diff --git a/core/modules/entity/entity.class.inc b/core/modules/entity/entity.class.inc
index 9a00718..35dd494 100644
--- a/core/modules/entity/entity.class.inc
+++ b/core/modules/entity/entity.class.inc
@@ -193,6 +193,13 @@ interface EntityInterface {
 class Entity implements EntityInterface {
 
   /**
+   * Boolean indicating whether the entity is saving to the base table or just as a revision.
+   *
+   * @var bool
+   */
+  public $isLive = TRUE;
+
+  /**
    * The language code of the entity's default language.
    *
    * @var string
diff --git a/core/modules/field/modules/field_sql_storage/field_sql_storage.module b/core/modules/field/modules/field_sql_storage/field_sql_storage.module
index b3eed49..acbc367 100644
--- a/core/modules/field/modules/field_sql_storage/field_sql_storage.module
+++ b/core/modules/field/modules/field_sql_storage/field_sql_storage.module
@@ -395,11 +395,14 @@ function field_sql_storage_field_storage_write($entity_type, $entity, $op, $fiel
       // Delete all language codes if $entity->$field_name is empty.
       $langcodes = !empty($entity->$field_name) ? $field_langcodes : $all_langcodes;
       if ($langcodes) {
-        db_delete($table_name)
-          ->condition('entity_type', $entity_type)
-          ->condition('entity_id', $id)
-          ->condition('langcode', $langcodes, 'IN')
-          ->execute();
+        // Only act on the main table for this field if this entity is going live.
+        if (!empty($entity->isLive)) {
+          db_delete($table_name)
+            ->condition('entity_type', $entity_type)
+            ->condition('entity_id', $id)
+            ->condition('langcode', $langcodes, 'IN')
+            ->execute();
+        }
         db_delete($revision_name)
           ->condition('entity_type', $entity_type)
           ->condition('entity_id', $id)
@@ -448,7 +451,10 @@ function field_sql_storage_field_storage_write($entity_type, $entity, $op, $fiel
 
     // Execute the query if we have values to insert.
     if ($do_insert) {
-      $query->execute();
+      // Only overwrite the live table field if this entity is going live.
+      if (!empty($entity->isLive)) {
+        $query->execute();
+      }
       $revision_query->execute();
     }
   }
diff --git a/core/modules/node/lib/Drupal/node/NodeStorageController.php b/core/modules/node/lib/Drupal/node/NodeStorageController.php
index 0cdca80..5f4e7e2 100644
--- a/core/modules/node/lib/Drupal/node/NodeStorageController.php
+++ b/core/modules/node/lib/Drupal/node/NodeStorageController.php
@@ -100,7 +100,15 @@ class NodeStorageController extends EntityDatabaseStorageController {
       }
       else {
         $op = 'update';
-        $return = drupal_write_record($this->entityInfo['base table'], $entity, $this->idKey);
+        // $node->nid, but only if marked as the live revision.
+        if ($entity->isLive) {
+          $return = drupal_write_record($this->entityInfo['base table'], $entity, $this->idKey);
+        }
+        else {
+          // @todo, should a different value be returned when saving an entity
+          // with isLive = FALSE?
+          $return = FALSE;
+        }
       }
 
       if ($this->revisionKey) {
@@ -139,10 +147,13 @@ class NodeStorageController extends EntityDatabaseStorageController {
 
     if (empty($entity->{$this->revisionKey}) || !empty($entity->revision)) {
       drupal_write_record($this->revisionTable, $record);
-      db_update($this->entityInfo['base table'])
-        ->fields(array($this->revisionKey => $record->{$this->revisionKey}))
-        ->condition($this->idKey, $entity->{$this->idKey})
-        ->execute();
+      // Updates the base table the revision saved was going live.
+      if ($entity->isLive) {
+        db_update($this->entityInfo['base table'])
+          ->fields(array($this->revisionKey => $record->{$this->revisionKey}))
+          ->condition($this->idKey, $entity->{$this->idKey})
+          ->execute();
+      }
     }
     else {
       drupal_write_record($this->revisionTable, $record, $this->revisionKey);
@@ -260,7 +271,11 @@ class NodeStorageController extends EntityDatabaseStorageController {
    * Overrides EntityDatabaseStorageController::postSave().
    */
   function postSave(EntityInterface $node, $update) {
-    node_access_acquire_grants($node, $update);
+    // Update the node access table for this node, but only if it is the live
+    // revision. There's no need to delete existing records if the node is new.
+    if ($node->isLive) {
+      node_access_acquire_grants($node, $update);
+    }
   }
 
   /**
diff --git a/core/modules/node/node.pages.inc b/core/modules/node/node.pages.inc
index 868acbd..cff4918 100644
--- a/core/modules/node/node.pages.inc
+++ b/core/modules/node/node.pages.inc
@@ -233,6 +233,17 @@ function node_form($form, &$form_state, Node $node) {
     '#default_value' => $node->revision,
     '#access' => user_access('administer nodes'),
   );
+  $form['revision_information']['isLive'] = array(
+    '#type' => 'checkbox',
+    '#title' => t('Set as live revision'),
+    '#default_value' => 1,
+    '#access' => user_access('administer nodes'),
+    '#states' => array(
+      'visible' => array(
+        ':input[name="revision"]' => array('checked' => TRUE),
+      ),
+    ),
+  );
   // Check the revision log checkbox when the log textarea is filled in.
   // This must not happen if "Create new revision" is enabled by default, since
   // the state would auto-disable the checkbox otherwise.