diff --git a/core/modules/content_translation/config/schema/content_translation.field_settings.schema.yml b/core/modules/content_translation/config/schema/content_translation.field_settings.schema.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c41b7c4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/modules/content_translation/config/schema/content_translation.field_settings.schema.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+# Schema for field settings for the Content Translation module.
+
+content_translation.field_settings:
+  type: mapping
+  label: 'Field settings'
+  mapping:
+    translation_sync:
+      type: sequence
+      label: 'Fields that have translation synchronisation enabled'
+      sequence:
+        - type: string
+          label: 'Field'
diff --git a/core/modules/content_translation/content_translation.admin.inc b/core/modules/content_translation/content_translation.admin.inc
index 96b8d3c..313feb8 100644
--- a/core/modules/content_translation/content_translation.admin.inc
+++ b/core/modules/content_translation/content_translation.admin.inc
@@ -36,12 +36,18 @@ function content_translation_field_sync_widget(FieldDefinitionInterface $field)
 
     $settings = array('dependent_selectors' => array('instance[settings][translation_sync]' => array('file')));
 
-    $translation_sync = $field->getSetting('translation_sync');
+    // Create an associative array of column groups, keyed on column name, with
+    // the value of disabled columns set to FALSE.
+    $translation_sync = \Drupal::config('content_translation.field_settings')->get('translation_sync.' . $field->id()) ?: array();
+    $default = array_map(function ($value) use ($translation_sync) {
+      return in_array($value, $translation_sync) ? $value : FALSE;
+    }, array_combine(array_keys($default), array_keys($default)));
+
     $element = array(
       '#type' => 'checkboxes',
       '#title' => t('Translatable elements'),
       '#options' => $options,
-      '#default_value' => !empty($translation_sync) ? $translation_sync : $default,
+      '#default_value' => $default,
       '#attached' => array(
         'library' => array(
           'content_translation/drupal.content_translation.admin',
diff --git a/core/modules/content_translation/content_translation.module b/core/modules/content_translation/content_translation.module
index 469c1ea..961f476 100644
--- a/core/modules/content_translation/content_translation.module
+++ b/core/modules/content_translation/content_translation.module
@@ -751,29 +751,29 @@ function content_translation_form_field_ui_field_edit_form_submit($form, array &
  * Implements hook_form_FORM_ID_alter() for 'field_ui_field_instance_edit_form'.
  */
 function content_translation_form_field_ui_field_instance_edit_form_alter(array &$form, array &$form_state, $form_id) {
-  if ($form['#field']->isTranslatable()) {
+  if ($form_state['instance']->isTranslatable()) {
     module_load_include('inc', 'content_translation', 'content_translation.admin');
-    $element = content_translation_field_sync_widget($form['#field']);
+    $element = content_translation_field_sync_widget($form_state['instance']);
     if ($element) {
       $form['instance']['settings']['translation_sync'] = $element;
+      $form['#submit'][] = 'content_translation_form_field_ui_field_instance_edit_form_submit';
     }
   }
 }
 
