diff --git b/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Entity/EntityManager.php a/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Entity/EntityManager.php
index 0c8ad84..7b73915 100644
--- b/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Entity/EntityManager.php
+++ a/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Entity/EntityManager.php
@@ -251,10 +251,11 @@ protected function processDefinition(&$definition, $plugin_id) {
     // Add view modes.
     // We cannot use entity_load_multiple() as that leads to recursion.
     $view_modes = drupal_container()->get('config.storage')->listAll('view_mode.');
+    $config_factory = drupal_container()->get('config.factory');
     foreach ($view_modes as $config_name) {
-      $view_mode = config($config_name)->get();
-      if ($view_mode['type'] == $plugin_id) {
-        $entity_type = strtok($view_mode['machine_name'], '.');
+      $view_mode = $config_factory->get($config_name)->load()->get();
+      if ($view_mode['targetEntityType'] == $plugin_id) {
+        $entity_type = strtok($view_mode['machineName'], '.');
         $definition['view_modes'][strtok('.')] = array(
           'label' => check_plain($view_mode['name']),
           'custom_settings' => $view_mode['custom'],
diff --git b/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Entity/ViewMode/EntityViewModeStorageController.php a/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Entity/ViewMode/EntityViewModeStorageController.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..fb597b1
--- /dev/null
+++ a/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Entity/ViewMode/EntityViewModeStorageController.php
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+<?php
+
+/**
+ * @file
+ * Contains \Drupal\Core\Entity\ViewMode\EntityViewModeStorageController.
+ */
+
+namespace Drupal\Core\Entity\ViewMode;
+
+use Drupal\Core\Config\Entity\ConfigStorageController;
+
+/**
+ * Defines the storage controller class for entity view modes.
+ */
+class EntityViewModeStorageController extends ConfigStorageController {
+
+  /**
+   * Overrides ConfigStorageController::preSave().
+   */
+  protected function preSave(EntityViewMode $view_mode) {
+    entity_info_cache_clear();
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Overrides ConfigStorageController::preDelete().
+   */
+  protected function preDelete($view_modes) {
+    entity_info_cache_clear();
+  }
+
+}
+
diff --git b/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Plugin/Core/Entity/EntityViewMode.php a/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Plugin/Core/Entity/EntityViewMode.php
index 9026693..36ee328 100644
--- b/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Plugin/Core/Entity/EntityViewMode.php
+++ a/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Plugin/Core/Entity/EntityViewMode.php
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@
  *   label = @Translation("View mode"),
  *   module = "Core",
  *   entity_class = "Drupal\Core\Entity\ViewMode\EntityViewMode",
- *   controller_class = "Drupal\Core\Config\Entity\ConfigStorageController",
+ *   controller_class = "Drupal\Core\Entity\ViewMode\EntityViewModeStorageController",
  *   config_prefix = "view_mode",
  *   fieldable = FALSE,
  *   entity_keys = {
@@ -32,11 +32,11 @@
 class EntityViewMode extends ConfigEntityBase {
 
   /**
-   * The machine name of the view mode.
+   * The machine-readable name of the view mode.
    *
    * @var string
    */
-  public $machine_name;
+  public $machineName;
 
   /**
    * The UUID of the view mode.
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ class EntityViewMode extends ConfigEntityBase {
   public $uuid;
 
   /**
-   * The view mode label.
+   * The human-readable name of the view mode.
    *
    * @var string
    */
@@ -55,12 +55,18 @@ class EntityViewMode extends ConfigEntityBase {
   /**
    * The entity type this view mode is used for.
    *
+   * This is not to be confused with EntityViewMode::entityType which is
+   * inherited from Entity::entityType and equals 'view_mode' for any view mode
+   * entity.
+   *
    * @var string
    */
-  public $type;
+  public $targetEntityType;
 
   /**
-   * Whether or not this view mode has custom settings in the Field UI.
+   * Whether or not this view mode has custom settings by default.
+   *
+   * Field UI allows to override this setting per bundle.
    *
    * @var bool
    */
@@ -69,6 +75,8 @@ class EntityViewMode extends ConfigEntityBase {
   /**
    * Whether or not this view mode can be removed.
    *
+   * @todo Move this to ConfigEntityBase: http://drupal.org/node/1831928
+   *
    * @var bool
    */
   public $locked = FALSE;
@@ -77,7 +85,7 @@ class EntityViewMode extends ConfigEntityBase {
    * Overrides Drupal\Core\Core\Entity\Entity::id().
    */
   public function id() {
-    return $this->machine_name;
+    return $this->machineName;
   }
 
