diff --git a/core/includes/theme.inc b/core/includes/theme.inc
index 7d638f6..785f63d 100644
--- a/core/includes/theme.inc
+++ b/core/includes/theme.inc
@@ -2546,8 +2546,40 @@ function template_preprocess_html(&$variables) {
   $variables['head_title_array'] = $head_title;
   $variables['head_title'] = implode(' | ', $head_title);
 
-  // Display the html.tpl.php’s default mobile metatags for responsive design.
-  $variables['default_mobile_metatags'] = TRUE;
+  // Display the html.tpl.php's default mobile metatags for responsive design.
+  $elements = array(
+    'MobileOptimized' => array(
+      '#tag' => 'meta',
+      '#attributes' => array(
+        'name' => 'MobileOptimized', 
+        'content' => 'width',
+      ),
+    ),
+    'HandheldFriendly' => array(
+      '#tag' => 'meta', // The #tag is the html tag - <link />
+      '#attributes' => array( // Set up an array of attributes inside the tag
+        'name' => 'HandheldFriendly', 
+        'content' => 'true',
+      ),
+    ),
+    'viewport' => array(
+      '#tag' => 'meta', // The #tag is the html tag - <link />
+      '#attributes' => array( // Set up an array of attributes inside the tag
+        'name' => 'viewport', 
+        'content' => 'width=device-width',
+      ),
+    ),
+    'cleartype' => array(
+      '#tag' => 'meta', // The #tag is the html tag - <link />
+      '#attributes' => array( // Set up an array of attributes inside the tag
+        'http-equiv' => 'cleartype', 
+        'content' => 'on',
+      ),
+    ),
+  );
+  foreach ($elements as $name => $element) {
+    drupal_add_html_head($element, $name);
+  }
 
   // Populate the page template suggestions.
   if ($suggestions = theme_get_suggestions(arg(), 'html')) {
diff --git a/core/modules/system/html.tpl.php b/core/modules/system/html.tpl.php
index 59a52b9..960eefb 100644
--- a/core/modules/system/html.tpl.php
+++ b/core/modules/system/html.tpl.php
@@ -22,8 +22,6 @@
  *   - slogan: The slogan of the site, if any, and if there is no title.
  * - $head: Markup for the HEAD section (including meta tags, keyword tags, and
  *   so on).
- * - $default_mobile_metatags: TRUE if default mobile metatags for responsive
- *   design should be displayed.
  * - $styles: Style tags necessary to import all CSS files for the page.
  * - $scripts: Script tags necessary to load the JavaScript files and settings
  *   for the page.
@@ -45,12 +43,6 @@
 <html<?php print $html_attributes; ?>>
   <head>
     <?php print $head; ?>
-    <?php if ($default_mobile_metatags): ?>
-      <meta name="MobileOptimized" content="width" />
-      <meta name="HandheldFriendly" content="true" />
-      <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width" />
-      <meta http-equiv="cleartype" content="on" />
-    <?php endif; ?>
     <title><?php print $head_title; ?></title>
     <?php print $styles; ?>
     <?php print $scripts; ?>
diff --git a/core/modules/system/tests/modules/system_module_test/system_module_test.module b/core/modules/system/tests/modules/system_module_test/system_module_test.module
index ec90b15..44dd782 100644
--- a/core/modules/system/tests/modules/system_module_test/system_module_test.module
+++ b/core/modules/system/tests/modules/system_module_test/system_module_test.module
@@ -5,6 +5,13 @@
  * Provides System module hook implementations for testing purposes.
  */
 
-function system_module_test_preprocess_html(&$variables) {
-  $variables['default_mobile_metatags'] = FALSE;
+/**
+ * Implements hook_html_head_alter().
+ */
+function system_module_test_html_head_alter(&$head_elements) {
+  // Remove the HTML5 mobile meta-tags.
+  unset($head_elements['MobileOptimized']);
+  unset($head_elements['HandheldFriendly']);
+  unset($head_elements['viewport']);
+  unset($head_elements['cleartype']);
 }
