diff --git a/core/modules/hal/src/Normalizer/FieldNormalizer.php b/core/modules/hal/src/Normalizer/FieldNormalizer.php
index 71d35fecaf..0313221b40 100644
--- a/core/modules/hal/src/Normalizer/FieldNormalizer.php
+++ b/core/modules/hal/src/Normalizer/FieldNormalizer.php
@@ -3,19 +3,19 @@
 namespace Drupal\hal\Normalizer;
 
 use Drupal\Component\Utility\NestedArray;
-use Symfony\Component\Serializer\Exception\InvalidArgumentException;
+use Drupal\serialization\Normalizer\FieldNormalizer as SerializationFieldNormalizer;
 
 /**
  * Converts the Drupal field structure to HAL array structure.
  */
-class FieldNormalizer extends NormalizerBase {
+class FieldNormalizer extends SerializationFieldNormalizer {
 
   /**
-   * The interface or class that this Normalizer supports.
+   * The formats that the Normalizer can handle.
    *
-   * @var string
+   * @var array
    */
-  protected $supportedInterfaceOrClass = 'Drupal\Core\Field\FieldItemListInterface';
+  protected $format = ['hal_json'];
 
   /**
    * {@inheritdoc}
@@ -51,33 +51,6 @@ public function normalize($field, $format = NULL, array $context = array()) {
     return $normalized;
   }
 
-
-  /**
-   * {@inheritdoc}
-   */
-  public function denormalize($data, $class, $format = NULL, array $context = array()) {
-    if (!isset($context['target_instance'])) {
-      throw new InvalidArgumentException('$context[\'target_instance\'] must be set to denormalize with the FieldNormalizer');
-    }
-    if ($context['target_instance']->getParent() == NULL) {
-      throw new InvalidArgumentException('The field passed in via $context[\'target_instance\'] must have a parent set.');
-    }
-
-    $items = $context['target_instance'];
-    $item_class = $items->getItemDefinition()->getClass();
-    foreach ($data as $item_data) {
-      // Create a new item and pass it as the target for the unserialization of
-      // $item_data. Note: if $item_data is about a different language than the
-      // default, FieldItemNormalizer::denormalize() will dismiss this item and
-      // create a new one for the right language.
-      $context['target_instance'] = $items->appendItem();
-      $this->serializer->denormalize($item_data, $item_class, $format, $context);
-    }
-
-    return $items;
-
-  }
-
   /**
    * Helper function to normalize field items.
    *
diff --git a/core/modules/serialization/src/Normalizer/FieldNormalizer.php b/core/modules/serialization/src/Normalizer/FieldNormalizer.php
index 1847379b23..6a0ad8f5ae 100644
--- a/core/modules/serialization/src/Normalizer/FieldNormalizer.php
+++ b/core/modules/serialization/src/Normalizer/FieldNormalizer.php
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 
 use Drupal\Core\Field\FieldItemListInterface;
 use Symfony\Component\Serializer\Exception\InvalidArgumentException;
+use Symfony\Component\Serializer\Exception\UnexpectedValueException;
 use Symfony\Component\Serializer\Normalizer\DenormalizerInterface;
 
 /**
@@ -30,9 +31,18 @@ public function denormalize($data, $class, $format = NULL, array $context = arra
       throw new InvalidArgumentException('$context[\'target_instance\'] must be set to denormalize with the FieldNormalizer');
     }
 
+    if ($context['target_instance']->getParent() == NULL) {
+      throw new InvalidArgumentException('The field passed in via $context[\'target_instance\'] must have a parent set.');
+    }
+
     /** @var FieldItemListInterface $items */
     $items = $context['target_instance'];
     $item_class = $items->getItemDefinition()->getClass();
+
+    if (!is_array($data)) {
+      throw new UnexpectedValueException(sprintf('Field values for "%s" must use an array structure', $items->getName()));
+    }
+
     foreach ($data as $item_data) {
       // Create a new item and pass it as the target for the unserialization of
       // $item_data. All items in field should have removed before this method
diff --git a/core/modules/serialization/tests/src/Kernel/FieldItemSerializationTest.php b/core/modules/serialization/tests/src/Kernel/FieldItemSerializationTest.php
index 43fc9a90cd..b9f0425fae 100644
--- a/core/modules/serialization/tests/src/Kernel/FieldItemSerializationTest.php
+++ b/core/modules/serialization/tests/src/Kernel/FieldItemSerializationTest.php
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 use Drupal\entity_test\Entity\EntityTestMulRev;
 use Drupal\field\Entity\FieldConfig;
 use Drupal\field\Entity\FieldStorageConfig;
+use Symfony\Component\Serializer\Exception\UnexpectedValueException;
 
 /**
  * Test field level normalization process.
@@ -117,4 +118,18 @@ public function testFieldNormalizeDenormalize() {
     $this->assertEquals($denormalized_without_all_fields->field_test_text_default[0]->getValue(), $this->entity->field_test_text_default[0]->getValue(), 'Text field item with default denormalized.');
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Tests denormalizing using a scalar field value.
+   */
+  public function testFieldDenormalizeWithScalarValue() {
+    $this->setExpectedException(UnexpectedValueException::class, 'Field values for "uuid" must use an array structure');
+
+    $normalized = $this->serializer->normalize($this->entity, 'json');
+
+    // Change the UUID value to use the UUID directly. No array structure.
+    $normalized['uuid'] = $normalized['uuid'][0]['value'];
+
+    $this->serializer->denormalize($normalized, $this->entityClass, 'json');
+  }
+
 }