diff --git a/core/modules/entity/lib/Drupal/entity/EntityDisplayBase.php b/core/modules/entity/lib/Drupal/entity/EntityDisplayBase.php
index 6a1c9de..6ac53e2 100644
--- a/core/modules/entity/lib/Drupal/entity/EntityDisplayBase.php
+++ b/core/modules/entity/lib/Drupal/entity/EntityDisplayBase.php
@@ -268,4 +268,13 @@ public function getHighestWeight() {
     return $weights ? max($weights) : NULL;
   }
 
+  /**
+   * {@inheritdoc}
+   */
+  public function getRendererDefinition($field_name) {
+    if ($options = $this->getComponent($field_name)) {
+      return $this->pluginManager->getDefinition($options['type']);
+    }
+  }
+
 }
diff --git a/core/modules/entity/lib/Drupal/entity/EntityDisplayBaseInterface.php b/core/modules/entity/lib/Drupal/entity/EntityDisplayBaseInterface.php
index 06647e7..a137e32 100644
--- a/core/modules/entity/lib/Drupal/entity/EntityDisplayBaseInterface.php
+++ b/core/modules/entity/lib/Drupal/entity/EntityDisplayBaseInterface.php
@@ -81,6 +81,19 @@ public function removeComponent($name);
    */
   public function getHighestWeight();
 
+
+  /**
+   * Returns the definition of the renderer plugin used for a component.
+   *
+   * @param string $field_name
+   *   The name of the field.
+   *
+   * @return array|null
+   *   The definition of the renderer plugin (e.g. widget, formatter), or
+   *   NULL if the component is not set.
+   */
+  public function getRendererDefinition($field_name);
+
   /**
    * Returns the renderer plugin for a field (e.g. widget, formatter).
    *
diff --git a/core/modules/field/field.info.inc b/core/modules/field/field.info.inc
index 824d74e..40b7138 100644
--- a/core/modules/field/field.info.inc
+++ b/core/modules/field/field.info.inc
@@ -126,6 +126,10 @@ function _field_info_collate_types_reset() {
  *   - FIELD_BEHAVIOR_NONE: Do nothing for this operation.
  *   - FIELD_BEHAVIOR_CUSTOM: Use the widget's callback function.
  *   - FIELD_BEHAVIOR_DEFAULT: Use field.module default behavior.
+ *
+ * @deprecated as of Drupal 8.0. Use
+ *   - entity_get_form_display()->getRendererDefinition()[$op]
+ *
  */
 function field_behaviors_widget($op, $instance) {
   $info = array();
diff --git a/core/modules/field/lib/Drupal/field/FieldInfo.php b/core/modules/field/lib/Drupal/field/FieldInfo.php
index 2639c25..6058e57 100644
--- a/core/modules/field/lib/Drupal/field/FieldInfo.php
+++ b/core/modules/field/lib/Drupal/field/FieldInfo.php
@@ -586,7 +586,9 @@ public function prepareInstance($instance, $field_type) {
     $instance['settings'] += $this->fieldTypeManager->getDefaultInstanceSettings($field_type);
 
     // Set a default value for the instance.
-    if (field_behaviors_widget('default value', $instance) == FIELD_BEHAVIOR_DEFAULT && !isset($instance['default_value'])) {
+    $formDisplay = entity_get_form_display($instance['entity_type'], $instance['bundle'], 'default');
+    $rendererDefinition = $formDisplay->getRendererDefinition($instance['field_name']);
+    if ($rendererDefinition['default_value'] == FIELD_BEHAVIOR_DEFAULT && !isset($instance['default_value'])) {
       $instance['default_value'] = NULL;
     }
 
diff --git a/core/modules/field_ui/lib/Drupal/field_ui/Form/FieldInstanceEditForm.php b/core/modules/field_ui/lib/Drupal/field_ui/Form/FieldInstanceEditForm.php
index 046e012..f9ea2fa 100644
--- a/core/modules/field_ui/lib/Drupal/field_ui/Form/FieldInstanceEditForm.php
+++ b/core/modules/field_ui/lib/Drupal/field_ui/Form/FieldInstanceEditForm.php
@@ -166,7 +166,9 @@ public function buildForm(array $form, array &$form_state, FieldInstanceInterfac
     $form['instance']['settings']['#weight'] = 10;
 
     // Add handling for default value if not provided by any other module.
-    if (field_behaviors_widget('default_value', $this->instance) == FIELD_BEHAVIOR_DEFAULT && empty($this->instance['default_value_function'])) {
+    $formDisplay = entity_get_form_display($this->instance['entity_type'], $this->instance['bundle'], 'default');
+    $rendererDefinition = $formDisplay->getRendererDefinition($instance['field_name']);
+    if ($rendererDefinition['default_value'] == FIELD_BEHAVIOR_DEFAULT && empty($this->instance['default_value_function'])) {
       $form['instance']['default_value_widget'] = $this->getDefaultValueWidget($field, $form, $form_state);
     }