diff --git a/core/core.services.yml b/core/core.services.yml
index 9d40627..90e64bd 100644
--- a/core/core.services.yml
+++ b/core/core.services.yml
@@ -1057,7 +1057,7 @@ services:
   html_response.attachments_processor:
     class: Drupal\Core\Render\HtmlResponseAttachmentsProcessor
     tags:
-    arguments: ['@asset.resolver', '@config.factory', '@asset.css.collection_renderer', '@asset.js.collection_renderer', '@request_stack', '@renderer']
+    arguments: ['@asset.resolver', '@config.factory', '@asset.css.collection_renderer', '@asset.js.collection_renderer', '@request_stack', '@renderer', '@module_handler']
   html_response.subscriber:
     class: Drupal\Core\EventSubscriber\HtmlResponseSubscriber
     tags:
diff --git a/core/includes/common.inc b/core/includes/common.inc
index 006c58f..93d52fa 100644
--- a/core/includes/common.inc
+++ b/core/includes/common.inc
@@ -628,19 +628,13 @@ function drupal_process_attached(array $elements) {
       // Limit the amount allowed entries.
       switch ($callback) {
         case 'html_head':
-          call_user_func_array('_drupal_add_html_head', $args);
+          // @todo Remove validation in https://www.drupal.org/node/2477223
           break;
         case 'feed':
-          $args = [[
-            'href' => $args[0],
-            'rel' => 'alternate',
-            'title' => $args[1],
-            'type' => 'application/rss+xml',
-          ]];
-          call_user_func_array('_drupal_add_html_head_link', $args);
+          // @todo Remove validation in https://www.drupal.org/node/2477223
           break;
         case 'html_head_link':
-          call_user_func_array('_drupal_add_html_head_link', $args);
+          // @todo Remove validation in https://www.drupal.org/node/2477223
           break;
         case 'http_header':
           // @todo Remove validation in https://www.drupal.org/node/2477223
diff --git a/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Render/HtmlResponseAttachmentsProcessor.php b/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Render/HtmlResponseAttachmentsProcessor.php
index 0cd7417..5841ea4 100644
--- a/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Render/HtmlResponseAttachmentsProcessor.php
+++ b/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Render/HtmlResponseAttachmentsProcessor.php
@@ -10,6 +10,8 @@
 use Drupal\Core\Asset\AssetResolverInterface;
 use Drupal\Core\Asset\AttachedAssets;
 use Drupal\Core\Config\ConfigFactoryInterface;
+use Drupal\Core\Extension\ModuleHandlerInterface;
+use Drupal\Component\Utility\SafeMarkup;
 use Symfony\Component\HttpFoundation\RequestStack;
 
 /**
@@ -66,6 +68,13 @@ class HtmlResponseAttachmentsProcessor implements AttachmentsResponseProcessorIn
   protected $renderer;
 
   /**
+   * The module handler service.
+   *
+   * @var \Drupal\Core\Extension\ModuleHandlerInterface
+   */
+  protected $moduleHandler;
+
+  /**
    * Constructs a HtmlResponseAttachmentsProcessor object.
    *
    * @param \Drupal\Core\Asset\AssetResolverInterface $asset_resolver
@@ -80,14 +89,17 @@ class HtmlResponseAttachmentsProcessor implements AttachmentsResponseProcessorIn
    *   The request stack.
    * @param \Drupal\Core\Render\RendererInterface $renderer
    *   The renderer.
+   * @param \Drupal\Core\Extension\ModuleHandlerInterface $module_handler
+   *   The module handler service.
    */
-  public function __construct(AssetResolverInterface $asset_resolver, ConfigFactoryInterface $config_factory, AssetCollectionRendererInterface $css_collection_renderer, AssetCollectionRendererInterface $js_collection_renderer, RequestStack $request_stack, RendererInterface $renderer) {
+  public function __construct(AssetResolverInterface $asset_resolver, ConfigFactoryInterface $config_factory, AssetCollectionRendererInterface $css_collection_renderer, AssetCollectionRendererInterface $js_collection_renderer, RequestStack $request_stack, RendererInterface $renderer, ModuleHandlerInterface $module_handler) {
     $this->assetResolver = $asset_resolver;
     $this->config = $config_factory->get('system.performance');
     $this->cssCollectionRenderer = $css_collection_renderer;
     $this->jsCollectionRenderer = $js_collection_renderer;
     $this->requestStack = $request_stack;
     $this->renderer = $renderer;
+    $this->moduleHandler = $module_handler;
   }
 
