diff --git a/core/modules/entity_reference/lib/Drupal/entity_reference/EntityReferenceAutocomplete.php b/core/modules/entity_reference/lib/Drupal/entity_reference/EntityReferenceAutocomplete.php
index c1d6114..ccc1116 100644
--- a/core/modules/entity_reference/lib/Drupal/entity_reference/EntityReferenceAutocomplete.php
+++ b/core/modules/entity_reference/lib/Drupal/entity_reference/EntityReferenceAutocomplete.php
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 
 use Drupal\Component\Utility\Tags;
 use Drupal\Core\Entity\EntityManagerInterface;
+use Drupal\Core\Field\FieldDefinitionInterface;
 use Drupal\entity_reference\Plugin\Type\SelectionPluginManager;
 use Symfony\Component\HttpKernel\Exception\AccessDeniedHttpException;
 
@@ -50,10 +51,8 @@ public function __construct(EntityManagerInterface $entity_manager, SelectionPlu
    * This function can be used by other modules that wish to pass a mocked
    * definition of the field on instance.
    *
-   * @param array $field
-   *   The field array definition.
-   * @param array $instance
-   *   The instance array definition.
+   * @param \Drupal\Core\Field\FieldDefinitionInterface $field_definition
+   *   The field definition.
    * @param string $entity_type
    *   The entity type.
    * @param string $entity_id
@@ -72,7 +71,7 @@ public function __construct(EntityManagerInterface $entity_manager, SelectionPlu
    *
    * @see \Drupal\entity_reference\EntityReferenceController
    */
-  public function getMatches($field, $instance, $entity_type, $entity_id = '', $prefix = '', $string = '') {
+  public function getMatches(FieldDefinitionInterface $field_definition, $entity_type, $entity_id = '', $prefix = '', $string = '') {
     $matches = array();
     $entity = NULL;
 
@@ -82,11 +81,11 @@ public function getMatches($field, $instance, $entity_type, $entity_id = '', $pr
         throw new AccessDeniedHttpException();
       }
     }
-    $handler = $this->selectionHandlerManager->getSelectionHandler($instance, $entity);
+    $handler = $this->selectionHandlerManager->getSelectionHandler($field_definition, $entity);
 
     if (isset($string)) {
       // Get an array of matching entities.
-      $widget = entity_get_form_display($instance->entity_type, $instance->bundle, 'default')->getComponent($instance->getName());
+      $widget = $field_definition->getDisplayOptions('form');
       $match_operator = !empty($widget['settings']['match_operator']) ? $widget['settings']['match_operator'] : 'CONTAINS';
       $entity_labels = $handler->getReferenceableEntities($string, $match_operator, 10);
 
diff --git a/core/modules/entity_reference/lib/Drupal/entity_reference/EntityReferenceController.php b/core/modules/entity_reference/lib/Drupal/entity_reference/EntityReferenceController.php
index 2dfda5d..ec707c0 100644
--- a/core/modules/entity_reference/lib/Drupal/entity_reference/EntityReferenceController.php
+++ b/core/modules/entity_reference/lib/Drupal/entity_reference/EntityReferenceController.php
@@ -70,12 +70,15 @@ public static function create(ContainerInterface $container) {
    *   The matched labels as json.
    */
   public function handleAutocomplete(Request $request, $type, $field_name, $entity_type, $bundle_name, $entity_id) {
-    if (!$instance = field_info_instance($entity_type, $field_name, $bundle_name)) {
+    $definitions = $this->entityManager()->getFieldDefinitions($entity_type, $bundle_name);
+
+    if (!isset($definitions[$field_name])) {
       throw new AccessDeniedHttpException();
     }
 
+    $field_definition = $definitions[$field_name];
     $access_controller = $this->entityManager()->getAccessController($entity_type);
-    if ($instance->getType() != 'entity_reference' || !$access_controller->fieldAccess('edit', $instance)) {
+    if ($field_definition->getType() != 'entity_reference' || !$access_controller->fieldAccess('edit', $field_definition)) {
       throw new AccessDeniedHttpException();
     }
 
@@ -91,7 +94,7 @@ public function handleAutocomplete(Request $request, $type, $field_name, $entity
       $prefix = count($items_typed) ? drupal_implode_tags($items_typed) . ', ' : '';
     }
 
-    $matches = $this->entityReferenceAutocomplete->getMatches($instance->getField(), $instance, $entity_type, $entity_id, $prefix, $last_item);
+    $matches = $this->entityReferenceAutocomplete->getMatches($field_definition, $entity_type, $entity_id, $prefix, $last_item);
 
     return new JsonResponse($matches);
   }
diff --git a/core/modules/entity_reference/lib/Drupal/entity_reference/Tests/EntityReferenceAutocompleteTest.php b/core/modules/entity_reference/lib/Drupal/entity_reference/Tests/EntityReferenceAutocompleteTest.php
index 84e48f8..60f97e6 100644
--- a/core/modules/entity_reference/lib/Drupal/entity_reference/Tests/EntityReferenceAutocompleteTest.php
+++ b/core/modules/entity_reference/lib/Drupal/entity_reference/Tests/EntityReferenceAutocompleteTest.php
@@ -7,6 +7,8 @@
 
 namespace Drupal\entity_reference\Tests;
 
