diff -u b/core/modules/system/system.admin.inc b/core/modules/system/system.admin.inc
--- b/core/modules/system/system.admin.inc
+++ b/core/modules/system/system.admin.inc
@@ -1584,7 +1584,6 @@
 /**
  * Form builder; Cron form.
  *
- * @see system_settings_form()
  * @ingroup forms
  */
 function system_cron_settings($form, &$form_state) {
@@ -1612,22 +1611,18 @@
     '#options' => array(0 => t('Never')) + drupal_map_assoc(array(3600, 10800, 21600, 43200, 86400, 604800), 'format_interval'),
   );
 
-  $form = system_settings_form($form);
-  $form['#submit'] = array('system_cron_settings_submit');
-  return $form;
+  return system_config_form($form, $form_state);
 }
 
 /**
  * Form builder submit handler; Handle submission for cron settings.
  *
  * @ingroup forms
- * @see system_settings_form()
  */
 function system_cron_settings_submit($form, &$form_state) {
   config('system.cron')
     ->set('threshold.autorun', $form_state['values']['cron_safe_threshold'])
     ->save();
-  drupal_set_message(t('The configuration options have been saved.'));
 }
 
 /**
diff -u b/core/modules/system/system.install b/core/modules/system/system.install
--- b/core/modules/system/system.install
+++ b/core/modules/system/system.install
@@ -263,11 +263,11 @@
 
   // Report cron status.
   if ($phase == 'runtime') {
-    $config = config('system.cron');
+    $cron_config = config('system.cron');
     // Cron warning threshold defaults to two days.
-    $threshold_warning = $config->get('threshold.requirements_warning');
+    $threshold_warning = $cron_config->get('threshold.requirements_warning');
     // Cron error threshold defaults to two weeks.
-    $threshold_error = $config->get('threshold.requirements_error');
+    $threshold_error = $cron_config->get('threshold.requirements_error');
     // Cron configuration help text.
     $help = $t('For more information, see the online handbook entry for <a href="@cron-handbook">configuring cron jobs</a>.', array('@cron-handbook' => 'http://drupal.org/cron'));
 
@@ -294,7 +294,7 @@
     }
 
     $description .= ' ' . $t('You can <a href="@cron">run cron manually</a>.', array('@cron' => url('admin/reports/status/run-cron')));
-    $description .= '<br />' . $t('To run cron from outside the site, go to <a href="!cron">!cron</a>', array('!cron' => url('cron/' . $config->get('key'))));
+    $description .= '<br />' . $t('To run cron from outside the site, go to <a href="!cron">!cron</a>', array('!cron' => url('cron/' . $cron_config->get('key'))));
 
     $requirements['cron'] = array(
       'title' => $t('Cron maintenance tasks'),
@@ -506,20 +506,6 @@
  * Implements hook_install().
  */
 function system_install() {
-  // Create tables.
-  drupal_install_schema('system');
-  $versions = drupal_get_schema_versions('system');
-  $version = $versions ? max($versions) : SCHEMA_INSTALLED;
-  drupal_set_installed_schema_version('system', $version);
-
-  // Clear out module list and hook implementation statics before calling
-  // system_rebuild_theme_data().
-  module_list(TRUE);
-  module_implements_reset();
-
-  // Load system theme data appropriately.
-  system_rebuild_theme_data();
-
   // Enable the default theme.
   variable_set('theme_default', 'stark');
   db_update('system')
only in patch2:
unchanged:
--- a/core/includes/install.inc
+++ b/core/includes/install.inc
@@ -306,10 +306,11 @@ function drupal_verify_profile($install_state) {
  * functions can be made available while other modules are installed.
  */
 function drupal_install_system() {
+  // Create tables.
+  drupal_install_schema('system');
+
   $system_path = drupal_get_path('module', 'system');
   require_once DRUPAL_ROOT . '/' . $system_path . '/system.install';
-  module_invoke('system', 'install');
-
   $system_versions = drupal_get_schema_versions('system');
   $system_version = $system_versions ? max($system_versions) : SCHEMA_INSTALLED;
   db_insert('system')
@@ -324,8 +325,18 @@ function drupal_install_system() {
         'bootstrap' => 0,
       ))
     ->execute();
+
+  // Clear out module list and hook implementation statics before calling
+  // system_rebuild_theme_data().
+  module_list(TRUE);
+  module_implements_reset();
+
   system_rebuild_module_data();
+  system_rebuild_theme_data();
+
   config_install_default_config('system');
+
+  module_invoke('system', 'install');
 }
 
 /**