diff --git a/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Config/Schema/Element.php b/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Config/Schema/Element.php
index c492d42..4993de8 100644
--- a/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Config/Schema/Element.php
+++ b/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Config/Schema/Element.php
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 
 namespace Drupal\Core\Config\Schema;
 
+use Drupal\Core\Config\TypedConfigManagerInterface;
 use Drupal\Core\TypedData\TypedData;
 
 /**
@@ -15,6 +16,13 @@
 abstract class Element extends TypedData {
 
   /**
+   * The typed config manager.
+   *
+   * @var \Drupal\Core\Config\TypedConfigManagerInterface
+   */
+  protected $typedConfig;
+
+  /**
    * The configuration value.
    *
    * @var mixed
@@ -25,7 +33,7 @@
    * Create typed config object.
    */
   protected function parseElement($key, $data, $definition) {
-    return \Drupal::service('config.typed')->create($definition, $data, $key, $this);
+    return $this->typedConfig->create($definition, $data, $key, $this);
   }
 
   /**
@@ -34,7 +42,19 @@ protected function parseElement($key, $data, $definition) {
    * @return \Drupal\Core\TypedData\DataDefinitionInterface
    */
   protected function buildDataDefinition($definition, $value, $key) {
-    return  \Drupal::service('config.typed')->buildDataDefinition($definition, $value, $key, $this);
+    return $this->typedConfig->buildDataDefinition($definition, $value, $key, $this);
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Sets the typed config manager on the instance.
+   *
+   * This must be called immediately after construction to enable
+   * self::parseElement() and self::buildDataDefinition() to work.
+   *
+   * @param \Drupal\Core\Config\TypedConfigManagerInterface $typed_config
+   */
+  public function setTypedConfig(TypedConfigManagerInterface $typed_config) {
+    $this->typedConfig = $typed_config;
   }
 
 }
diff --git a/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Config/TypedConfigManager.php b/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Config/TypedConfigManager.php
index fb1c198..a784364 100644
--- a/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Config/TypedConfigManager.php
+++ b/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Config/TypedConfigManager.php
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 use Drupal\Component\Utility\NestedArray;
 use Drupal\Core\Cache\CacheBackendInterface;
 use Drupal\Core\Config\Schema\ConfigSchemaDiscovery;
+use Drupal\Core\Config\Schema\Element;
 use Drupal\Core\Extension\ModuleHandlerInterface;
 use Drupal\Core\TypedData\TypedDataManager;
 
@@ -295,4 +296,17 @@ public function hasConfigSchema($name) {
     return is_array($definition) && ($definition['class'] != '\Drupal\Core\Config\Schema\Undefined');
   }
 
+  /**
+   * {@inheritdoc}
+   */
+  public function createInstance($data_type, array $configuration = array()) {
+    $instance = parent::createInstance($data_type, $configuration);
+    // Enable elements to construct their own definitions using the typed config
+    // manager.
+    if ($instance instanceof Element) {
+      $instance->setTypedConfig($this);
+    }
+    return $instance;
+  }
+
 }