diff --git a/core/includes/bootstrap.inc b/core/includes/bootstrap.inc
index 86eeaf8..bb6c3c3 100644
--- a/core/includes/bootstrap.inc
+++ b/core/includes/bootstrap.inc
@@ -483,11 +483,11 @@ function find_conf_path($http_host, $script_name, $require_settings = TRUE) {
 }
 
 /**
- * Returns the path of the configuration directory.
+ * Returns the path of a configuration directory.
  *
  * @param string $type
- *   Type of config directory to return. Drupal core provides 'active' and
- *   'staging'.
+ *   (optional) The type of config directory to return. Drupal core provides
+ *   'active' and 'staging'. Defaults to CONFIG_ACTIVE_DIRECTORY.
  *
  * @return string
  *   The configuration directory path.
@@ -503,7 +503,7 @@ function config_get_config_directory($type = CONFIG_ACTIVE_DIRECTORY) {
     $path = conf_path() . '/files/' . $config_directories[$type];
   }
   else {
-    throw new Exception(t('The configuration directory type %type does not exist.', array('%type' => $type)));
+    throw new \Exception(format_string('The configuration directory type %type does not exist.', array('%type' => $type)));
   }
   return $path;
 }
@@ -2421,20 +2421,24 @@ function drupal_get_bootstrap_phase() {
  *
  * @see Drupal\Core\DrupalKernel
  *
- * @param $reset
- *   A new container instance to reset the Drupal container to.
+ * @param Symfony\Component\DependencyInjection\Container $new_container
+ *   A new container instance to replace the current.
+ * @param bool $reset
+ *   (optional) Internal use only. Whether to enforce a reset of the statically
+ *   cached container. Pass NULL for $new_container to recreate a new Container
+ *   from scratch in a subsequent call to this function. Used by tests.
  *
  * @return Symfony\Component\DependencyInjection\Container
  *   The instance of the Container used to set up and maintain object
  *   instances.
  */
-function drupal_container(Container $reset = NULL) {
+function drupal_container(Container $new_container = NULL, $reset = FALSE) {
   // We do not use drupal_static() here because we do not have a mechanism by
   // which to reinitialize the stored objects, so a drupal_static_reset() call
   // would leave Drupal in a nonfunctional state.
   static $container = NULL;
-  if (isset($reset)) {
-    $container = $reset;
+  if (isset($new_container) || $reset) {
+    $container = $new_container;
   }
   elseif (!isset($container)) {
     // Return a ContainerBuilder instance with the bare essentials needed for any
@@ -2462,6 +2466,13 @@ function drupal_container(Container $reset = NULL) {
     $container->register('config.factory', 'Drupal\Core\Config\ConfigFactory')
       ->addArgument(new Reference('config.storage'))
       ->addArgument(new Reference('dispatcher'));
+
+    // Register configuration state.
+    $container->setParameter('config.state.options', array(
+      'directory' => config_get_config_directory(CONFIG_STAGING_DIRECTORY),
+    ));
+    $container->register('config.state', 'Drupal\Core\Config\FileStorage')
+      ->addArgument('%config.state.options%');
   }
   return $container;
 }
diff --git a/core/includes/config.inc b/core/includes/config.inc
index ef98160..0448979 100644
--- a/core/includes/config.inc
+++ b/core/includes/config.inc
@@ -129,15 +129,15 @@ function config_sync_changes(array $config_changes, StorageInterface $source_sto
 }
 
 /**
- * Imports configuration from FileStorage to the active store.
+ * Imports configuration into the active store.
  *
  * @return bool|null
  *   TRUE if configuration was imported successfully, FALSE in case of a
  *   synchronization error, or NULL if there are no changes to synchronize.
  */
 function config_import() {
-  // Retrieve a list of differences between FileStorage and the active store.
-  $source_storage = new FileStorage(array('directory' => config_get_config_directory(CONFIG_STAGING_DIRECTORY)));
+  // Retrieve a list of differences between staging and the active store.
+  $source_storage = drupal_container()->get('config.state');
   $target_storage = drupal_container()->get('config.storage');
 
   $config_changes = config_sync_get_changes($source_storage, $target_storage);
@@ -214,12 +214,12 @@ function config_import_invoke_owner(array $config_changes, StorageInterface $sou
 }
 
