diff --git a/core/modules/node/lib/Drupal/node/NodeFormController.php b/core/modules/node/lib/Drupal/node/NodeFormController.php
index 38f803d..5cce940 100644
--- a/core/modules/node/lib/Drupal/node/NodeFormController.php
+++ b/core/modules/node/lib/Drupal/node/NodeFormController.php
@@ -41,7 +41,6 @@ protected function prepareEntity(EntityInterface $node) {
       $node->created = REQUEST_TIME;
     }
     else {
-      $node->published_date = format_date($node->published, 'custom', 'Y-m-d H:i:s O');
       // Remove the log message from the original node entity.
       $node->log = NULL;
     }
@@ -230,8 +229,8 @@ public function form(array $form, array &$form_state, EntityInterface $node) {
       '#type' => 'textfield',
       '#title' => t('First published on'),
       '#maxlength' => 25,
-      '#description' => t('Format: %time. The date format is YYYY-MM-DD and %timezone is the time zone offset from UTC. Leave blank to use the time of form submission.', array('%time' => !empty($node->published_date) ? date_format(date_create($node->published_date), 'Y-m-d H:i:s O') : format_date($node->published, 'custom', 'Y-m-d H:i:s O'), '%timezone' => !empty($node->published_date) ? date_format(date_create($node->published_date), 'O') : format_date($node->published, 'custom', 'O'))),
-      '#default_value' => !empty($node->published_date) ? $node->published_date : '',
+      '#description' => t('Format: %time. The date format is YYYY-MM-DD and %timezone is the time zone offset from UTC. Leave blank to use the time of form submission when published.', array('%time' => !empty($node->published_date) ? date_format(date_create($node->published_date), 'Y-m-d H:i:s O') : format_date($node->published, 'custom', 'Y-m-d H:i:s O'), '%timezone' => !empty($node->published_date) ? date_format(date_create($node->published_date), 'O') : format_date($node->published, 'custom', 'O'))),
+      '#default_value' => empty($node->published) ? '' : format_date($node->published, 'custom', 'Y-m-d H:i:s O'),
     );
 
     // Node options for administrators.
@@ -371,9 +370,11 @@ public function validate(array $form, array &$form_state) {
     }
 
     // Validate the "first published on" field.
-    $published_date = new DrupalDateTime($node->published_date);
-    if ($published_date->hasErrors()) {
-      form_set_error('published_date', t('You have to specify a valid publication date.'));
+    if (!empty($node->published_date)) {
+      $published_date = new DrupalDateTime($node->published_date);
+      if ($published_date->hasErrors()) {
+        form_set_error('published_date', t('You have to specify a valid publication date.'));
+      }
     }
 
     // Invoke hook_validate() for node type specific validation and
diff --git a/core/modules/node/node.install b/core/modules/node/node.install
index ac88175..4e3f727 100644
--- a/core/modules/node/node.install
+++ b/core/modules/node/node.install
@@ -82,8 +82,8 @@ function node_schema() {
       'published' => array(
         'description' => 'The Unix timestamp when the node was first published.',
         'type' => 'int',
-        'not null' => TRUE,
-        'default' => 0,
+        'not null' => FALSE,
+        'default' => NULL,
       ),
       'comment' => array(
         'description' => 'Whether comments are allowed on this node: 0 = no, 1 = closed (read only), 2 = open (read/write).',
@@ -723,8 +723,8 @@ function node_update_8014(&$sandbox) {
     $spec = array(
       'description' => 'The Unix timestamp when the node was first published.',
       'type' => 'int',
-      'not null' => TRUE,
-      'default' => 0,
+      'not null' => FALSE,
+      'default' => NULL,
     );
     $keys = array(
       'indexes' => array(
diff --git a/core/modules/node/node.module b/core/modules/node/node.module
index 47ad2c2..17aa0e7 100644
--- a/core/modules/node/node.module
+++ b/core/modules/node/node.module
@@ -1009,7 +1009,7 @@ function node_submit(Node $node) {
     $node->published = $node_published->getTimestamp();
   }
   else {
-    $node->published = 0;
+    $node->published = NULL;
   }
 
   $node->validated = TRUE;
@@ -1146,7 +1146,7 @@ function template_preprocess_node(&$variables) {
   $variables['node'] = $variables['elements']['#node'];
   $node = $variables['node'];
 
-  $variables['date']      = format_date($node->published);
+  $variables['date']      = (!empty($node->published)) ? format_date($node->published) : format_date($node->created);
   $variables['name']      = theme('username', array(
     'account' => $node,
     'link_attributes' => array('rel' => 'author'),
diff --git a/core/modules/node/node.views.inc b/core/modules/node/node.views.inc
index 5a73355..fa190b7 100644
--- a/core/modules/node/node.views.inc
+++ b/core/modules/node/node.views.inc
@@ -406,7 +406,7 @@ function node_views_data() {
     'help' => t('Date in the form of CCYYMMDD.'),
     'argument' => array(
       'field' => 'published',
-      'id' => 'node_published_fulldate',
+      'id' => 'created_fulldate',
     ),
   );
 
@@ -415,7 +415,7 @@ function node_views_data() {
     'help' => t('Date in the form of YYYYMM.'),
     'argument' => array(
       'field' => 'published',
-      'id' => 'node_published_year_month',
+      'id' => 'created_year_month',
     ),
   );
 
@@ -424,7 +424,7 @@ function node_views_data() {
     'help' => t('Date in the form of YYYY.'),
     'argument' => array(
       'field' => 'published',
-      'id' => 'node_published_year',
+      'id' => 'created_year',
     ),
   );
 
@@ -433,7 +433,7 @@ function node_views_data() {
     'help' => t('Date in the form of MM (01 - 12).'),
     'argument' => array(
       'field' => 'published',
-      'id' => 'node_published_month',
+      'id' => 'created_month',
     ),
   );
 
@@ -442,7 +442,7 @@ function node_views_data() {
     'help' => t('Date in the form of DD (01 - 31).'),
     'argument' => array(
       'field' => 'published',
-      'id' => 'node_published_day',
+      'id' => 'created_day',
     ),
   );
 
@@ -451,7 +451,7 @@ function node_views_data() {
     'help' => t('Date in the form of WW (01 - 53).'),
     'argument' => array(
       'field' => 'published',
-      'id' => 'node_published_week',
+      'id' => 'created_week',
     ),
   );
 
diff --git a/core/modules/system/lib/Drupal/system/Tests/Upgrade/NodePublishUpgradePathTest.php b/core/modules/system/lib/Drupal/system/Tests/Upgrade/NodePublishUpgradePathTest.php
index 2391c1f..ff06f10 100644
--- a/core/modules/system/lib/Drupal/system/Tests/Upgrade/NodePublishUpgradePathTest.php
+++ b/core/modules/system/lib/Drupal/system/Tests/Upgrade/NodePublishUpgradePathTest.php
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ public function testNodePublishedTimestampUpgrade() {
         $this->assertEqual($timestamp, $node->published, 'Published content has published timestamp.');
       }
       else {
-        $this->assertEqual(0, $node->published, 'Unpublished content does not have published timestamp.');
+        $this->assertEqual(NULL, $node->published, 'Unpublished content does not have published timestamp.');
       }
     }
   }