diff --git b/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Entity/EntityManager.php a/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Entity/EntityManager.php
index 1b3104f..7a867b8 100644
--- b/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Entity/EntityManager.php
+++ a/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Entity/EntityManager.php
@@ -217,8 +217,6 @@ public function getDefinitions() {
       // @todo Remove array_filter() once http://drupal.org/node/1780396 is
       //   resolved.
       $definitions = array_filter(parent::getDefinitions());
-      // Allow to process all definitions at once.
-      $this->processDefinitions($definitions);
       cache($this->cacheBin)->set($this->cacheKey, $definitions, $this->cacheExpire, $this->cacheTags);
       return $definitions;
     }
@@ -236,6 +234,19 @@ protected function processDefinition(&$definition, $plugin_id) {
       return;
     }
 
+    // Add view modes.
+    // We cannot use entity_load_multiple() as that leads to recursion.
+    $view_modes = drupal_container()->get('config.storage')->listAll('view_mode.');
+    foreach ($view_modes as $config_name) {
+      $view_mode = config($config_name)->get();
+      if ($view_mode['type'] == $plugin_id) {
+        $definition['view_modes'][$view_mode['machine_name']] = array(
+          'label' => check_plain($view_mode['name']),
+          'custom_settings' => $view_mode['custom'],
+        );
+      }
+    }
+
     // If no bundle key is provided, assume a single bundle, named after
     // the entity type.
     if (empty($definition['entity_keys']['bundle']) && empty($definition['bundles'])) {
@@ -252,32 +263,4 @@ protected function processDefinition(&$definition, $plugin_id) {
     }
   }
 
-  /**
-   * Performs extra processing on all plugin definitions at once.
-   *
-   * @param array $definitions
-   *   An array of all plugin definitions, keyed by plugin ID, passed by
-   *   reference.
-   */
-  protected function processDefinitions(&$definitions) {
-    // Add view modes.
-    // This cannot be done in EntityManager::processDefinition as finding out
-    // the view mode entity's controller class would require calling
-    // EntityManager::getDefinition(), which calls
-    // EntityManager::getDefinitions() leading to recursion. For the same
-    // reason, we cannot call entity_get_controller() but need to instantiate
-    // the class directly.
-    $controller = new $definitions['view_mode']['controller_class']('view_mode', $definitions['view_mode']);
-    foreach ($controller->load() as $view_mode) {
-      $definitions[$view_mode->type]['view_modes'][$view_mode->name()] = array(
-        // Entity::label() calls entity_get_info(), so we cannot use it here.
-        // Note the difference between $view_mode->name() and $view_mode->name.
-        // @todo Make this work for classes other than
-        //   \Drupal\Core\Plugin\Core\Entity\EntityViewMode.
-        'label' => check_plain($view_mode->name),
-        'custom_settings' => $view_mode->custom,
-      );
-    }
-  }
-
 }
diff --git b/core/modules/entity_ui/lib/Drupal/entity_ui/Tests/ViewModeTest.php a/core/modules/entity_ui/lib/Drupal/entity_ui/Tests/ViewModeTest.php
index 5114d91..b135277 100644
--- b/core/modules/entity_ui/lib/Drupal/entity_ui/Tests/ViewModeTest.php
+++ a/core/modules/entity_ui/lib/Drupal/entity_ui/Tests/ViewModeTest.php
@@ -53,11 +53,11 @@ function testManageViewModes() {
 
     // Assert it's found on the Field UI for article.
     $this->drupalGet('admin/structure/types/manage/article/display');
-    $this->assertRaw('view_modes_custom[testing]', 'Testing view mode found on node article.');
+    $this->assertRaw('view_modes_custom[node.testing]', 'Testing view mode found on node article.');
 
     // Assert it's not found on the Field UI for user.
     $this->drupalGet('admin/config/people/accounts/display');
-    $this->assertNoRaw('view_modes_custom[testing]', 'Testing view mode not found on user.');
+    $this->assertNoRaw('view_modes_custom[user.testing]', 'Testing view mode not found on user.');
 
     // Update view mode label.
     $edit = array(