machine_default, $block_ids)) {
+        $machine_default = $machine_base . '_' . ++$count;
+      }
+    }
+
     $form['machine_name'] = array(
       '#type' => 'machine_name',
       '#title' => t('Machine name'),
       '#maxlength' => 64,
       '#description' => t('A unique name to save this block configuration. Must be alpha-numeric and be underscore separated.'),
-      '#default_value' => $entity->id(),
+      '#default_value' => $entity->id() ?: $machine_default,
       '#machine_name' => array(
         'exists' => 'block_load',
         'replace_pattern' => '[^a-z0-9_.]+',
diff --git a/core/modules/block/lib/Drupal/block/BlockPluginInterface.php b/core/modules/block/lib/Drupal/block/BlockPluginInterface.php
index 1887816..76b638c 100644
--- a/core/modules/block/lib/Drupal/block/BlockPluginInterface.php
+++ b/core/modules/block/lib/Drupal/block/BlockPluginInterface.php
@@ -102,4 +102,15 @@ public function submit($form, &$form_state);
    */
   public function build();
 
+  /**
+   * Suggests a machine name to identify an instance of this block.
+   *
+   * The block plugin need not verify that the machine name is at all unique. It
+   * is only responsible for providing a baseline suggestion; calling code is
+   * responsible for ensuring whatever uniqueness is required for the use case.
+   *
+   * @return string
+   */
+  public function getMachineNameSuggestion();
+
 }
diff --git a/core/modules/block/lib/Drupal/block/Tests/BlockInterfaceTest.php b/core/modules/block/lib/Drupal/block/Tests/BlockInterfaceTest.php
index e71a146..9f60271 100644
--- a/core/modules/block/lib/Drupal/block/Tests/BlockInterfaceTest.php
+++ b/core/modules/block/lib/Drupal/block/Tests/BlockInterfaceTest.php
@@ -96,5 +96,9 @@ public function testBlockInterface() {
     );
     // Ensure the build array is proper.
     $this->assertIdentical($display_block->build(), $expected_build, 'The plugin returned the appropriate build array.');
+
+    // Ensure the machine name suggestion is correct. In truth, this is actually
+    // testing BlockBase's implementation, not the interface itself.
+    $this->assertIdentical($display_block->getMachineNameSuggestion(), 'displaymessage', 'The plugin returned the expected machine name suggestion.');
   }
 }
diff --git a/core/modules/block/lib/Drupal/block/Tests/BlockUiTest.php b/core/modules/block/lib/Drupal/block/Tests/BlockUiTest.php
index cd9d955..eb7182c 100644
--- a/core/modules/block/lib/Drupal/block/Tests/BlockUiTest.php
+++ b/core/modules/block/lib/Drupal/block/Tests/BlockUiTest.php
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ class BlockUiTest extends WebTestBase {
    *
    * @var array
    */
-  public static $modules = array('block');
+  public static $modules = array('block', 'block_test');
 
   protected $regions;
 
@@ -113,4 +113,18 @@ function testBlockSearch() {
     $blocks = drupal_json_decode($this->drupalGet('system/autocomplete/block_plugin_ui:stark', array('query' => array('q' => $block))));
     $this->assertEqual($blocks['system_menu_block:menu-admin'], $block, t('Can search for block with name !block.', array('!block' => $block)));
   }
+
+  /**
+   * Tests that the BlockFormController populates machine name correctly.
+   */
+  public function testMachineNameSuggestion() {
+    $url = 'admin/structure/block/add/test_block_instantiation/stark';
+    $this->drupalGet($url);
+    $this->assertFieldByName('machine_name', 'displaymessage', 'Block form uses raw machine name suggestion when no instance already exists.');
+    $this->drupalPost($url, array(), 'Save block');
+
+    // Now, check to make sure the form starts by autoincrementing correctly.
+    $this->drupalGet($url);
+    $this->assertFieldByName('machine_name', 'displaymessage_2', 'Block form appends _2 to plugin-suggested machine name when an instance already exists.');
+  }
 }
diff --git a/core/modules/views/lib/Drupal/views/Plugin/Block/ViewsBlock.php b/core/modules/views/lib/Drupal/views/Plugin/Block/ViewsBlock.php
index 2c0481e..15a1fdc 100644
--- a/core/modules/views/lib/Drupal/views/Plugin/Block/ViewsBlock.php
+++ b/core/modules/views/lib/Drupal/views/Plugin/Block/ViewsBlock.php
@@ -114,33 +114,10 @@ protected function addContextualLinks(&$output, $block_type = 'block') {
   }
 
