diff -u b/core/modules/field/field.views.inc b/core/modules/field/field.views.inc
--- b/core/modules/field/field.views.inc
+++ b/core/modules/field/field.views.inc
@@ -296,10 +296,10 @@
       else {
         $group = t('@group (historical data)', array('@group' => $group_name));
       }
-      $column_real_name = $field['storage details']['sql'][$type][$table][$column];
+      $column_real_name = $field['storage_details']['sql'][$type][$table][$column];
 
       // Load all the fields from the table by default.
-      $additional_fields = array_values($field['storage details']['sql'][$type][$table]);
+      $additional_fields = array_values($field['storage_details']['sql'][$type][$table]);
 
       $data[$table][$column_real_name] = array(
         'group' => $group,
diff -u b/core/modules/field/lib/Drupal/field/Plugin/Core/Entity/Field.php b/core/modules/field/lib/Drupal/field/Plugin/Core/Entity/Field.php
--- b/core/modules/field/lib/Drupal/field/Plugin/Core/Entity/Field.php
+++ b/core/modules/field/lib/Drupal/field/Plugin/Core/Entity/Field.php
@@ -409,7 +409,7 @@
    * Implements ArrayAccess::offsetExists().
    */
   public function offsetExists($offset) {
-    return isset($this->{$offset}) || in_array($offset, array('columns', 'foreign keys', 'bundles', 'storage details'));
+    return isset($this->{$offset}) || in_array($offset, array('columns', 'foreign keys', 'bundles', 'storage_details'));
   }
 
   /**
@@ -435,7 +435,7 @@
         $bundles = $this->getBundles();
         return $bundles;
 
-      case 'storage details':
+      case 'storage_details':
         $this->getStorageDetails();
         return $this->storageDetails;
     }
@@ -447,7 +447,7 @@
    * Implements ArrayAccess::offsetSet().
    */
   public function offsetSet($offset, $value) {
-    if (!in_array($offset, array('columns', 'foreign keys', 'bundles', 'storage details'))) {
+    if (!in_array($offset, array('columns', 'foreign keys', 'bundles', 'storage_details'))) {
       $this->{$offset} = $value;
     }
   }
@@ -456,7 +456,7 @@
    * Implements ArrayAccess::offsetUnset().
    */
   public function offsetUnset($offset) {
-    if (!in_array($offset, array('columns', 'foreign keys', 'bundles', 'storage details'))) {
+    if (!in_array($offset, array('columns', 'foreign keys', 'bundles', 'storage_details'))) {
       unset($this->{$offset});
     }
   }
diff -u b/core/modules/field/lib/Drupal/field/Plugin/views/field/Field.php b/core/modules/field/lib/Drupal/field/Plugin/views/field/Field.php
--- b/core/modules/field/lib/Drupal/field/Plugin/views/field/Field.php
+++ b/core/modules/field/lib/Drupal/field/Plugin/views/field/Field.php
@@ -169,8 +169,8 @@
       // Go through the list and determine the actual column name from field api.
       foreach ($options as $column) {
         $name = $column;
-        if (isset($this->field_info['storage details']['sql'][$rkey][$this->table][$column])) {
-          $name = $this->field_info['storage details']['sql'][$rkey][$this->table][$column];
+        if (isset($this->field_info['storage_details']['sql'][$rkey][$this->table][$column])) {
+          $name = $this->field_info['storage_details']['sql'][$rkey][$this->table][$column];
         }
 
         $fields[$column] = $name;
diff -u b/core/modules/field/lib/Drupal/field/Tests/CrudTest.php b/core/modules/field/lib/Drupal/field/Tests/CrudTest.php
--- b/core/modules/field/lib/Drupal/field/Tests/CrudTest.php
+++ b/core/modules/field/lib/Drupal/field/Tests/CrudTest.php
@@ -41,27 +41,29 @@
       'type' => 'test_field',
     );
     field_test_memorize();
-    $create_field = field_create_field($field_definition);
+    $field = field_create_field($field_definition);
     $mem = field_test_memorize();
     $this->assertIdentical($mem['field_test_field_create_field'][0][0]['field_name'], $field_definition['field_name'], 'hook_field_create_field() called with correct arguments.');
     $this->assertIdentical($mem['field_test_field_create_field'][0][0]['type'], $field_definition['type'], 'hook_field_create_field() called with correct arguments.');
 