   /**
@@ -87,7 +95,7 @@ public function id() {
    *   The raw view mode name.
    */
   public function name() {
-    $name = strtok($this->machine_name, '.');
+    $name = strtok($this->machineName, '.');
     return strtok('.');
   }
 
diff --git b/core/modules/book/config/view_mode.node.print.yml a/core/modules/book/config/view_mode.node.print.yml
index 1ed8183..df756d1 100644
--- b/core/modules/book/config/view_mode.node.print.yml
+++ a/core/modules/book/config/view_mode.node.print.yml
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
-machine_name: node.print
+machineName: node.print
 name: Print
 custom: '0'
-type: node
+targetEntityType: node
 locked: '1'
diff --git b/core/modules/comment/config/view_mode.comment.full.yml a/core/modules/comment/config/view_mode.comment.full.yml
index 43b6233..6de56e7 100644
--- b/core/modules/comment/config/view_mode.comment.full.yml
+++ a/core/modules/comment/config/view_mode.comment.full.yml
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
-machine_name: comment.full
+machineName: comment.full
 name: Full comment
 custom: '0'
-type: comment
+targetEntityType: comment
 locked: '1'
diff --git b/core/modules/entity_ui/css/entity_ui.admin.css a/core/modules/entity_ui/css/entity_ui.admin.css
index 53093a1..1927418 100644
--- b/core/modules/entity_ui/css/entity_ui.admin.css
+++ a/core/modules/entity_ui/css/entity_ui.admin.css
@@ -7,9 +7,3 @@
   width: 100px;
 }
 
-table caption {
-  font-size: 110%;
-  font-weight: bold;
-  text-align: left;
-  padding-bottom: 0.5em;
-}
diff --git b/core/modules/entity_ui/entity_ui.admin.inc a/core/modules/entity_ui/entity_ui.admin.inc
index af636cd..fce7b93 100644
--- b/core/modules/entity_ui/entity_ui.admin.inc
+++ a/core/modules/entity_ui/entity_ui.admin.inc
@@ -13,9 +13,11 @@ function entity_ui_view_mode_list() {
   $weight = 0;
   $controller = entity_list_controller('view_mode');
   foreach (entity_get_info() as $type => $info) {
-    if ($type != 'view_mode' && !empty($info['fieldable'])) {
-      $build[$type] = $controller->set($type)->render();
-      // Content is usually the most important entity type in the system.
+    // @todo Revisit the assumption that only content entities can have view modes.
+    if (is_subclass_of($info['entity_class'], 'Drupal\Core\Entity\ContentEntityInterface')) {
+      $build[$type]['title']['#markup'] = '<h3>' . check_plain($info['label']) . '</h3>';
+      $build[$type]['table'] = $controller->set($type)->render();
+      // Node is usually the most important entity type in the system.
       $build[$type]['#weight'] = ($type == 'node') ? -10 : $weight++;
     }
   }
diff --git b/core/modules/entity_ui/entity_ui.module a/core/modules/entity_ui/entity_ui.module
index 03bc1a6..dc09293 100644
--- b/core/modules/entity_ui/entity_ui.module
+++ a/core/modules/entity_ui/entity_ui.module
@@ -5,8 +5,6 @@
  * Provides a user interface for the Entity API.
  */
 
-use Drupal\Core\Entity\EntityInterface;
-
 /**
  * Implements hook_help().
  */
@@ -91,6 +89,12 @@ function entity_ui_menu() {
 
 /**
  * Loads a view mode by machine name.
+ *
+ * This knowingly violates the standard of prefixing function names with the
+ * module name in order to provide the %view_mode menu wildcard.
+ *
+ * @param string $machine_name
+ *   The machine name of the view mode in the form "$entity_type.$name".
  */
 function view_mode_load($machine_name) {
   return entity_load('view_mode', $machine_name);
@@ -98,23 +102,14 @@ function view_mode_load($machine_name) {
 
 /**
  * Checks for an existing view mode.
+ *
+ * @param string $typed_machine_name
+ *   The machine name as it was typed in a form element of type 'machine_name'.
+ *
+ * @param array $element
+ *   The form element of type 'machine_name' that is being checked.
  */
-function entity_ui_view_mode_exists($machine_name, $element) {
-  return entity_load('view_mode', $element['#entity_type'] . ".$machine_name");
-}
-
-/**
- * Implements hook_view_mode_presave().
- */
-function entity_ui_view_mode_presave(EntityInterface $entity) {
-  entity_info_cache_clear();
-  state()->set('menu_rebuild_needed', TRUE);
+function entity_ui_view_mode_exists($typed_machine_name, $element) {
+  return entity_load('view_mode', $element['#entity_type'] . ".$typed_machine_name");
 }
 