 /**
+ * Form submission handler for 'field_ui_field_instance_edit_form'.
+ */
+function content_translation_form_field_ui_field_instance_edit_form_submit($form, array &$form_state) {
+  $key = 'translation_sync.' . $form_state['instance']->id();
+  $value = array_keys(array_filter($form_state['values']['instance']['settings']['translation_sync']));
+  \Drupal::config('content_translation.field_settings')->set($key, $value)->save();
+}
+
+/**
  * Implements hook_entity_presave().
  */
 function content_translation_entity_presave(EntityInterface $entity) {
-  // By default no column has to be synchronized.
-  // @todo Replace with own storage in https://drupal.org/node/2224761
-  if ($entity->getEntityTypeId() === 'field_config') {
-    $entity->settings += array('translation_sync' => FALSE);
-  }
-  // Synchronization can be enabled per instance.
-  // @todo Replace with own storage in https://drupal.org/node/2224761
-  if ($entity->getEntityTypeId() === 'field_instance_config') {
-    $entity->settings += array('translation_sync' => FALSE);
-  }
   if ($entity instanceof ContentEntityInterface && $entity->isTranslatable()) {
     // @todo Avoid using request attributes once translation metadata become
     //   regular fields.
@@ -934,14 +934,16 @@ function content_translation_save_settings($settings) {
         // Store whether fields have translation enabled or not.
         if (!empty($bundle_settings['columns'])) {
           foreach ($bundle_settings['columns'] as $field_name => $column_settings) {
+            $column_settings = array_keys(array_filter($column_settings));
             $instance = field_info_instance($entity_type, $field_name, $bundle);
             if ($instance->isTranslatable()) {
-              $instance->settings['translation_sync'] = $column_settings;
+              \Drupal::config('content_translation.field_settings')->set('translation_sync.' . $entity_type . '.' . $bundle . '.' . $field_name, $column_settings)->save();
             }
             // If the field does not have translatable enabled we need to reset
             // the sync settings to their defaults.
             else {
-              unset($instance->settings['translation_sync']);
+              $key = 'translation_sync.' . $entity_type . '.' . $bundle . '.' . $field_name;
+              \Drupal::config('content_translation.field_settings')->clear($key)->save();
             }
             $instance->save();
           }
diff --git a/core/modules/content_translation/lib/Drupal/content_translation/FieldTranslationSynchronizer.php b/core/modules/content_translation/lib/Drupal/content_translation/FieldTranslationSynchronizer.php
index 196512b..4d42d9e 100644
--- a/core/modules/content_translation/lib/Drupal/content_translation/FieldTranslationSynchronizer.php
+++ b/core/modules/content_translation/lib/Drupal/content_translation/FieldTranslationSynchronizer.php
@@ -61,10 +61,11 @@ public function synchronizeFields(ContentEntityInterface $entity, $sync_langcode
 
       // Sync if the field is translatable, not empty, and the synchronization
       // setting is enabled.
-      if ($field_definition->isTranslatable() && !$items->isEmpty() && $translation_sync = $field_definition->getSetting('translation_sync')) {
+      $key = 'translation_sync.' . $entity->getEntityTypeId() . '.' . $entity->bundle() . '.' . $field_name;
+      if ($field_definition->isTranslatable() && !$items->isEmpty() && $translation_sync = \Drupal::config('content_translation.field_settings')->get($key)) {
         // Retrieve all the untranslatable column groups and merge them into
         // single list.
-        $groups = array_keys(array_diff($translation_sync, array_filter($translation_sync)));
+        $groups = array_diff(array_keys($field_type_definition['column_groups']), $translation_sync);
         if (!empty($groups)) {
           $columns = array();
           foreach ($groups as $group) {
diff --git a/core/modules/content_translation/lib/Drupal/content_translation/Tests/ContentTranslationSyncImageTest.php b/core/modules/content_translation/lib/Drupal/content_translation/Tests/ContentTranslationSyncImageTest.php
index 3f990db..eb93da9 100644
--- a/core/modules/content_translation/lib/Drupal/content_translation/Tests/ContentTranslationSyncImageTest.php
+++ b/core/modules/content_translation/lib/Drupal/content_translation/Tests/ContentTranslationSyncImageTest.php
@@ -69,14 +69,25 @@ protected function setupTestFields() {
       'field_name' => $this->fieldName,
       'bundle' => $this->entityTypeId,
       'label' => 'Test translatable image field',
-      'settings' => array(
-        'translation_sync' => array(
-          'file' => FALSE,
-          'alt' => 'alt',
-          'title' => 'title',
+    ))->save();
+
+    // Enable content translation for image field on the test entity.
+    $settings = array(
+      'content_translation' => array(
+        'enabled' => TRUE,
+        'fields' => array(
+          $this->fieldName => TRUE,
         ),
       ),
-    ))->save();
+    );
+    $key = $this->entityTypeId . '.' . $this->entityTypeId;
+    \Drupal::config('content_translation.settings')->set($key, $settings)->save();
+
+    // Enable content translation for the 'alt' and 'title' properties on the
+    // image field.
+    $settings = array('alt', 'title');
+    $key = 'translation_sync.' . $this->entityTypeId . '.' . $this->entityTypeId . '.' . $this->fieldName;
+    \Drupal::config('content_translation.field_settings')->set($key, $settings)->save();
   }
 
   /**