diff --git a/core/modules/rest/src/Tests/NodeTest.php b/core/modules/rest/src/Tests/NodeTest.php
index 2c8de1e..ccbee60 100644
--- a/core/modules/rest/src/Tests/NodeTest.php
+++ b/core/modules/rest/src/Tests/NodeTest.php
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
 namespace Drupal\rest\Tests;
 
 use Drupal\Core\Url;
-use Drupal\rest\Tests\RESTTestBase;
+use Drupal\node\Entity\Node;
 
 /**
  * Tests special cases for node entities.
@@ -90,4 +90,40 @@ public function testNodes() {
     // Make sure that the UUID of the node has not changed.
     $this->assertEqual($node->get('uuid')->getValue(), $updated_node->get('uuid')->getValue(), 'UUID was not changed.');
   }
+
+  /**
+   * Test creating a node using json serialization.
+   */
+  public function testCreate() {
+    $this->enableNodeConfiguration('POST', 'create');
+    $this->enableService('entity:node', 'POST', 'json');
+
+    // Create a title.
+    $title = $this->randomString();
+
+    // Data to be used for serialization.
+    $data = [
+      'type' => [['target_id' => 'resttest']],
+      'title' => [['value' => $title ]],
+    ];
+
+    // Create a JSON version of a simple node with the title.
+    $serialized = $this->container->get('serializer')->serialize($data, 'json');
+
+    // Post to the REST service to create the node.
+    $this->httpRequest('/entity/node', 'POST', $serialized, 'application/json');
+
+    // Make sure the response is "CREATED".
+    $this->assertResponse(201);
+
+    /** @var \Drupal\node\Entity\Node $node */
+    // Load the newly created node.
+    $node = Node::load(1);
+
+    // Test that the title is the same as what we posted.
+    $this->assertEqual($node->title->value, $title);
+
+    // Make sure the request returned a redirect header to view the node.
+    $this->assertHeader('Location', $node->url('canonical', ['absolute' => TRUE]));
+  }
 }
diff --git a/core/modules/serialization/src/Normalizer/EntityNormalizer.php b/core/modules/serialization/src/Normalizer/EntityNormalizer.php
index 5e81b5a..c7eaf37 100644
--- a/core/modules/serialization/src/Normalizer/EntityNormalizer.php
+++ b/core/modules/serialization/src/Normalizer/EntityNormalizer.php
@@ -43,22 +43,50 @@ public function __construct(EntityManagerInterface $entity_manager) {
   /**
    * {@inheritdoc}
    */
-  public function denormalize($data, $class, $format = NULL, array $context = array()) {
-    if (empty($context['entity_type'])) {
-      throw new UnexpectedValueException('Entity type parameter must be included in context.');
+  public function denormalize($data, $class, $format = NULL, array $context = []) {
+    // Get the entity type ID letting the context definition override the $class.
+    $entity_type_id = !empty($context['entity_type']) ? $context['entity_type'] : $this->entityManager->getEntityTypeFromClass($class);
+
+    /** @var \Drupal\Core\Entity\EntityTypeInterface $entity_type */
+    // Get the entity type definition.
+    $entity_type = $this->entityManager->getDefinition($entity_type_id, FALSE);
+
+    // Don't try to create an entity without an entity type id.
+    if (!$entity_type) {
+      throw new UnexpectedValueException('A valid entity type is required for denormalization.');
     }
 
-    $entity_type = $this->entityManager->getDefinition($context['entity_type']);
-
-    // The bundle property behaves differently from other entity properties.
-    // i.e. the nested structure with a 'value' key does not work.
+    // The bundle property will be required to denormalize a bundleable entity.
     if ($entity_type->hasKey('bundle')) {
       $bundle_key = $entity_type->getKey('bundle');
-      $type = $data[$bundle_key][0]['value'];
-      $data[$bundle_key] = $type;
+      // Get the base field definitions for this entity type.
+      $base_field_definitions = $this->entityManager->getBaseFieldDefinitions($entity_type_id);
+
+      // Set a default key ID.
+      $key_id = 'value';
+      // Get the ID key from the base field definition for the bundle key.
+      if (isset($base_field_definitions[$bundle_key])) {
+        $key_id = $base_field_definitions[$bundle_key]->getFieldStorageDefinition()->getMainPropertyName();
+      }
+
+      // Normalize the bundle if it is not explicitly set.
+      $data[$bundle_key] = isset($data[$bundle_key][0][$key_id]) ? $data[$bundle_key][0][$key_id] : $data[$bundle_key];
+
+      $bundle_types = $this->entityManager->getStorage($entity_type->getBundleEntityType())->getQuery()->execute();
+
+      // Make sure the bundle is a simple string.
+      if (!is_string($data[$bundle_key]) || !in_array($data[$bundle_key], $bundle_types)) {
+        throw new UnexpectedValueException(sprintf('"%s" is not a valid bundle type for denormalization.', $data[$bundle_key]));
+      }
     }
 