   /**
-   * Generates a views block instance ID.
-   *
-   * @param \Drupal\Core\Entity\EntityStorageControllerInterface $manager
-   *   The block storage controller.
-   *
-   * @return string
-   *   The new block instance ID.
+   * {@inheritdoc}
    */
-   public function generateBlockInstanceID(EntityStorageControllerInterface $manager) {
-     $this->view->setDisplay($this->displayID);
-     $original_id = 'views_block__' . $this->view->storage->id() . '_' . $this->view->current_display;
-
-     // Get an array of block IDs without the theme prefix.
-     $block_ids = array_map(function ($block_id) {
-       $parts = explode('.', $block_id);
-       return end($parts);
-     }, array_keys($manager->load()));
-
-     // Iterate through potential IDs until we get a new one. E.g.
-     // 'views_block__MYVIEW_PAGE_1_2'
-     $count = 1;
-     $id = $original_id;
-     while (in_array($id, $block_ids)) {
-       $id = $original_id . '_' . ++$count;
-     }
-
-     return $id;
-   }
-
+  public function getMachineNameSuggestion() {
+    $this->view->setDisplay($this->displayID);
+    return 'views_block__' . $this->view->storage->id() . '_' . $this->view->current_display;
+  }
 }
diff --git a/core/modules/views/lib/Drupal/views/Tests/Plugin/ViewsBlockTest.php b/core/modules/views/lib/Drupal/views/Tests/Plugin/ViewsBlockTest.php
index 759351a..5139187 100644
--- a/core/modules/views/lib/Drupal/views/Tests/Plugin/ViewsBlockTest.php
+++ b/core/modules/views/lib/Drupal/views/Tests/Plugin/ViewsBlockTest.php
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ class ViewsBlockTest extends ViewUnitTestBase {
   public static function getInfo() {
     return array(
       'name' => 'Views block',
-      'description' => 'Tests the block views plugin.',
+      'description' => 'Tests native behaviors of the block views plugin.',
       'group' => 'Views Plugins',
     );
   }
@@ -49,38 +49,18 @@ protected function setUp() {
   }
 
   /**
-   * Tests generateBlockInstanceID.
+   * Tests that ViewsBlock::getMachineNameSuggestion() produces the right value.
    *
-   * @see \Drupal\views\Plugin\Block::generateBlockInstanceID().
+   * @see \Drupal\views\Plugin\Block::getmachineNameSuggestion().
    */
-  public function testGenerateBlockInstanceID() {
-
+  public function testMachineNameSuggestion() {
     $plugin_definition = array(
       'module' => 'views',
     );
     $plugin_id = 'views_block:test_view_block-block_1';
     $views_block = new ViewsBlock(array(), $plugin_id, $plugin_definition);
 
-    $storage_controller = $this->container->get('plugin.manager.entity')->getStorageController('block');
-
-    // Generate a instance ID on a block without any instances.
-    $this->assertEqual($views_block->generateBlockInstanceID($storage_controller), 'views_block__test_view_block_block_1');
-
-    $values = array(
-      'plugin' => $plugin_id,
-      'id' => 'stark.views_block__test_view_block_block_1',
-      'module' => 'views',
-      'settings' => array(
-        'module' => 'views',
-      )
-    );
-    $storage_controller->create($values)->save();
-    $this->assertEqual($views_block->generateBlockInstanceID($storage_controller), 'views_block__test_view_block_block_1_2');
-
-    // Add another one block instance and ensure the block instance went up.
-    $values['id'] = 'stark.views_block__test_view_block_block_1_2';
-    $storage_controller->create($values)->save();
-    $this->assertEqual($views_block->generateBlockInstanceID($storage_controller), 'views_block__test_view_block_block_1_3');
+    $this->assertEqual($views_block->getMachineNameSuggestion(), 'views_block__test_view_block_block_1');
   }
 
 }
diff --git a/core/modules/views/views.module b/core/modules/views/views.module
index 0bf5687..a0c477a 100644
--- a/core/modules/views/views.module
+++ b/core/modules/views/views.module
@@ -1743,11 +1743,6 @@ function views_form_block_form_alter(&$form, &$form_state) {
   if (($form['settings']['module']['#value'] == 'views') && empty($form['machine_name']['#default_value'])) {
     // Unset the machine_name provided by BlockFormController.
     unset($form['machine_name']['#machine_name']['source']);
-    // Load the Views plugin object using form_state array and create a
-    // block machine_name based on the View ID and View Display ID.
-    $block_plugin = $form_state['controller']->getEntity()->getPlugin();
-    // Override the Views block's machine_name by providing a default_value.
-    $form['machine_name']['#default_value'] = $block_plugin->generateBlockInstanceID(Drupal::entityManager()->getStorageController('block'));
     // Prevent users from changing the auto-generated block machine_name.
     $form['machine_name']['#access'] = FALSE;
   }