 /**
- * Exports configuration from the active store to FileStorage.
+ * Exports configuration from the active store to staging.
  */
 function config_export() {
-  // Retrieve a list of differences between the active store and FileStorage.
+  // Retrieve a list of differences between the active store and staging.
   $source_storage = drupal_container()->get('config.storage');
-  $target_storage = new FileStorage(array('directory' => config_get_config_directory(CONFIG_STAGING_DIRECTORY)));
+  $target_storage = drupal_container()->get('config.state');
 
   $config_changes = config_sync_get_changes($source_storage, $target_storage);
   if (empty($config_changes)) {
diff --git a/core/modules/config/lib/Drupal/config/Tests/ConfigImportTest.php b/core/modules/config/lib/Drupal/config/Tests/ConfigImportTest.php
index 2161896..8f2523a 100644
--- a/core/modules/config/lib/Drupal/config/Tests/ConfigImportTest.php
+++ b/core/modules/config/lib/Drupal/config/Tests/ConfigImportTest.php
@@ -7,8 +7,6 @@
 
 namespace Drupal\config\Tests;
 
-use Drupal\Core\Config\DatabaseStorage;
-use Drupal\Core\Config\FileStorage;
 use Drupal\simpletest\WebTestBase;
 
 /**
@@ -64,6 +62,8 @@ function testNoImport() {
   function testDeleted() {
     $name = 'config_test.system';
     $dynamic_name = 'config_test.dynamic.default';
+    $storage = $this->container->get('config.storage');
+    $state = $this->container->get('config.state');
 
     // Verify the default configuration values exist.
     $config = config($name);
@@ -75,17 +75,15 @@ function testDeleted() {
     config_export();
 
     // Delete the configuration objects from the staging directory.
-    $file_storage = new FileStorage(array('directory' => config_get_config_directory(CONFIG_STAGING_DIRECTORY)));
-    $file_storage->delete($name);
-    $file_storage->delete($dynamic_name);
+    $state->delete($name);
+    $state->delete($dynamic_name);
 
     // Import.
     config_import();
 
     // Verify the values have disappeared.
-    $database_storage = new DatabaseStorage();
-    $this->assertIdentical($database_storage->read($name), FALSE);
-    $this->assertIdentical($database_storage->read($dynamic_name), FALSE);
+    $this->assertIdentical($storage->read($name), FALSE);
+    $this->assertIdentical($storage->read($dynamic_name), FALSE);
 
     $config = config($name);
     $this->assertIdentical($config->get('foo'), NULL);
@@ -107,34 +105,37 @@ function testDeleted() {
   function testNew() {
     $name = 'config_test.new';
     $dynamic_name = 'config_test.dynamic.new';
+    $storage = $this->container->get('config.storage');
+    $state = $this->container->get('config.state');
 
     // Export.
     config_export();
 
-    // Verify the new configuration does not exist in the staging directory.
-    $file_storage = new FileStorage(array('directory' => config_get_config_directory(CONFIG_STAGING_DIRECTORY)));
-    $this->assertIdentical($file_storage->exists($name), FALSE, $name . ' not found.');
-    $this->assertIdentical($file_storage->exists($dynamic_name), FALSE, $dynamic_name . ' not found.');
+    // Verify the configuration to create does not exist yet.
+    $this->assertIdentical($state->exists($name), FALSE, $name . ' not found.');
+    $this->assertIdentical($state->exists($dynamic_name), FALSE, $dynamic_name . ' not found.');
 
     // Create new configuration objects in the staging directory.
-    $file_storage->write($name, array(
+    $original_name_data = array(
       'add_me' => 'new value',
-    ));
-    $file_storage->write($dynamic_name, array(
+    );
+    $state->write($name, $original_name_data);
+    $original_dynamic_data = array(
       'id' => 'new',
       'label' => 'New',
-    ));
-    $this->assertIdentical($file_storage->exists($name), TRUE, $name . ' found.');
-    $this->assertIdentical($file_storage->exists($dynamic_name), TRUE, $dynamic_name . ' found.');
+    );
+    $state->write($dynamic_name, $original_dynamic_data);
+    $this->assertIdentical($state->exists($name), TRUE, $name . ' found.');
+    $this->assertIdentical($state->exists($dynamic_name), TRUE, $dynamic_name . ' found.');
 
     // Import.
     config_import();
 
