diff --git a/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Update/UpdateRegistryTest.php b/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Update/UpdateRegistryTest.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a62b12d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Update/UpdateRegistryTest.php
@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+<?php
+
+namespace Drupal\Core\Update;
+
+/**
+ * UpdateRegistryTest used for tests.
+ *
+ * @see UpdateRegistry
+ */
+class UpdateRegistryTest {
+
+  /**
+   * {@inheritdoc}
+   */
+  public function getPendingUpdateFunctions() {
+    return [];
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * {@inheritdoc}
+   */
+  public function getPendingUpdateInformation() {
+    return [];
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * {@inheritdoc}
+   */
+  public function registerInvokedUpdates(array $function_names) {
+    return $this;
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * {@inheritdoc}
+   */
+  public function getModuleUpdateFunctions($module_name) {
+    return [];
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * {@inheritdoc}
+   */
+  public function filterOutInvokedUpdatesByModule($module) {}
+
+}
diff --git a/core/modules/system/src/SystemConfigSubscriber.php b/core/modules/system/src/SystemConfigSubscriber.php
index ddd37be..acebf14 100644
--- a/core/modules/system/src/SystemConfigSubscriber.php
+++ b/core/modules/system/src/SystemConfigSubscriber.php
@@ -5,8 +5,10 @@
 use Drupal\Core\Config\ConfigCrudEvent;
 use Drupal\Core\Config\ConfigEvents;
 use Drupal\Core\Config\ConfigImporterEvent;
+use Drupal\Core\Extension\ModuleHandlerInterface;
 use Drupal\Core\Routing\RouteBuilderInterface;
 use Drupal\Core\StringTranslation\StringTranslationTrait;
+use Drupal\Core\Update\UpdateRegistry;
 use Symfony\Component\EventDispatcher\EventSubscriberInterface;
 
 /**
@@ -23,13 +25,32 @@ class SystemConfigSubscriber implements EventSubscriberInterface {
   protected $routerBuilder;
 
   /**
+   * Module handler service.
+   *
+   * @var \Drupal\Core\Extension\ModuleHandlerInterface
+   */
+  protected $moduleHandler;
+
+  /**
+   * The update registry
+   *
+   * @var \Drupal\Core\Update\UpdateRegistry
+   */
+  protected $postUpdateRegistry;
+
+  /**
    * Constructs the SystemConfigSubscriber.
    *
-   * @param \Drupal\Core\Routing\RouteBuilderInterface $route_builder
+   * @param \Drupal\Core\Routing\RouteBuilderInterface $router_builder
    *   The router builder service.
+   * @param \Drupal\Core\Extension\ModuleHandlerInterface $module_handler
+   *   The module handler.
+   * @param \Drupal\Core\Update\UpdateRegistry $post_update_registry
    */
-  public function __construct(RouteBuilderInterface $router_builder) {
+  public function __construct(RouteBuilderInterface $router_builder, ModuleHandlerInterface $module_handler, UpdateRegistry $post_update_registry) {
     $this->routerBuilder = $router_builder;
+    $this->moduleHandler = $module_handler;
+    $this->postUpdateRegistry = $post_update_registry;
   }
 
   /**
@@ -78,6 +99,52 @@ public function onConfigImporterValidateSiteUUID(ConfigImporterEvent $event) {
   }
 