-/**
- * Implements hook_view_mode_delete().
- */
-function entity_ui_view_mode_delete(EntityInterface $entity) {
-  entity_info_cache_clear();
-  state()->set('menu_rebuild_needed', TRUE);
-}
diff --git b/core/modules/entity_ui/lib/Drupal/entity_ui/ViewModeFormController.php a/core/modules/entity_ui/lib/Drupal/entity_ui/ViewModeFormController.php
index 5fd192c..c4d2f58 100644
--- b/core/modules/entity_ui/lib/Drupal/entity_ui/ViewModeFormController.php
+++ a/core/modules/entity_ui/lib/Drupal/entity_ui/ViewModeFormController.php
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
 
 namespace Drupal\entity_ui;
 
-use Drupal\Core\Entity\EntityInterface;
+use Drupal\Core\Plugin\Core\Entity\EntityViewMode;
 use Drupal\Core\Entity\EntityFormController;
 
 /**
@@ -18,8 +18,8 @@ class ViewModeFormController extends EntityFormController {
   /**
    * Overrides Drupal\Core\Entity\EntityFormController::form().
    */
-  public function form(array $form, array &$form_state, EntityInterface $view_mode) {
-    $entity_info = entity_get_info($view_mode->type);
+  public function form(array $form, array &$form_state, EntityViewMode $view_mode) {
+    $entity_info = entity_get_info($view_mode->targetEntityType);
     $form['type'] = array(
       '#type' => 'item',
       '#title' => t('Entity type'),
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ public function form(array $form, array &$form_state, EntityInterface $view_mode
         'source' => array('name'),
         'exists' => 'entity_ui_view_mode_exists',
       ),
-      '#entity_type' => $view_mode->type,
+      '#entity_type' => $view_mode->targetEntityType,
       '#default_value' => $view_mode->name(),
       '#disabled' => !$view_mode->isNew(),
       '#field_prefix' => "$view_mode->type.",
@@ -61,8 +61,8 @@ protected function actions(array $form, array &$form_state) {
    * Overrides Drupal\Core\Entity\EntityFormController::validate().
    */
   public function validate(array $form, array &$form_state) {
-    $entity = clone $this->getEntity($form_state);
-    form_set_value($form['machine_name'], $entity->type . '.' . $form_state['values']['machine_name'], $form_state);
+    $view_mode = clone $this->getEntity($form_state);
+    form_set_value($form['machine_name'], $view_mode->targetEntityType . '.' . $form_state['values']['machine_name'], $form_state);
     parent::validate($form, $form_state);
   }
 
diff --git b/core/modules/entity_ui/lib/Drupal/entity_ui/ViewModeListController.php a/core/modules/entity_ui/lib/Drupal/entity_ui/ViewModeListController.php
index f612d91..d8e2d86 100644
--- b/core/modules/entity_ui/lib/Drupal/entity_ui/ViewModeListController.php
+++ a/core/modules/entity_ui/lib/Drupal/entity_ui/ViewModeListController.php
@@ -8,33 +8,60 @@
 namespace Drupal\entity_ui;
 
 use Drupal\Core\Config\Entity\ConfigEntityListController;
-use Drupal\Core\Entity\EntityInterface;
+use Drupal\Core\Plugin\Core\Entity\EntityViewMode;
 
 /**
  * Provides a listing of view modes.
  */
 class ViewModeListController extends ConfigEntityListController {
 
-  protected $type;
+  /**
+   * The name of the entity type this list of view modes is for.
+   *
+   * @var string
+   */
+  protected $targetEntityType;
 
-  public function set($type) {
-    $this->type = entity_get_info($type);
-    $this->type['type'] = $type;
+  /**
+   * The entity info of the entity type this of view modes is for.
+   *
+   * @var array
+   */
+  protected $targetEntityInfo;
+
+  /**
+   * Sets the entity type that will be used for the view mode listing.
+   *
+   * @param string $entity_type
+   *   The entity type whose view modes should be listed.
+   *
+   * @return \Drupal\entity_ui\ViewModeListController
+   *   The object itself.
+   */
+  public function set($entity_type) {
+    $this->targetEntityType = $entity_type;
+    $this->targetEntityInfo = entity_get_info($entity_type);
     return $this;
   }
 
