diff --git a/core/modules/hal/lib/Drupal/hal/Normalizer/EntityNormalizer.php b/core/modules/hal/lib/Drupal/hal/Normalizer/EntityNormalizer.php
index 95b5858..a85617f 100644
--- a/core/modules/hal/lib/Drupal/hal/Normalizer/EntityNormalizer.php
+++ b/core/modules/hal/lib/Drupal/hal/Normalizer/EntityNormalizer.php
@@ -136,6 +136,8 @@ protected function getEntityUri($entity) {
    *
    * @return array
    *   The typed data IDs.
+   *
+   * @throws \Symfony\Component\Serializer\Exception\UnexpectedValueException
    */
   protected function getTypedDataIds($types) {
     // The 'type' can potentially contain an array of type objects. By default,
diff --git a/core/modules/hal/lib/Drupal/hal/Tests/DenormalizeTest.php b/core/modules/hal/lib/Drupal/hal/Tests/DenormalizeTest.php
index c4164f8..e4674ef 100644
--- a/core/modules/hal/lib/Drupal/hal/Tests/DenormalizeTest.php
+++ b/core/modules/hal/lib/Drupal/hal/Tests/DenormalizeTest.php
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ public function testTypeHandling() {
         ),
       ),
     );
-    $denormalized = $this->container->get('serializer')->denormalize($data_with_valid_type, $this->entityClass, $this->format);
+    $denormalized = $this->serializer->denormalize($data_with_valid_type, $this->entityClass, $this->format);
     $this->assertEqual(get_class($denormalized), $this->entityClass, 'Request with valid type results in creation of correct bundle.');
 
     // Multiple types.
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ public function testTypeHandling() {
         ),
       ),
     );
-    $denormalized = $this->container->get('serializer')->denormalize($data_with_multiple_types, $this->entityClass, $this->format);
+    $denormalized = $this->serializer->denormalize($data_with_multiple_types, $this->entityClass, $this->format);
     $this->assertEqual(get_class($denormalized), $this->entityClass, 'Request with multiple types results in creation of correct bundle.');
 
     // Invalid type.
@@ -62,8 +62,8 @@ public function testTypeHandling() {
       ),
     );
     try {
-      $this->container->get('serializer')->denormalize($data_with_invalid_type, $this->entityClass, $this->format);
-      $this->fail('Exception thrown when type is invalid.');
+      $this->serializer->denormalize($data_with_invalid_type, $this->entityClass, $this->format);
+      $this->fail('Exception should be thrown when type is invalid.');
     }
     catch (UnexpectedValueException $e) {
       $this->pass('Exception thrown when type is invalid.');
@@ -75,8 +75,8 @@ public function testTypeHandling() {
       ),
     );
     try {
-      $this->container->get('serializer')->denormalize($data_with_no_type, $this->entityClass, $this->format);
-      $this->fail('Exception thrown when no type is provided.');
+      $this->serializer->denormalize($data_with_no_type, $this->entityClass, $this->format);
+      $this->fail('Exception should be thrown when no type is provided.');
     }
     catch (UnexpectedValueException $e) {
       $this->pass('Exception thrown when no type is provided.');
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ public function testMarkFieldForDeletion() {
         ),
       ),
     );
-    $no_field_denormalized = $this->container->get('serializer')->denormalize($no_field_data, $this->entityClass, $this->format);
+    $no_field_denormalized = $this->serializer->denormalize($no_field_data, $this->entityClass, $this->format);
     $no_field_value = $no_field_denormalized->field_test_text->getValue();
 
     $empty_field_data = array(
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ public function testMarkFieldForDeletion() {
       ),
       'field_test_text' => array(),
     );
-    $empty_field_denormalized = $this->container->get('serializer')->denormalize($empty_field_data, $this->entityClass, $this->format);
+    $empty_field_denormalized = $this->serializer->denormalize($empty_field_data, $this->entityClass, $this->format);
     $empty_field_value = $empty_field_denormalized->field_test_text->getValue();
 