     // Verify the values appeared.
     $config = config($name);
-    $this->assertIdentical($config->get('add_me'), 'new value');
+    $this->assertIdentical($config->get('add_me'), $original_name_data['add_me']);
     $config = config($dynamic_name);
-    $this->assertIdentical($config->get('label'), 'New');
+    $this->assertIdentical($config->get('label'), $original_dynamic_data['label']);
 
     // Verify that appropriate module API hooks have been invoked.
     $this->assertFalse(isset($GLOBALS['hook_config_test']['load']));
@@ -151,22 +152,27 @@ function testNew() {
   function testUpdated() {
     $name = 'config_test.system';
     $dynamic_name = 'config_test.dynamic.default';
+    $storage = $this->container->get('config.storage');
+    $state = $this->container->get('config.state');
 
     // Export.
     config_export();
 
+    // Verify that the configuration objects to import exist.
+    $this->assertIdentical($state->exists($name), TRUE, $name . ' found.');
+    $this->assertIdentical($state->exists($dynamic_name), TRUE, $dynamic_name . ' found.');
+
     // Replace the file content of the existing configuration objects in the
     // staging directory.
-    $file_storage = new FileStorage(array('directory' => config_get_config_directory(CONFIG_STAGING_DIRECTORY)));
-    $this->assertIdentical($file_storage->exists($name), TRUE, $name . ' found.');
-    $this->assertIdentical($file_storage->exists($dynamic_name), TRUE, $dynamic_name . ' found.');
-    $file_storage->write($name, array(
+    $original_name_data = array(
       'foo' => 'beer',
-    ));
-    $file_storage->write($dynamic_name, array(
+    );
+    $state->write($name, $original_name_data);
+    $original_dynamic_data = array(
       'id' => 'default',
       'label' => 'Updated',
-    ));
+    );
+    $state->write($dynamic_name, $original_dynamic_data);
 
     // Verify the active store still returns the default values.
     $config = config($name);
@@ -183,6 +189,10 @@ function testUpdated() {
     $config = config($dynamic_name);
     $this->assertIdentical($config->get('label'), 'Updated');
 
+    // Verify that the original file content is still the same.
+    $this->assertIdentical($state->read($name), $original_name_data);
+    $this->assertIdentical($state->read($dynamic_name), $original_dynamic_data);
+
     // Verify that appropriate module API hooks have been invoked.
     $this->assertTrue(isset($GLOBALS['hook_config_test']['load']));
     $this->assertTrue(isset($GLOBALS['hook_config_test']['presave']));
diff --git a/core/modules/simpletest/lib/Drupal/simpletest/TestBase.php b/core/modules/simpletest/lib/Drupal/simpletest/TestBase.php
index aa3ebd1..253d4df 100644
--- a/core/modules/simpletest/lib/Drupal/simpletest/TestBase.php
+++ b/core/modules/simpletest/lib/Drupal/simpletest/TestBase.php
@@ -721,12 +721,23 @@ protected function prepareEnvironment() {
     // uses drupal_valid_test_ua() to adjust the config directory paths to
     // a test-prefix-specific directory within the public files directory.
     // @see config_get_config_directory()
-    require_once DRUPAL_ROOT . '/core/includes/install.inc';
-    foreach (array(CONFIG_ACTIVE_DIRECTORY, CONFIG_STAGING_DIRECTORY) as $config_env) {
-      $GLOBALS['config_directories'][$config_env] = 'simpletest/' . substr($this->databasePrefix, 10) . '/config_' . $config_env;
-      install_ensure_config_directory($config_env);
+    $GLOBALS['config_directories'] = array();
+    foreach (array(CONFIG_ACTIVE_DIRECTORY, CONFIG_STAGING_DIRECTORY) as $type) {
+      $GLOBALS['config_directories'][$type] = 'simpletest/' . substr($this->databasePrefix, 10) . '/config_' . $type;
+    }
+
+    // Reset and create a new service container.
+    drupal_container(NULL, TRUE);
+    $this->container = drupal_container();
+
+    $this->configDirectories = array();
+    include_once DRUPAL_ROOT . '/core/includes/install.inc';
+    foreach ($GLOBALS['config_directories'] as $type => $path) {
+      if (!install_ensure_config_directory($type)) {
+        return FALSE;
+      }
+      $this->configDirectories[$type] = $this->originalFileDirectory . '/' . $path;
     }
-    $this->configDirectories = $GLOBALS['config_directories'];
 
     // Log fatal errors.
     ini_set('log_errors', 1);