diff --git a/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Breadcrumb/BreadcrumbBuilderInterface.php b/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Breadcrumb/BreadcrumbBuilderInterface.php
index 7aae91a..c19100e 100644
--- a/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Breadcrumb/BreadcrumbBuilderInterface.php
+++ b/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Breadcrumb/BreadcrumbBuilderInterface.php
@@ -19,6 +19,11 @@
    *
    * @param \Symfony\Component\HttpFoundation\Request $request
    *   The HttpRequest object representing the current request.
+   *
+   * @return array|FALSE|NULL
+   *   A render array for the breacrumbs, or
+   *   FALSE, to suppress breadcrumbs on this page, or
+   *   NULL, to let other builders decide.
    */
   public function build(Request $request);
 }
diff --git a/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Breadcrumb/BreadcrumbManager.php b/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Breadcrumb/BreadcrumbManager.php
index d6d2d0f..d8b1dbe 100644
--- a/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Breadcrumb/BreadcrumbManager.php
+++ b/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Breadcrumb/BreadcrumbManager.php
@@ -25,6 +25,15 @@ class BreadcrumbManager implements BreadcrumbBuilderInterface {
    */
   protected $builders = array();
 
+  /**
+   * Holds the array of breadcrumb builders sorted by priority.
+   *
+   * @var array|NULL
+   *   An array of breadcrumb builders sorted by priorities, or
+   *   NULL, if the array needs to be re-calculated.
+   */
+  protected $sortedBuilders;
+
   /*
    * Add another breadcrumb builder.
    *
@@ -45,16 +54,41 @@ public function addBuilder(BreadcrumbBuilderInterface $builder, $priority) {
    *
    * @param \Symfony\Component\HttpFoundation\Request $request
    *   The HttpRequest object representing the current request.
+   *
+   * @return array|FALSE|NULL
+   *   A render array for the breacrumb, or
+   *   FALSE, if one of the builders explicitly wants no breadcrumb, or
+   *   NULL, if no plugin found a breadcrumb.
+   *   In the general use case, FALSE and NULL will have the same effect.
    */
   public function build(Request $request) {
     // Call the build method of all breadcrumb builders.
-    foreach ($this->builders as $priority => $builders) {
-      foreach ($builders as $builder) {
-        $breadcrumb = $builder->build($request);
-        if (isset($breadcrumb) && is_array($breadcrumb)) {
-          return $breadcrumb;
-        }
+    foreach ($this->getSortedBuilders() as $builder) {
+      $breadcrumb = $builder->build($request);
+      if (isset($breadcrumb)) {
+        // $breadcrumb may be either a render array,
+        // or FALSE, to suppress the breadcrumbs on this page.
+        return $breadcrumb;
+      }
+    }
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Returns the sorted array of breadcrumb builders.
+   *
+   * @return array
+   *   An array of breadcrumb builder objects.
+   */
+  protected function getSortedBuilders() {
+    if (!isset($this->sortedBuilders)) {
+      // Sort the builders according to priority.
+      krsort($this->builders);
+      // Merge the nested $this->builders array into $this->sortedBuilders.
+      $this->sortedBuilders = array();
+      foreach ($this->builders as $builders) {
+        $this->sortedBuilders = array_merge($this->sortedBuilders, $builders);
       }
     }
+    return $this->sortedBuilders;
   }
 }
diff --git a/core/modules/menu_link/lib/Drupal/menu_link/MenuLinkBreadcrumbBuilder.php b/core/modules/menu_link/lib/Drupal/menu_link/MenuLinkBreadcrumbBuilder.php
index 992b6da..5002b64 100644
--- a/core/modules/menu_link/lib/Drupal/menu_link/MenuLinkBreadcrumbBuilder.php
+++ b/core/modules/menu_link/lib/Drupal/menu_link/MenuLinkBreadcrumbBuilder.php
@@ -20,10 +20,25 @@ class MenuLinkBreadcrumbBuilder implements BreadcrumbBuilderInterface {
    *
    * @param \Symfony\Component\HttpFoundation\Request $request
    *   The HttpRequest object representing the current request.
+   *
+   * @return array|FALSE|NULL
+   *   A render array for the breacrumbs, or
+   *   FALSE, to suppress breadcrumbs on this page, or
+   *   NULL, to let other builders decide.
    */
   public function build(Request $request) {
-    // TODO: Move the implementation out of menu.inc, into this method.
+    // TODO: Rewrite the implementation.
     $breadcrumb = menu_get_active_breadcrumb();
-    return $breadcrumb;
+    if (is_array($breadcrumb)) {
+      // $breadcrumb is expected to be an array of rendered breadcrumb links.
+      return array(
+        '#theme' => 'breadcrumb',
+        '#breadcrumb' => $breadcrumb,
+      );
+    }
+    else {
+      // $breadcrumb is expected to be FALSE or NULL.
+      return $breadcrumb;
+    }
   }
 }
diff --git a/core/modules/menu_link/menu_link.services.yml b/core/modules/menu_link/menu_link.services.yml
index 2915123..a428476 100644
--- a/core/modules/menu_link/menu_link.services.yml
+++ b/core/modules/menu_link/menu_link.services.yml
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 services:
   menu_link.breadcrumb:
     class: Drupal\menu_link\MenuLinkBreadcrumbBuilder
-    arguments: ['@request']
     tags:
-      - { name: breadcrumb_builder, priority: 1000 }
+      - { name: breadcrumb_builder, priority: 0 }
diff --git a/core/modules/system/lib/Drupal/system/LegacyBreadcrumbBuilder.php b/core/modules/system/lib/Drupal/system/LegacyBreadcrumbBuilder.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..87ee473
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/modules/system/lib/Drupal/system/LegacyBreadcrumbBuilder.php
@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+<?php
+
+/**
+ * @file
+ * Definition of Drupal\system\LegacyBreadcrumbBuilder.
+ */
+
+namespace Drupal\system;
+
+use Drupal\Core\Breadcrumb\BreadcrumbBuilderInterface;
+use Symfony\Component\HttpFoundation\Request;
+
+/**
+ * Class to define the legacy breadcrumb builder.
+ *
+ * This breadcrumb builder implements legacy support for the
+ * drupal_set_breadcrumb() mechanic. It may be removed some day.
+ */
+class LegacyBreadcrumbBuilder implements BreadcrumbBuilderInterface {
+
+  /**
+   * Implements \Drupal\Breadcrumb\BreadcrumbBuilderInterface::build().
+   *
+   * @param \Symfony\Component\HttpFoundation\Request $request
+   *   The HttpRequest object representing the current request.
+   *
+   * @return array|FALSE|NULL
+   *   A render array for the breacrumbs, or
+   *   FALSE, to suppress breadcrumbs on this page, or
+   *   NULL, to let other builders decide.
+   */
+  public function build(Request $request) {
+    $breadcrumb = drupal_set_breadcrumb();
+    if (is_array($breadcrumb)) {
+      // $breadcrumb is expected to be an array of rendered breadcrumb links.
+      return array(
+        '#theme' => 'breadcrumb',
+        '#breadcrumb' => $breadcrumb,
+      );
+    }
+    else {
+      // $breadcrumb is expected to be FALSE or NULL.
+      return $breadcrumb;
+    }
+  }
+}
diff --git a/core/modules/system/lib/Drupal/system/Plugin/block/block/SystemBreadcrumbBlock.php b/core/modules/system/lib/Drupal/system/Plugin/block/block/SystemBreadcrumbBlock.php
index 813005b..1420199 100644
--- a/core/modules/system/lib/Drupal/system/Plugin/block/block/SystemBreadcrumbBlock.php
+++ b/core/modules/system/lib/Drupal/system/Plugin/block/block/SystemBreadcrumbBlock.php
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 
 namespace Drupal\system\Plugin\block\block;
 