   /**
@@ -107,19 +119,47 @@ public function processAttachments(AttachmentsInterface $response) {
 
     $variables = $this->processAssetLibraries($attached, $placeholders);
 
-    // Handle all non-asset attachments. This populates drupal_get_html_head().
-    $all_attached = ['#attached' => $attached];
-    drupal_process_attached($all_attached);
+    // Since we can only replace content in the HTML head section if there's a
+    // placeholder for it, we can safely avoid processing the render array if
+    // it's not present.
+    if (!empty($placeholders['head'])) {
+
+      // feed is a special casse of html_head_link.
+      if (!empty($attached['feed'])) {
+        $feed = $attached['feed'];
+        $feed_link = [
+          'href' => $feed[0],
+          'rel' => 'alternate',
+          'title' => $feed[1],
+          'type' => 'application/rss+xml',
+        ];
+        $attached['html_head_link'][] = $feed_link;
+      }
+
+      // html_head_link is a special case of html_head which can be present as
+      // a head element, but also as a Link: http header depending on settings
+      // in the render array. Processing it can add to both the html_head and
+      // http_header keys of #attached, so we must address it first.
+      if (!empty($attached['html_head_link'])) {
+        $link_attached = $this->processHtmlHeadLink($attached['html_head_link']);
+        // Merge $link_attached so that its html_head and http_header
+        // sections are present for further processing.
+        $attached = array_merge($attached, $link_attached);
+      }
 
-    // Get HTML head elements - if present.
-    if (isset($placeholders['head'])) {
-      $variables['head'] = drupal_get_html_head(FALSE);
+      // Now we can process html_head.
+      if (!empty($attached['html_head'])) {
+        $head = $this->processHtmlHead($attached['html_head']);
+        // Invoke hook_html_head_alter().
+        $this->moduleHandler->alter('html_head', $head);
+        $variables['head'] = $head;
+      }
     }
 
     // Now replace the placeholders in the response content with the real data.
     $this->renderPlaceholders($response, $placeholders, $variables);
 
-    // Finally set the headers on the response if any bubbled.
+    // Set the HTTP headers on the response if any bubbled.
     if (!empty($attached['http_header'])) {
       $this->setHeaders($response, $attached['http_header']);
     }
@@ -219,4 +259,68 @@ protected function setHeaders(HtmlResponse $response, array $headers) {
     }
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Ensure proper key/data order and defaults for renderable head items.
+   *
+   * @param array $html_head
+   *   The ['#attached']['html_head'] portion of a render array.
+   *
+   * @return array
+   *   The ['#attached']['html_head'] portion of a render array with #type of
+   *   html_tag added for items without a #type.
+   */
+  protected function processHtmlHead(array $html_head) {
+    $head = [];
+    foreach ($html_head as $item) {
+      list ($data, $key) = $item;
+      if (!isset($data['#type'])) {
+        $data['#type'] = 'html_tag';
+      }
+      $head[$key] = $data;
+    }
+    return $head;
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Transform a html_head_link array into html_head and http_header arrays.
+   *
+   * html_head_link is a special case of html_head which can be present as
+   * a link item in the HTML head section, and also as a Link: HTTP header,
+   * depending on options in the render array. Processing it can add to both the
+   * html_head and http_header sections.
+   *
+   * @param array $html_head_link
+   *   The 'html_head_link' value of a render array.
+   *
+   * @return array
+   *   An ['#attached'] section of a render array. This allows us to easily
+   *   merge the results with other render arrays. The array could contain the
+   *   following keys:
+   *   - http_header
+   *   - html_head
+   */
+  protected function processHtmlHeadLink(array $html_head_link) {
+    $attached = [];
+
+    foreach ($html_head_link as $item) {
+      $attributes = $item[0];
+      $should_add_header = isset($item[1]) ? $item[1] : FALSE;
+
+      $element = array(
+        '#tag' => 'link',
+        '#attributes' => $attributes,
+      );
+      $href = $attributes['href'];
+      $attached['html_head'][] = [$element, 'html_head_link:' . $attributes['rel'] . ':' . $href];
+
+      if ($should_add_header) {
+        // Also add a HTTP header "Link:".
+        $href = '<' . SafeMarkup::checkPlain($attributes['href']) . '>;';
+        unset($attributes['href']);
+        $attached['http_header'][] = ['Link', $href . drupal_http_header_attributes($attributes), TRUE];
+      }
+    }
+    return $attached;
+  }
+
 }
