diff -u b/core/modules/entity_reference/lib/Drupal/entity_reference/Plugin/field/widget/AutocompleteTagsWidget.php b/core/modules/entity_reference/lib/Drupal/entity_reference/Plugin/field/widget/AutocompleteTagsWidget.php
--- b/core/modules/entity_reference/lib/Drupal/entity_reference/Plugin/field/widget/AutocompleteTagsWidget.php
+++ b/core/modules/entity_reference/lib/Drupal/entity_reference/Plugin/field/widget/AutocompleteTagsWidget.php
@@ -64,6 +64,7 @@
         elseif ($auto_create && (count($this->instance['settings']['handler_settings']['target_bundles']) == 1 || count($bundles) == 1)) {
           // Auto-create item. see entity_reference_field_presave().
           $value[] = array(
+            'target_id' => 0,
             'entity' => $this->createNewEntity($input, $element['#autocreate_uid']),
           );
         }
diff -u b/core/modules/entity_reference/lib/Drupal/entity_reference/Plugin/field/widget/AutocompleteWidget.php b/core/modules/entity_reference/lib/Drupal/entity_reference/Plugin/field/widget/AutocompleteWidget.php
--- b/core/modules/entity_reference/lib/Drupal/entity_reference/Plugin/field/widget/AutocompleteWidget.php
+++ b/core/modules/entity_reference/lib/Drupal/entity_reference/Plugin/field/widget/AutocompleteWidget.php
@@ -76,6 +76,7 @@
       if (!$value && $auto_create && (count($this->instance['settings']['handler_settings']['target_bundles']) == 1)) {
         // Auto-create item. see entity_reference_field_presave().
         $value = array(
+          'target_id' => 0,
           'entity' => $this->createNewEntity($element['#value'], $element['#autocreate_uid']),
           // Keep the weight property.
           '_weight' => $element['#weight'],
only in patch2:
unchanged:
--- a/core/modules/entity_reference/lib/Drupal/entity_reference/Plugin/field/formatter/EntityReferenceEntityFormatter.php
+++ b/core/modules/entity_reference/lib/Drupal/entity_reference/Plugin/field/formatter/EntityReferenceEntityFormatter.php
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ public function viewElements(EntityInterface $entity, $langcode, array $items) {
         throw new RecursiveRenderingException(format_string('Recursive rendering detected when rendering entity @entity_type(@entity_id). Aborting rendering.', array('@entity_type' => $entity_type, '@entity_id' => $item['target_id'])));
       }
 
-      if (!empty($item['entity'])) {
+      if (!empty($item['target_id'])) {
         $entity = clone $item['entity'];
         unset($entity->content);
         $elements[$delta] = entity_view($entity, $view_mode, $langcode);
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ public function viewElements(EntityInterface $entity, $langcode, array $items) {
       }
       else {
         // This is an "auto_create" item.
-        $elements[$delta] = array('#markup' => $item['label']);
+        $elements[$delta] = array('#markup' => $entity->label());
       }
       $depth = 0;
     }
only in patch2:
unchanged:
--- a/core/modules/entity_reference/lib/Drupal/entity_reference/Plugin/field/formatter/EntityReferenceFormatterBase.php
+++ b/core/modules/entity_reference/lib/Drupal/entity_reference/Plugin/field/formatter/EntityReferenceFormatterBase.php
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ public function prepareView(array $entities, $langcode, array &$items) {
       foreach ($items[$id] as $delta => $item) {
         // If we have a revision ID, the key uses it as well.
         $identifier = !empty($item['revision_id']) ? $item['target_id'] . ':' . $item['revision_id'] : $item['target_id'];
-        if ($item['target_id'] != 'auto_create') {
+        if ($item['target_id'] !== 0) {
           if (!isset($target_entities[$identifier])) {
             // The entity no longer exists, so remove the key.
             $rekey = TRUE;
@@ -80,11 +80,7 @@ public function prepareView(array $entities, $langcode, array &$items) {
           }
         }
         else {
-          // This is an "auto_create" item, so allow access to it, as the entity
-          // doesn't exists yet, and we are probably in a preview.
-          $items[$id][$delta]['entity'] = FALSE;
-          // Add the label as a special key, as we cannot use entity_label().
-          $items[$id][$delta]['label'] = $item['label'];
+          // This is an "auto_create" item, just leave the entity in place.
         }
 
         // Mark item as accessible.
only in patch2:
unchanged:
--- a/core/modules/entity_reference/lib/Drupal/entity_reference/Plugin/field/formatter/EntityReferenceIdFormatter.php
+++ b/core/modules/entity_reference/lib/Drupal/entity_reference/Plugin/field/formatter/EntityReferenceIdFormatter.php
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ public function viewElements(EntityInterface $entity, $langcode, array $items) {
     $elements = array();
 
     foreach ($items as $delta => $item) {
-      if (!empty($item['entity'])) {
+      if (!empty($item['entity']) && !empty($item['target_id'])) {
         $elements[$delta] = array('#markup' => check_plain($item['target_id']));
       }
     }
only in patch2:
unchanged:
--- a/core/modules/entity_reference/lib/Drupal/entity_reference/Plugin/field/formatter/EntityReferenceLabelFormatter.php
+++ b/core/modules/entity_reference/lib/Drupal/entity_reference/Plugin/field/formatter/EntityReferenceLabelFormatter.php
@@ -78,10 +78,6 @@ public function viewElements(EntityInterface $entity, $langcode, array $items) {
           $elements[$delta] = array('#markup' => check_plain($label));
         }
       }
-      else {
-        // This is an "auto_create" item.
-        $elements[$delta] = array('#markup' => $item['label']);
-      }
     }
 
     return $elements;