-    // Read the configuration.
-    $field = entity_load('field_entity', $field_definition['field_name']);
+    // Read the configuration. Check against raw configuration data rather than
+    // the loaded ConfigEntity, to be sure we check that the defaults are
+    // applied on write.
+    $field_config = \Drupal::config('field.field.' . $field->id())->get();
 
     // Ensure that basic properties are preserved.
-    $this->assertEqual($field['field_name'], $field_definition['field_name'], 'The field name is properly saved.');
-    $this->assertEqual($field['type'], $field_definition['type'], 'The field type is properly saved.');
+    $this->assertEqual($field_config['id'], $field_definition['field_name'], 'The field name is properly saved.');
+    $this->assertEqual($field_config['type'], $field_definition['type'], 'The field type is properly saved.');
 
     // Ensure that cardinality defaults to 1.
-    $this->assertEqual($field['cardinality'], 1, 'Cardinality defaults to 1.');
+    $this->assertEqual($field_config['cardinality'], 1, 'Cardinality defaults to 1.');
 
     // Ensure that default settings are present.
     $field_type = field_info_field_types($field_definition['type']);
-    $this->assertEqual($field['settings'], $field_type['settings'], 'Default field settings have been written.');
+    $this->assertEqual($field_config['settings'], $field_type['settings'], 'Default field settings have been written.');
 
     // Ensure that default storage was set.
-    $this->assertEqual($field['storage']['type'], variable_get('field_storage_default'), 'The field type is properly saved.');
+    $this->assertEqual($field_config['storage']['type'], variable_get('field_storage_default'), 'The field type is properly saved.');
 
     // Guarantee that the name is unique.
     try {
@@ -142,7 +144,7 @@
         'type' => 'test_field',
         'field_name' => 'ftvid',
       );
-      $field = field_create_field($field_definition);
+      field_create_field($field_definition);
       $this->fail(t('Cannot create a field bearing the name of an entity key.'));
     }
     catch (FieldException $e) {
@@ -232,7 +234,6 @@
     $field = field_read_field($field_definition['field_name']);
     $schema = $field->getSchema();
     $expected_indexes = array('value' => array('value'));
-    // @todo This is a tested behavior... indexes are supposed to be saved in the field.
     $this->assertEqual($schema['indexes'], $expected_indexes, 'Field type indexes saved by default');
 
     // Check that indexes specified by the field definition override the field
diff -u b/core/modules/field/lib/Drupal/field/Tests/FieldAttachStorageTest.php b/core/modules/field/lib/Drupal/field/Tests/FieldAttachStorageTest.php
--- b/core/modules/field/lib/Drupal/field/Tests/FieldAttachStorageTest.php
+++ b/core/modules/field/lib/Drupal/field/Tests/FieldAttachStorageTest.php
@@ -242,9 +242,9 @@
     $instance = field_info_instance($instance['entity_type'], $instance['field_name'], $instance['bundle']);
 
     // The storage details are indexed by a storage engine type.
-    $this->assertTrue(array_key_exists('drupal_variables', $field['storage details']), 'The storage type is Drupal variables.');
+    $this->assertTrue(array_key_exists('drupal_variables', $field['storage_details']), 'The storage type is Drupal variables.');
 
-    $details = $field['storage details']['drupal_variables'];
+    $details = $field['storage_details']['drupal_variables'];
 
     // The field_test storage details are indexed by variable name. The details
     // are altered, so moon and mars are correct for this test.
diff -u b/core/modules/field/lib/Drupal/field/Tests/FieldInstanceCrudTest.php b/core/modules/field/lib/Drupal/field/Tests/FieldInstanceCrudTest.php
--- b/core/modules/field/lib/Drupal/field/Tests/FieldInstanceCrudTest.php
+++ b/core/modules/field/lib/Drupal/field/Tests/FieldInstanceCrudTest.php
@@ -49,7 +49,9 @@
   function testCreateFieldInstance() {
     $instance = field_create_instance($this->instance_definition);
 
-    // Read the configuration.
+    // Read the configuration. Check against raw configuration data rather than
+    // the loaded ConfigEntity, to be sure we check that the defaults are
+    // applied on write.
     $config = \Drupal::config('field.instance.' . $instance->id())->get();
 
     $field_type = field_info_field_types($this->field['type']);