     $this->assertTrue(!empty($no_field_value) && empty($empty_field_value), 'A field set to an empty array in the data is structured differently than an empty field.');
@@ -176,7 +176,7 @@ public function testBasicFieldDenormalization() {
         'format' => 'full_html',
       ),
     );
-    $denormalized = $this->container->get('serializer')->denormalize($data, $this->entityClass, $this->format);
+    $denormalized = $this->serializer->denormalize($data, $this->entityClass, $this->format);
     $this->assertEqual($data['uuid'], $denormalized->get('uuid')->getValue(), 'A preset value (e.g. UUID) is overridden by incoming data.');
     $this->assertEqual($data['field_test_text'], $denormalized->get('field_test_text')->getValue(), 'A basic text field is denormalized.');
     $this->assertEqual($expected_value_en, $denormalized->get('field_test_translatable_text')->getValue(), 'Values in the default language are properly handled for a translatable field.');
diff --git a/core/modules/hal/lib/Drupal/hal/Tests/NormalizeTest.php b/core/modules/hal/lib/Drupal/hal/Tests/NormalizeTest.php
index 848b19a..eb577e5 100644
--- a/core/modules/hal/lib/Drupal/hal/Tests/NormalizeTest.php
+++ b/core/modules/hal/lib/Drupal/hal/Tests/NormalizeTest.php
@@ -150,7 +150,7 @@ public function testNormalize() {
       ),
     );
 
-    $normalized = $this->container->get('serializer')->normalize($entity, $this->format);
+    $normalized = $this->serializer->normalize($entity, $this->format);
     $this->assertEqual($normalized['_links']['self'], $expected_array['_links']['self'], 'self link placed correctly.');
     // @todo Test curies.
     // @todo Test type.
diff --git a/core/modules/hal/lib/Drupal/hal/Tests/NormalizerTestBase.php b/core/modules/hal/lib/Drupal/hal/Tests/NormalizerTestBase.php
index 9cf7019..cbab209 100644
--- a/core/modules/hal/lib/Drupal/hal/Tests/NormalizerTestBase.php
+++ b/core/modules/hal/lib/Drupal/hal/Tests/NormalizerTestBase.php
@@ -7,8 +7,18 @@
 
 namespace Drupal\hal\Tests;
 
+use Drupal\Core\Cache\MemoryBackend;
 use Drupal\Core\Language\Language;
+use Drupal\hal\Encoder\JsonEncoder;
+use Drupal\hal\Normalizer\EntityNormalizer;
+use Drupal\hal\Normalizer\EntityReferenceItemNormalizer;
+use Drupal\hal\Normalizer\FieldItemNormalizer;
+use Drupal\hal\Normalizer\FieldNormalizer;
+use Drupal\rest\LinkManager\LinkManager;
+use Drupal\rest\LinkManager\RelationLinkManager;
+use Drupal\rest\LinkManager\TypeLinkManager;
 use Drupal\simpletest\DrupalUnitTestBase;
+use Symfony\Component\Serializer\Serializer;
 
 /**
  * Test the HAL normalizer.
@@ -23,6 +33,13 @@
   public static $modules = array('entity_test', 'entity_reference', 'field', 'field_sql_storage', 'hal', 'language', 'rest', 'serialization', 'system', 'text', 'user');
 
   /**
+   * The mock serializer.
+   *
+   * @var \Symfony\Component\Serializer\Serializer
+   */
+  protected $serializer;
+
+  /**
    * The format being tested.
    *
    * @var string
@@ -104,6 +121,22 @@ function setUp() {
       'bundle' => 'entity_test',
     );
     field_create_instance($instance);
+
+    // Set up the mock serializer.
+    $normalizers = array(
+      new EntityNormalizer(),
+      new EntityReferenceItemNormalizer(),
+      new FieldItemNormalizer(),
+      new FieldNormalizer(),
+    );
+    $link_manager = new LinkManager(new TypeLinkManager(new MemoryBackend('cache')), new RelationLinkManager());
+    foreach ($normalizers as $normalizer) {
+      $normalizer->setLinkManager($link_manager);
+    }
+    $encoders = array(
+      new JsonEncoder(),
+    );
+    $this->serializer = new Serializer($normalizers, $encoders);
   }
 
 }