   /**
+   * Checks for any pending database updates.
+   *
+   * As pending database update can cause issues as they potentially make
+   * changes code base and database.
+   *
+   * @see https://www.drupal.org/node/2628144
+   *
+   * @param ConfigImporterEvent $event
+   *   The config import event.
+   */
+  public function onConfigImporterValidateDatabaseUpdate(ConfigImporterEvent $event) {
+    if ($this->hasModuleUpdates()) {
+      $event->getConfigImporter()->logError($this->t('Pending database updates available.'));
+    }
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Checks if there any pending database updates.
+   *
+   * @return bool
+   *   TRUE, if there any pending update on modules, FALSE otherwise.
+   */
+  protected function hasModuleUpdates() {
+    // Check installed modules.
+    $has_pending_updates = FALSE;
+    foreach ($this->moduleHandler->getModuleList() as $module => $filename) {
+      $updates = drupal_get_schema_versions($module);
+      if ($updates !== FALSE) {
+        $default = drupal_get_installed_schema_version($module);
+        if (max($updates) > $default) {
+          $has_pending_updates = TRUE;
+          break;
+        }
+      }
+    }
+    if (!$has_pending_updates) {
+      $missing_post_update_functions = $this->postUpdateRegistry->getPendingUpdateFunctions();
+      if (!empty($missing_post_update_functions)) {
+        $has_pending_updates = TRUE;
+      }
+    }
+
+    return $has_pending_updates;
+  }
+
+  /**
    * {@inheritdoc}
    */
   public static function getSubscribedEvents() {
@@ -86,6 +153,7 @@ public static function getSubscribedEvents() {
     // there is no configuration to import.
     $events[ConfigEvents::IMPORT_VALIDATE][] = ['onConfigImporterValidateNotEmpty', 512];
     $events[ConfigEvents::IMPORT_VALIDATE][] = ['onConfigImporterValidateSiteUUID', 256];
+    $events[ConfigEvents::IMPORT_VALIDATE][] = ['onConfigImporterValidateDatabaseUpdate', 255];
     return $events;
   }
 