+use Drupal;
 use Drupal\block\BlockBase;
 use Drupal\Component\Annotation\Plugin;
 use Drupal\Core\Annotation\Translation;
@@ -24,16 +25,18 @@ class SystemBreadcrumbBlock extends BlockBase {
 
   /**
    * Implements \Drupal\block\BlockBase::build().
+   *
+   * @return array|NULL
+   *   A render array to display the breadcrumbs for the current page, or
+   *   NULL, if no breadcrumb should be displayed.
    */
   public function build() {
-    $builder = \Drupal::service('breadcrumb');
-    $request = \Drupal::service('request');
+    $builder = Drupal::service('breadcrumb');
+    $request = Drupal::service('request');
     $breadcrumb = $builder->build($request);
-    if (isset($breadcrumb) && is_array($breadcrumb)) {
-      return array(
-        '#theme' => 'breadcrumb',
-        '#breadcrumb' => $breadcrumb,
-      );
+    if (!empty($breadcrumb)) {
+      // $breadcrumb is expected to be a render array.
+      return $breadcrumb;
     }
   }
 }
diff --git a/core/modules/system/system.services.yml b/core/modules/system/system.services.yml
index bf43cd4..7f36e61 100644
--- a/core/modules/system/system.services.yml
+++ b/core/modules/system/system.services.yml
@@ -6,3 +6,7 @@ services:
   plugin.manager.system.plugin_ui:
     class: Drupal\system\Plugin\Type\PluginUIManager
     arguments: ['%container.namespaces%']
+  system.breadcrumb.legacy:
+    class: Drupal\system\LegacyBreadcrumbBuilder
+    tags:
+      - {name: breadcrumb_builder, priority: 500}