diff --git a/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Entity/EntityRenderController.php b/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Entity/EntityRenderController.php
index 860c044..5912d67 100644
--- a/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Entity/EntityRenderController.php
+++ b/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Entity/EntityRenderController.php
@@ -31,6 +31,16 @@ public function __construct($entity_type) {
    */
   public function buildContent(array $entities, array $displays, $view_mode, $langcode = NULL) {
     field_attach_prepare_view($this->entityType, $entities, $displays, $langcode);
+
+    // Initialize the field item attributes for the fields set to be displayed.
+    foreach ($entities as $entity) {
+      foreach ($displays[$entity->bundle()]->getComponents() as $name => $options) {
+        foreach ($entity->get($name) as $item) {
+          $item->_attributes = array();
+        }
+      }
+    }
+
     module_invoke_all('entity_prepare_view', $this->entityType, $entities, $displays, $view_mode);
 
     foreach ($entities as $entity) {
diff --git a/core/modules/field/field.module b/core/modules/field/field.module
index cc7ad90..d47e7f2 100644
--- a/core/modules/field/field.module
+++ b/core/modules/field/field.module
@@ -873,6 +873,18 @@ function template_preprocess_field(&$variables, $hook) {
   foreach ($variables['items'] as $delta => $item) {
     $variables['item_attributes'][$delta] = isset($variables['item_attributes'][$delta]) ? new Attribute($variables['item_attributes'][$delta]) : clone($default_attributes);
   }
+
+  // Field formatters get the HTML attributes as part of each field item
+  // in case they want to inject these attributes in their HTML output.
+  // If the field formatter did not include these attributes in its HTML and
+  // left them in the item, add these attributes to the field template.
+  // @todo should we use $variables['items'] here instead of $element['#items']?
+  foreach ($element['#items'] as $delta => $item) {
+    if (!empty($item['_attributes'])) {
+      // Merge HTML data attributes with item_attributes.
+      $variables['item_attributes'][$delta] = new Attribute($item['_attributes']);
+    }
+  }
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/core/modules/file/lib/Drupal/file/Plugin/field/formatter/GenericFileFormatter.php b/core/modules/file/lib/Drupal/file/Plugin/field/formatter/GenericFileFormatter.php
index 57eb6ae..af2ef0d 100644
--- a/core/modules/file/lib/Drupal/file/Plugin/field/formatter/GenericFileFormatter.php
+++ b/core/modules/file/lib/Drupal/file/Plugin/field/formatter/GenericFileFormatter.php
@@ -38,13 +38,13 @@ public function viewElements(EntityInterface $entity, $langcode, FieldInterface
           '#file' => $item->entity,
           '#description' => $item->description,
         );
-        // Pass HTML data attributes to the theme function.
-        if (isset($item->html_data_attributes)) {
+        // Pass field item attributes to the theme function.
+        if (isset($item->_attributes)) {
           $elements[$delta] += array('#attributes' => array());
-          $elements[$delta]['#attributes'] = $item->html_data_attributes;
-          // Unset HTML data attributes since they've been added to the
-          // formatter and thus should not be rendered in the field template.
-          unset($item->html_data_attributes);
+          $elements[$delta]['#attributes'] += $item->_attributes;
+          // Unset field item attributes since they have been included in the
+          // formatter output and should not be rendered in the field template.
+          unset($item->_attributes);
         }
       }
     }
diff --git a/core/modules/image/lib/Drupal/image/Plugin/field/formatter/ImageFormatter.php b/core/modules/image/lib/Drupal/image/Plugin/field/formatter/ImageFormatter.php
index a1398e8..84a0c8c 100644
--- a/core/modules/image/lib/Drupal/image/Plugin/field/formatter/ImageFormatter.php
+++ b/core/modules/image/lib/Drupal/image/Plugin/field/formatter/ImageFormatter.php
@@ -120,13 +120,13 @@ public function viewElements(EntityInterface $entity, $langcode, FieldInterface
           '#image_style' => $image_style_setting,
           '#path' => isset($uri) ? $uri : '',
         );
-        // Pass HTML data attributes to the theme function.
-        if (isset($item->html_data_attributes)) {
+        // Pass field item attributes to the theme function.
+        if (isset($item->_attributes)) {
           $elements[$delta]['#item'] += array('attributes' => array());
-          $elements[$delta]['#item']['attributes'] += $item->html_data_attributes;
-          // Unset HTML data attributes since they've been added to the
-          // formatter and thus should not be rendered in the field template.
-          unset($item->html_data_attributes);
+          $elements[$delta]['#item']['attributes'] += $item->_attributes;
+          // Unset field item attributes since they have been included in the
+          // formatter output and should not be rendered in the field template.
+          unset($item->_attributes);
         }
       }
     }
diff --git a/core/modules/rdf/rdf.module b/core/modules/rdf/rdf.module
index bf2554e..85fa1e9 100644
--- a/core/modules/rdf/rdf.module
+++ b/core/modules/rdf/rdf.module
@@ -210,7 +210,7 @@ function rdf_entity_prepare_view($entity_type, array $entities, array $displays)
       $field_mapping = $mapping->getPreparedFieldMapping($name);
       if ($field_mapping['properties']) {
         foreach ($entity->get($name) as $item) {
-          $item->html_data_attributes = rdf_rdfa_attributes($field_mapping, $item->getValue());
+          $item->_attributes += rdf_rdfa_attributes($field_mapping, $item->getValue());
         }
       }
     }
@@ -339,22 +339,6 @@ function rdf_preprocess_node(&$variables) {
 }
 
 /**
- * Implements hook_preprocess_HOOK() for field.tpl.php.
- */
-function rdf_preprocess_field(&$variables) {
-  // Field formatters get the HTML data attributes as part of each field item
-  // in case they want to inject these attributes in their HTML output.
-  // If the field formatter didn't inject the HTML data attributes in its HTML
-  // and left them in the item, add these attributes to the field template.
-  foreach ($variables['element']['#items'] as $delta => $item) {
-    if (!empty($item['html_data_attributes'])) {
-      // Merge HTML data attributes with item_attributes.
-      $variables['item_attributes'][$delta] = new Attribute($item['html_data_attributes']);
-    }
-  }
-}
-
-/**
  * Implements hook_preprocess_HOOK() for user.tpl.php.
  */
 function rdf_preprocess_user(&$variables) {
diff --git a/core/modules/taxonomy/lib/Drupal/taxonomy/Plugin/field/formatter/LinkFormatter.php b/core/modules/taxonomy/lib/Drupal/taxonomy/Plugin/field/formatter/LinkFormatter.php
index 456582d..6579012 100644
--- a/core/modules/taxonomy/lib/Drupal/taxonomy/Plugin/field/formatter/LinkFormatter.php
+++ b/core/modules/taxonomy/lib/Drupal/taxonomy/Plugin/field/formatter/LinkFormatter.php
@@ -51,12 +51,12 @@ public function viewElements(EntityInterface $entity, $langcode, FieldInterface
           '#options' => $uri['options'],
         );
 
-        if (!empty($item->html_data_attributes)) {
+        if (!empty($item->_attributes)) {
           $elements[$delta]['#options'] += array('attributes' => array());
-          $elements[$delta]['#options']['attributes'] += $item->html_data_attributes;
-          // Unset HTML data attributes since they've been added to the
-          // formatter and thus should not be rendered in the field template.
-          unset($item->html_data_attributes);
+          $elements[$delta]['#options']['attributes'] += $item->_attributes;
+          // Unset field item attributes since they have been included in the
+          // formatter output and should not be rendered in the field template.
+          unset($item->_attributes);
         }
       }
     }