diff --git a/core/modules/system/src/Tests/Update/UpdatePendingConfigImportTest.php b/core/modules/system/src/Tests/Update/UpdatePendingConfigImportTest.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4047991
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/modules/system/src/Tests/Update/UpdatePendingConfigImportTest.php
@@ -0,0 +1,77 @@
+<?php
+
+namespace Drupal\system\Tests\Update;
+
+use Drupal\Core\Config\ConfigImporterException;
+
+/**
+ * Tests config imports with pending updates.
+ *
+ * @group Update
+ */
+class UpdatePendingConfigImportTest extends UpdatePathTestBase {
+
+  /**
+   * {@inheritdoc}
+   */
+  protected function setDatabaseDumpFiles() {
+    $this->databaseDumpFiles = [
+      __DIR__ . '/../../../tests/fixtures/update/drupal-8.bare.standard.php.gz',
+      __DIR__ . '/../../../tests/fixtures/update/drupal-8.update-test-config-import.php',
+    ];
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * {@inheritdoc}
+   */
+  protected function doSelectionTest() {
+    parent::doSelectionTest();
+    $this->assertRaw('8001 -   Pending update.');
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Tests database update with configuration import.
+   */
+  public function testConfigImport() {
+
+    // Add 'profile' key so we don't get notices.
+    \Drupal::configFactory()->getEditable('core.extension')->set('profile', \Drupal::installProfile())->save();
+    // Export active config to sync.
+    $this->copyConfig($this->container->get('config.storage'), $this->container->get('config.storage.sync'));
+    // Get site name.
+    $site_name = \Drupal::config('system.site')->get('name');
+    $new_site_name = 'Overridden site name.';
+    // Change site name.
+    \Drupal::configFactory()->getEditable('system.site')->set('name', $new_site_name)->save();
+
+    try {
+      // Try running config import with pending.
+      $this->configImporter()->import();
+    }
+    catch (ConfigImporterException $e) {
+      $this->assertEqual($e->getMessage(), 'There were errors validating the config synchronization.');
+      $error_log = $this->configImporter->getErrors();
+      $expected = array('Pending database updates available.');
+      $this->assertEqual($expected, $error_log);
+    }
+
+    // Run database updates.
+    $this->runUpdates();
+    $this->drupalGet('update.php/selection');
+    $this->assertText('No pending updates.');
+
+    // Check site name.
+    $this->assertEqual($new_site_name, \Drupal::config('system.site')->get('name'));
+
+    // Use the UI to import (for some reason I can't get the config importer to
+    // get rid of it's error log of pending database updates, and that error log
+    // is probably stuck somewhere deeper).
+    $this->drupalLogin($this->rootUser);
+    $this->drupalGet('admin/config/development/configuration');
+    $this->drupalPostForm(NULL, [], 'Import all');
+
+    // Site name should be reverted again.
+    $this->assertEqual($site_name, \Drupal::config('system.site')->get('name'));
+  }
+
+}
diff --git a/core/modules/system/system.services.yml b/core/modules/system/system.services.yml
index c70889d..0c4e23a 100644
--- a/core/modules/system/system.services.yml
+++ b/core/modules/system/system.services.yml
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ services:
       - { name: theme_negotiator, priority: 100 }
   system.config_subscriber:
     class: Drupal\system\SystemConfigSubscriber
-    arguments: ['@router.builder']
+    arguments: ['@router.builder', '@module_handler', '@update.post_update_registry']
     tags:
       - { name: event_subscriber }
   system.config_cache_tag:
diff --git a/core/modules/system/tests/fixtures/update/drupal-8.update-test-config-import.php b/core/modules/system/tests/fixtures/update/drupal-8.update-test-config-import.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7993a77
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/modules/system/tests/fixtures/update/drupal-8.update-test-config-import.php
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+<?php
+
+/**
+ * @file
+ * Partial database to mimic the installation of the update_test_post_update
+ * module.
+ */
+
+use Drupal\Core\Database\Database;
+
+$connection = Database::getConnection();
+
+// Set the schema version.
+$connection->merge('key_value')
+  ->condition('collection', 'system.schema')
+  ->condition('name', 'update_test_config_import')
+  ->fields([
+    'collection' => 'system.schema',
+    'name' => 'update_test_config_import',
+    'value' => 'i:8000;',
+  ])
+  ->execute();
+
+// Update core.extension.
+$extensions = $connection->select('config')
+  ->fields('config', ['data'])
+  ->condition('collection', '')
+  ->condition('name', 'core.extension')
+  ->execute()
+  ->fetchField();
+$extensions = unserialize($extensions);
+$extensions['module']['update_test_config_import'] = 8000;
+$extensions['theme']['stable'] = 0;
+$connection->update('config')
+  ->fields([
+    'data' => serialize($extensions),
+  ])
+  ->condition('collection', '')
+  ->condition('name', 'core.extension')
+  ->execute();
diff --git a/core/modules/system/tests/modules/update_test_config_import/update_test_config_import.info.yml b/core/modules/system/tests/modules/update_test_config_import/update_test_config_import.info.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..faf112f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/modules/system/tests/modules/update_test_config_import/update_test_config_import.info.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+core: 8.x
+name: Update test config import
+type: module
+package: Testing
+version: VERSION
diff --git a/core/modules/system/tests/modules/update_test_config_import/update_test_config_import.install b/core/modules/system/tests/modules/update_test_config_import/update_test_config_import.install
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..11ec5e3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/modules/system/tests/modules/update_test_config_import/update_test_config_import.install
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+<?php
+
+/**
+ * @file
+ * Install hooks for test module.
+ */
+
+/**
+ * Pending update.
+ */
+function update_test_config_import_update_8001() {
+}
diff --git a/core/tests/Drupal/KernelTests/KernelTestBase.php b/core/tests/Drupal/KernelTests/KernelTestBase.php
index 5621d4a..766cc4f 100644
--- a/core/tests/Drupal/KernelTests/KernelTestBase.php
+++ b/core/tests/Drupal/KernelTests/KernelTestBase.php
@@ -616,6 +616,10 @@ public function register(ContainerBuilder $container) {
         ->addTag('event_subscriber');
     }
 
+    // We don't care about post updates in the kernel test base.
+    $container->removeDefinition('update.post_update_registry');
+    $container->register('update.post_update_registry', 'Drupal\Core\Update\UpdateRegistryTest');
+
     if ($container->hasDefinition('path_processor_alias')) {
       // Prevent the alias-based path processor, which requires a url_alias db
       // table, from being registered to the path processor manager. We do this
@@ -805,6 +809,10 @@ protected function installSchema($module, $tables) {
         throw new \LogicException("$module module does not define a schema for table '$table'.");
       }
       $this->container->get('database')->schema()->createTable($table, $schema);
+
+      // Set a very high schema version so no updates are found because we
+      // don't want to run them anyway.
+      drupal_set_installed_schema_version($module, 8888);
     }
   }