-    return $this->entityManager->getStorage($context['entity_type'])->create($data);
+    // Create the entity from data.
+    $entity = $this->entityManager->getStorage($entity_type_id)->create($data);
+
+    // Pass the names of the fields whose values can be merged.
+    // @todo https://www.drupal.org/node/2456257 remove this.
+    $entity->_restSubmittedFields = array_keys($data);
+
+    return $entity;
   }
-
 }
diff --git a/core/modules/serialization/tests/src/Unit/Normalizer/EntityNormalizerTest.php b/core/modules/serialization/tests/src/Unit/Normalizer/EntityNormalizerTest.php
index 652c650..0cd5983 100644
--- a/core/modules/serialization/tests/src/Unit/Normalizer/EntityNormalizerTest.php
+++ b/core/modules/serialization/tests/src/Unit/Normalizer/EntityNormalizerTest.php
@@ -99,14 +99,14 @@ public function testDenormalizeWithNoEntityType() {
    *
    * @covers ::denormalize
    */
-  public function testDenormalizeWithBundle() {
-    $test_data = array(
+  public function testDenormalizeWithValidBundle() {
+    $test_data = [
       'key_1' => 'value_1',
       'key_2' => 'value_2',
-      'test_type' => array(
-        array('value' => 'test_bundle'),
-      ),
-    );
+      'test_type' => [
+        ['name' => 'test_bundle'],
+      ],
+    ];
 
     $entity_type = $this->getMock('Drupal\Core\Entity\EntityTypeInterface');
     $entity_type->expects($this->once())
@@ -117,11 +117,47 @@ public function testDenormalizeWithBundle() {
       ->method('getKey')
       ->with('bundle')
       ->will($this->returnValue('test_type'));
+    $entity_type->expects($this->once())
+      ->method('getBundleEntityType')
+      ->will($this->returnValue('test_bundle'));
 
-    $this->entityManager->expects($this->once())
+    $entity_type_storage_definition = $this->getmock('Drupal\Core\Field\FieldStorageDefinitionInterface');
+    $entity_type_storage_definition->expects($this->once())
+      ->method('getMainPropertyName')
+      ->will($this->returnValue('name'));
+
+    $entity_type_definition = $this->getMock('Drupal\Core\Field\FieldDefinitionInterface');
+    $entity_type_definition->expects($this->once())
+      ->method('getFieldStorageDefinition')
+      ->will($this->returnValue($entity_type_storage_definition));
+
+    $base_definitions = [
+      'test_type' => $entity_type_definition,
+    ];
+
+    $this->entityManager->expects($this->at(0))
       ->method('getDefinition')
       ->with('test')
       ->will($this->returnValue($entity_type));
+    $this->entityManager->expects($this->at(1))
+      ->method('getBaseFieldDefinitions')
+      ->with('test')
+      ->will($this->returnValue($base_definitions));
+
+    $entity_query_mock = $this->getMock('Drupal\Core\Entity\Query\QueryInterface');
+    $entity_query_mock->expects($this->once())
+      ->method('execute')
+      ->will($this->returnValue(['test_bundle' => 'test_bundle']));
+
+    $entity_type_storage = $this->getMock('Drupal\Core\Entity\EntityStorageInterface');
+    $entity_type_storage->expects($this->once())
+      ->method('getQuery')
+      ->will($this->returnValue($entity_query_mock));
+
+    $this->entityManager->expects($this->at(2))
+      ->method('getStorage')
+      ->with('test_bundle')
+      ->will($this->returnValue($entity_type_storage));
 
