diff --git a/core/modules/block_content/block_content.install b/core/modules/block_content/block_content.install
index e8ee49260e..c59f3fd258 100644
--- a/core/modules/block_content/block_content.install
+++ b/core/modules/block_content/block_content.install
@@ -149,8 +149,8 @@ function block_content_update_8600() {
     ->setDescription(t('The parent entity type.'))
     ->setTranslatable(FALSE)
     ->setRevisionable(FALSE)
-    ->setDefaultValue('')
-    ->setInitialValue('');
+    ->setDefaultValue(NULL)
+    ->setInitialValue(NULL);
 
   $update_manager->installFieldStorageDefinition('parent_entity_type', 'block_content', 'block_content', $parent_entity_type);
 
@@ -159,8 +159,8 @@ function block_content_update_8600() {
     ->setDescription(t('The parent entity ID.'))
     ->setTranslatable(FALSE)
     ->setRevisionable(FALSE)
-    ->setDefaultValue('')
-    ->setInitialValue('');
+    ->setDefaultValue(NULL)
+    ->setInitialValue(NULL);
 
   $update_manager->installFieldStorageDefinition('parent_entity_id', 'block_content', 'block_content', $parent_entity_id);
 }
diff --git a/core/modules/block_content/src/Entity/BlockContent.php b/core/modules/block_content/src/Entity/BlockContent.php
index ba5002f634..2a83477036 100644
--- a/core/modules/block_content/src/Entity/BlockContent.php
+++ b/core/modules/block_content/src/Entity/BlockContent.php
@@ -354,4 +354,5 @@ public function hasParentEntity() {
     // a parent.
     return !empty($this->get('parent_entity_type')->value) || !empty($this->get('parent_entity_id')->value);
   }
+
 }
diff --git a/core/modules/block_content/tests/src/Functional/Update/BlockContentParentEntityUpdateTest.php b/core/modules/block_content/tests/src/Functional/Update/BlockContentParentEntityUpdateTest.php
index bd7cf0d771..943dee34b7 100644
--- a/core/modules/block_content/tests/src/Functional/Update/BlockContentParentEntityUpdateTest.php
+++ b/core/modules/block_content/tests/src/Functional/Update/BlockContentParentEntityUpdateTest.php
@@ -96,11 +96,8 @@ public function testParentFieldsAddition() {
     $this->assertEquals(TRUE, $block_with_parent->hasParentEntity());
     $this->assertEquals(TRUE, $block2_with_parent->hasParentEntity());
 
-
-
     // Ensure the Custom Block view shows the blocks without parents only.
     $this->drupalGet('admin/structure/block/block-content');
-    file_put_contents('/Users/ted.bowman/Sites/www/test.html', $this->getSession()->getPage()->getOuterHtml());
     $assert_session->statusCodeEquals('200');
     $assert_session->responseContains('view-id-block_content');
     $assert_session->pageTextContains($after_block1->label());
@@ -162,7 +159,6 @@ public function testParentFieldsAddition() {
 
     $this->drupalGet('block/' . $block_with_parent->id());
     $assert_session->statusCodeEquals('403');
-
   }
 
 }