   /**
    * Overrides Drupal\Core\Entity\EntityListController::load().
+   *
+   * Loads only those view modes that belong to the given target entity type.
    */
   public function load() {
-    $type = $this->type['type'];
-    return array_filter(parent::load(), function ($entity) use ($type) {
-      return $entity->type == $type;
+    $entity_type = $this->targetEntityType;
+    return array_filter(parent::load(), function ($entity) use ($entity_type) {
+      return $entity->targetEntityType == $entity_type;
     });
   }
 
   /**
-   * Overrides Drupal\Core\Entity\EntityListController::buildHeader();
+   * Overrides Drupal\Core\Entity\EntityListController::buildHeader().
+   *
+   * Removes the 'Machine name' column.
+   *
+   * @todo Move this to EntityListController: http://drupal.org/node/1831890
    */
   public function buildHeader() {
     $header['name'] = t('Name');
@@ -43,9 +70,9 @@ public function buildHeader() {
   }
 
   /**
-   * Overrides Drupal\Core\Entity\EntityListController::buildRow();
+   * Overrides Drupal\Core\Entity\EntityListController::buildRow().
    */
-  public function buildRow(EntityInterface $view_mode) {
+  public function buildRow(EntityViewMode $view_mode) {
     $row['name'] = check_plain($view_mode->label());
     $row['operations']['data'] = $this->buildOperations($view_mode);
     $row['operations']['class'] = array('operations');
@@ -53,10 +80,11 @@ public function buildRow(EntityInterface $view_mode) {
   }
 
   /**
-   * Overrides Drupal\Core\Entity\EntityListController::getOperations();
+   * Overrides Drupal\Core\Entity\EntityListController::getOperations().
    */
-  public function getOperations(EntityInterface $view_mode) {
+  public function getOperations(EntityViewMode $view_mode) {
     $operations = parent::getOperations($view_mode);
+    // @todo Move this to ConfigEntityBase: http://drupal.org/node/1831928
     if ($view_mode->locked) {
       unset($operations['delete']);
     }
@@ -64,22 +92,21 @@ public function getOperations(EntityInterface $view_mode) {
   }
 
   /**
-   * Overrides Drupal\Core\Entity\EntityListController::buildRow();
+   * Overrides Drupal\Core\Entity\EntityListController::buildRow().
    */
   public function render() {
     $build = parent::render();
     $build['#rows']['_add_new'][] = array(
       'data' => array(
         '#type' => 'link',
-        '#href' => 'admin/config/system/view-modes/add/' . $this->type['type'],
-        '#title' => t('Add new %type view mode', array('%type' => $this->type['label'])),
+        '#href' => 'admin/config/system/view-modes/add/' . $this->targetEntityType,
+        '#title' => t('Add new %type view mode', array('%type' => $this->targetEntityInfo['label'])),
         '#options' => array(
           'html' => TRUE,
         ),
       ),
       'colspan' => count($build['#header']),
     );
-    $build['#caption'] = check_plain($this->type['label']);
     return $build;
   }
 
diff --git b/core/modules/field_ui/field_ui.module a/core/modules/field_ui/field_ui.module
index 28fc056..052ad4b 100644
--- b/core/modules/field_ui/field_ui.module
+++ a/core/modules/field_ui/field_ui.module
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
  * Allows administrators to attach custom fields to fieldable types.
  */
 
-use Drupal\Core\Entity\EntityInterface;
+use Drupal\Core\Plugin\Core\Entity\EntityViewMode;
 
 /**
  * Implements hook_help().
@@ -415,3 +415,18 @@ function field_ui_library_info() {
 