+use Drupal\Component\Utility\Json;
+use Drupal\Component\Utility\String;
 use Drupal\Component\Utility\Tags;
 use Drupal\entity_reference\EntityReferenceController;
 use Drupal\system\Tests\Entity\EntityUnitTestBase;
@@ -44,7 +46,7 @@ class EntityReferenceAutocompleteTest extends EntityUnitTestBase {
    *
    * @var array
    */
-  public static $modules = array('entity_reference');
+  public static $modules = array('entity_reference', 'entity_reference_test');
 
   public static function getInfo() {
     return array(
@@ -80,8 +82,8 @@ function testEntityReferenceAutocompletion() {
     // We should get both entities in a JSON encoded string.
     $input = '10/';
     $data = $this->getAutocompleteResult('single', $input);
-    $this->assertIdentical($data[0]['label'], check_plain($entity_1->name->value), 'Autocomplete returned the first matching entity');
-    $this->assertIdentical($data[1]['label'], check_plain($entity_2->name->value), 'Autocomplete returned the second matching entity');
+    $this->assertIdentical($data[0]['label'], String::checkPlain($entity_1->name->value), 'Autocomplete returned the first matching entity');
+    $this->assertIdentical($data[1]['label'], String::checkPlain($entity_2->name->value), 'Autocomplete returned the second matching entity');
 
     // Try to autocomplete a entity label that matches the first entity.
     // We should only get the first entity in a JSON encoded string.
@@ -89,7 +91,7 @@ function testEntityReferenceAutocompletion() {
     $data = $this->getAutocompleteResult('single', $input);
     $target = array(
       'value' => $entity_1->name->value . ' (1)',
-      'label' => check_plain($entity_1->name->value),
+      'label' => String::checkPlain($entity_1->name->value),
     );
     $this->assertIdentical(reset($data), $target, 'Autocomplete returns only the expected matching entity.');
 
@@ -97,7 +99,7 @@ function testEntityReferenceAutocompletion() {
     // the first entity  is already typed in the autocomplete (tags) widget.
     $input = $entity_1->name->value . ' (1), 10/17';
     $data = $this->getAutocompleteResult('tags', $input);
-    $this->assertIdentical($data[0]['label'], check_plain($entity_2->name->value), 'Autocomplete returned the second matching entity');
+    $this->assertIdentical($data[0]['label'], String::checkPlain($entity_2->name->value), 'Autocomplete returned the second matching entity');
 
     // Try to autocomplete a entity label with both a comma and a slash.
     $input = '"label with, and / t';
@@ -107,7 +109,7 @@ function testEntityReferenceAutocompletion() {
     $n = Tags::encode($n);
     $target = array(
       'value' => $n,
-      'label' => check_plain($entity_3->name->value),
+      'label' => String::checkPlain($entity_3->name->value),
     );
     $this->assertIdentical(reset($data), $target, 'Autocomplete returns an entity label containing a comma and a slash.');
   }
@@ -130,6 +132,32 @@ protected function getAutocompleteResult($type, $input) {
     $entity_reference_controller = EntityReferenceController::create($this->container);
     $result = $entity_reference_controller->handleAutocomplete($request, $type, $this->fieldName, $this->entityType, $this->bundle, 'NULL')->getContent();
 
-    return drupal_json_decode($result);
+    return Json::decode($result);
   }
+
+  /**
+   * Tests autocomplete for entity base fields.
+   */
+  public function testBaseField() {
+    entity_test_create_bundle('test_bundle', 'Test bundle', 'entity_test_base_field_display');
+
+    // Add an entity with a slash in its name.
+    $entity_1 = entity_create($this->entityType, array('name' => '10/16/2011', $this->fieldName => NULL));
+    $entity_1->save();
+
+    // Add another entity that differs after the slash character.
+    $entity_2 = entity_create($this->entityType, array('name' => '10/17/2011', $this->fieldName => NULL));
+    $entity_2->save();
+
+    $request = Request::create('entity_reference/autocomplete/single/er/entity_test_base_field_display/test_bundle/NULL');
+    $request->query->set('q', '10');
+
+    $entity_reference_controller = EntityReferenceController::create($this->container);
+    $result = $entity_reference_controller->handleAutocomplete($request, 'single', 'er', 'entity_test_base_field_display', 'test_bundle', 'NULL')->getContent();
+
+    $data = Json::decode($result);
+    $this->assertIdentical($data[0]['label'], String::checkPlain($entity_1->name->value), 'Autocomplete returned the first matching entity');
+    $this->assertIdentical($data[1]['label'], String::checkPlain($entity_2->name->value), 'Autocomplete returned the second matching entity');
+  }
+
 }
diff --git a/core/modules/entity_reference/tests/modules/entity_reference_test/entity_reference_test.module b/core/modules/entity_reference/tests/modules/entity_reference_test/entity_reference_test.module
index 37dc050..6e76326 100644
--- a/core/modules/entity_reference/tests/modules/entity_reference_test/entity_reference_test.module
+++ b/core/modules/entity_reference/tests/modules/entity_reference_test/entity_reference_test.module
@@ -4,3 +4,25 @@
  * @file
  * Helper module for the Entity Reference tests.
  */
+
+
+/**
+ * Implements hook_entity_base_field_info().
+ */
+function entity_reference_test_entity_base_field_info(\Drupal\Core\Entity\EntityTypeInterface $entity_type) {
+  if ($entity_type->id() === 'entity_test_base_field_display') {
+    $fields['er'] = \Drupal\Core\Field\FieldDefinition::create('entity_reference')
+      ->setLabel(t('The entity reference'))
+      ->setSettings(array(
+        'target_type' => 'entity_test',
+        'handler' => 'default',
+      ))
+      ->setDisplayOptions('form', array(
+        'type' => 'entity_reference_autocomplete',
+        'weight' => 0,
+      ))
+      ->setDisplayConfigurable('form', TRUE);
+
+    return $fields;
+  }
+}