     // The expected test data should have a modified test_type property.
     $expected_test_data = array(
@@ -136,12 +172,83 @@ public function testDenormalizeWithBundle() {
       ->with($expected_test_data)
       ->will($this->returnValue($this->getMock('Drupal\Core\Entity\EntityInterface')));
 
-    $this->entityManager->expects($this->once())
+    $this->entityManager->expects($this->at(3))
       ->method('getStorage')
       ->with('test')
       ->will($this->returnValue($storage));
 
-    $this->assertNotNull($this->entityNormalizer->denormalize($test_data, 'Drupal\Core\Entity\ContentEntityBase', NULL, array('entity_type' => 'test')));
+    $this->assertNotNull($this->entityNormalizer->denormalize($test_data, 'Drupal\Core\Entity\ContentEntityBase', NULL, ['entity_type' => 'test']));
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Tests the denormalize method with a bundle property.
+   *
+   * @expectedException \Symfony\Component\Serializer\Exception\UnexpectedValueException
+   *
+   * @covers ::denormalize
+   */
+  public function testDenormalizeWithInvalidBundle() {
+    $test_data = [
+      'key_1' => 'value_1',
+      'key_2' => 'value_2',
+      'test_type' => [
+        ['name' => 'test_bundle'],
+      ],
+    ];
+
+    $entity_type = $this->getMock('Drupal\Core\Entity\EntityTypeInterface');
+    $entity_type->expects($this->once())
+      ->method('hasKey')
+      ->with('bundle')
+      ->will($this->returnValue(TRUE));
+    $entity_type->expects($this->once())
+      ->method('getKey')
+      ->with('bundle')
+      ->will($this->returnValue('test_type'));
+    $entity_type->expects($this->once())
+      ->method('getBundleEntityType')
+      ->will($this->returnValue('test_bundle'));
+
+    $entity_type_storage_definition = $this->getmock('Drupal\Core\Field\FieldStorageDefinitionInterface');
+    $entity_type_storage_definition->expects($this->once())
+      ->method('getMainPropertyName')
+      ->will($this->returnValue('name'));
+
+    $entity_type_definition = $this->getMock('Drupal\Core\Field\FieldDefinitionInterface');
+    $entity_type_definition->expects($this->once())
+      ->method('getFieldStorageDefinition')
+      ->will($this->returnValue($entity_type_storage_definition));
+
+    $base_definitions = [
+      'test_type' => $entity_type_definition,
+    ];
+
+    $this->entityManager->expects($this->at(0))
+      ->method('getDefinition')
+      ->with('test')
+      ->will($this->returnValue($entity_type));
+    $this->entityManager->expects($this->at(1))
+      ->method('getBaseFieldDefinitions')
+      ->with('test')
+      ->will($this->returnValue($base_definitions));
+
+    $entity_query_mock = $this->getMock('Drupal\Core\Entity\Query\QueryInterface');
+    $entity_query_mock->expects($this->once())
+      ->method('execute')
+      ->will($this->returnValue(['test_bundle_other' => 'test_bundle_other']));
+
+    $entity_type_storage = $this->getMock('Drupal\Core\Entity\EntityStorageInterface');
+    $entity_type_storage->expects($this->once())
+      ->method('getQuery')
+      ->will($this->returnValue($entity_query_mock));
+
+    $this->entityManager->expects($this->at(2))
+      ->method('getStorage')
+      ->with('test_bundle')
+      ->will($this->returnValue($entity_type_storage));
+
+
+    $this->entityNormalizer->denormalize($test_data, 'Drupal\Core\Entity\ContentEntityBase', NULL, ['entity_type' => 'test']);
   }
 
   /**
@@ -179,6 +286,9 @@ public function testDenormalizeWithNoBundle() {
       ->with('test')
       ->will($this->returnValue($storage));
 
+    $this->entityManager->expects($this->never())
+      ->method('getBaseFieldDefinitions');
+
     $this->assertNotNull($this->entityNormalizer->denormalize($test_data, 'Drupal\Core\Entity\ContentEntityBase', NULL, array('entity_type' => 'test')));
   }
 