   return $libraries;
 }
+
+/**
+ * Implements hook_view_mode_presave().
+ */
+function field_ui_view_mode_presave(EntityViewMode $view_mode) {
+  state()->set('menu_rebuild_needed', TRUE);
+}
+
+/**
+ * Implements hook_view_mode_delete().
+ */
+function field_ui_view_mode_delete(EntityViewMode $view_mode) {
+  state()->set('menu_rebuild_needed', TRUE);
+}
+
diff --git b/core/modules/file/config/view_mode.file.full.yml a/core/modules/file/config/view_mode.file.full.yml
index 4746580..872254e 100644
--- b/core/modules/file/config/view_mode.file.full.yml
+++ a/core/modules/file/config/view_mode.file.full.yml
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 machine_name: file.full
 name: File default
 custom: '0'
-type: file
+targetEntityType: file
 locked: '1'
diff --git b/core/modules/node/config/view_mode.node.full.yml a/core/modules/node/config/view_mode.node.full.yml
index 0e667c5..4630674 100644
--- b/core/modules/node/config/view_mode.node.full.yml
+++ a/core/modules/node/config/view_mode.node.full.yml
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
-machine_name: node.full
+machineName: node.full
 name: Full content
 custom: '0'
-type: node
+targetEntityType: node
 locked: '1'
diff --git b/core/modules/node/config/view_mode.node.rss.yml a/core/modules/node/config/view_mode.node.rss.yml
index 7b36134..6de18d1 100644
--- b/core/modules/node/config/view_mode.node.rss.yml
+++ a/core/modules/node/config/view_mode.node.rss.yml
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
-machine_name: node.rss
+machineName: node.rss
 name: RSS
 custom: '0'
-type: node
+targetEntityType: node
 locked: '1'
diff --git b/core/modules/node/config/view_mode.node.teaser.yml a/core/modules/node/config/view_mode.node.teaser.yml
index 63efd07..e7478ad 100644
--- b/core/modules/node/config/view_mode.node.teaser.yml
+++ a/core/modules/node/config/view_mode.node.teaser.yml
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
-machine_name: node.teaser
+machineName: node.teaser
 name: Teaser
 custom: '1'
-type: node
+targetEntityType: node
 locked: '1'
diff --git b/core/modules/search/config/view_mode.node.search_index.yml a/core/modules/search/config/view_mode.node.search_index.yml
index 0324aba..32fab57 100644
--- b/core/modules/search/config/view_mode.node.search_index.yml
+++ a/core/modules/search/config/view_mode.node.search_index.yml
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
-machine_name: node.search_index
+machineName: node.search_index
 name: Search index
 custom: '0'
-type: node
+targetEntityType: node
 locked: '1'
diff --git b/core/modules/search/config/view_mode.node.search_result.yml a/core/modules/search/config/view_mode.node.search_result.yml
index da28216..da2d0d2 100644
--- b/core/modules/search/config/view_mode.node.search_result.yml
+++ a/core/modules/search/config/view_mode.node.search_result.yml
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
-machine_name: node.search_result
+machineName: node.search_result
 name: Search result
 custom: '0'
-type: node
+targetEntityType: node
 locked: '1'
diff --git b/core/modules/system/system.install a/core/modules/system/system.install
index e15bc12..1bfb90c 100644
--- b/core/modules/system/system.install
+++ a/core/modules/system/system.install
@@ -2229,16 +2229,20 @@ function system_update_8034() {
     'taxonomy_term' => array(
       'full' => 'Taxonomy term page',
     ),
+    'taxonomy_vocabulary' => array(
+      'full' => 'Taxonomy vocabulary',
+    ),
   );
 
   foreach ($entity_view_modes as $entity_type => $view_modes) {
     foreach ($view_modes as $key => $name) {
+      $custom = ($key == 'teaser');
       config('view_mode.' . $entity_type . '.' . $key)
-        ->set('machine_name', $entity_type . '.' . $key)
+        ->set('machineName', $entity_type . '.' . $key)
         ->set('name', $name)
-        ->set('type', $entity_type)
+        ->set('targetEntityType', $entity_type)
         ->set('locked', TRUE)
-        ->set('custom', FALSE)
+        ->set('custom', $custom)
         ->save();
     }
   }
diff --git b/core/modules/taxonomy/config/view_mode.taxonomy_term.full.yml a/core/modules/taxonomy/config/view_mode.taxonomy_term.full.yml
index 99dca2d..37af637 100644
--- b/core/modules/taxonomy/config/view_mode.taxonomy_term.full.yml
+++ a/core/modules/taxonomy/config/view_mode.taxonomy_term.full.yml
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
-machine_name: taxonomy_term.full
+machineName: taxonomy_term.full
 name: Taxonomy term page
 custom: '0'
-type: taxonomy_term
+targetEntityType: taxonomy_term
 locked: '1'
diff --git b/core/modules/taxonomy/config/view_mode.taxonomy_vocabulary.full.yml a/core/modules/taxonomy/config/view_mode.taxonomy_vocabulary.full.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d52effd
--- /dev/null
+++ a/core/modules/taxonomy/config/view_mode.taxonomy_vocabulary.full.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+machineName: vocabulary.full
+name: Taxonomy vocabulary
+custom: '0'
+targetEntityType: taxonomy_vocabulary
+locked: '1'
diff --git b/core/modules/user/config/view_mode.user.full.yml a/core/modules/user/config/view_mode.user.full.yml
index 283935e..020651b 100644
--- b/core/modules/user/config/view_mode.user.full.yml
+++ a/core/modules/user/config/view_mode.user.full.yml
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
-machine_name: user.full
+machineName: user.full
 name: User account
 custom: '0'
-type: user
+targetEntityType: user
 locked: '1'