diff --git a/core/modules/path/src/Plugin/Field/FieldType/PathFieldItemList.php b/core/modules/path/src/Plugin/Field/FieldType/PathFieldItemList.php
index a98e718..8488c7e 100644
--- a/core/modules/path/src/Plugin/Field/FieldType/PathFieldItemList.php
+++ b/core/modules/path/src/Plugin/Field/FieldType/PathFieldItemList.php
@@ -5,12 +5,43 @@
 use Drupal\Core\Access\AccessResult;
 use Drupal\Core\Field\FieldItemList;
 use Drupal\Core\Session\AccountInterface;
+use Drupal\Core\TypedData\ComputedItemListTrait;
 
 /**
  * Represents a configurable entity path field.
  */
 class PathFieldItemList extends FieldItemList {
 
+  use ComputedItemListTrait;
+
+  /**
+   * {@inheritdoc}
+   */
+  protected function computeValue() {
+    $entity = $this->getEntity();
+    if (!$entity->isNew()) {
+      // @todo Support loading languge neutral aliases in
+      //   https://www.drupal.org/node/2511968.
+      $alias = \Drupal::service('path.alias_storage')->load([
+        'source' => '/' . $entity->toUrl()->getInternalPath(),
+        'langcode' => $this->getLangcode(),
+      ]);
+
+      if ($alias) {
+        $value = $alias;
+      }
+      else {
+        // If there is no existing alias, default the langcode to the current
+        // language.
+        // @todo Set the langcode to not specified for untranslatable fields
+        //   in https://www.drupal.org/node/2689459.
+        $value = ['langcode' => $this->getLangcode()];
+      }
+
+      $this->list[0] = $this->createItem(0, $value);
+    }
+  }
+
   /**
    * {@inheritdoc}
    */
@@ -34,42 +65,4 @@ public function delete() {
     \Drupal::service('path.alias_storage')->delete($conditions);
   }
 
-  /**
-   * {@inheritdoc}
-   */
-  public function getValue($include_computed = FALSE) {
-    $this->ensureLoaded();
-    return parent::getValue($include_computed);
-  }
-
-  /**
-   * {@inheritdoc}
-   */
-  public function isEmpty() {
-    $this->ensureLoaded();
-    return parent::isEmpty();
-  }
-
-  /**
-   * {@inheritdoc}
-   */
-  public function getIterator() {
-    $this->ensureLoaded();
-    return parent::getIterator();
-  }
-
-  /**
-   * Automatically create the first item for computed fields.
-   *
-   * This ensures that ::getValue() and ::isEmpty() calls will behave like a
-   * non-computed field.
-   *
-   * @todo: Move this to the base class in https://www.drupal.org/node/2392845.
-   */
-  protected function ensureLoaded() {
-    if (!isset($this->list[0]) && $this->definition->isComputed()) {
-      $this->list[0] = $this->createItem(0);
-    }
-  }
-
 }
diff --git a/core/modules/path/src/Plugin/Field/FieldType/PathItem.php b/core/modules/path/src/Plugin/Field/FieldType/PathItem.php
index 9b5b67d..ea21dac 100644
--- a/core/modules/path/src/Plugin/Field/FieldType/PathItem.php
+++ b/core/modules/path/src/Plugin/Field/FieldType/PathItem.php
@@ -24,13 +24,6 @@
 class PathItem extends FieldItemBase {
 
   /**
-   * Whether the alias has been loaded from the alias storage service yet.
-   *
-   * @var bool
-   */
-  protected $isLoaded = FALSE;
-
-  /**
    * {@inheritdoc}
    */
   public static function propertyDefinitions(FieldStorageDefinitionInterface $field_definition) {
@@ -46,14 +39,6 @@ public static function propertyDefinitions(FieldStorageDefinitionInterface $fiel
   /**
    * {@inheritdoc}
    */
-  public function __get($name) {
-    $this->ensureLoaded();
-    return parent::__get($name);
-  }
-
-  /**
-   * {@inheritdoc}
-   */
   public static function schema(FieldStorageDefinitionInterface $field_definition) {
     return [];
   }
@@ -61,25 +46,8 @@ public static function schema(FieldStorageDefinitionInterface $field_definition)
   /**
    * {@inheritdoc}
    */
-  public function getValue() {
-    $this->ensureLoaded();
-    return parent::getValue();
-  }
-
-  /**
-   * {@inheritdoc}
-   */
   public function isEmpty() {
-    $this->ensureLoaded();
-    return parent::isEmpty();
-  }
-
-  /**
-   * {@inheritdoc}
-   */
-  public function getIterator() {
-    $this->ensureLoaded();
-    return parent::getIterator();
+    return ($this->alias === NULL || $this->alias === '') && ($this->pid === NULL || $this->pid === '');
   }
 
   /**
@@ -92,36 +60,6 @@ public function preSave() {
   /**
    * {@inheritdoc}
    */
-  public function __set($name, $value) {
-    // Also ensure that existing values are loaded when setting a value, this
-    // ensures that it is possible to set a new value immediately after loading
-    // an entity.
-    $this->ensureLoaded();
-    parent::__set($name, $value);
-  }
-
-  /**
-   * {@inheritdoc}
-   */
-  public function set($property_name, $value, $notify = TRUE) {
-    // Also ensure that existing values are loaded when setting a value, this
-    // ensures that it is possible to set a new value immediately after loading
-    // an entity.
-    $this->ensureLoaded();
-    return parent::set($property_name, $value, $notify);
-  }
-
-  /**
-   * {@inheritdoc}
-   */
-  public function get($property_name) {
-    $this->ensureLoaded();
-    return parent::get($property_name);
-  }
-
-  /**
-   * {@inheritdoc}
-   */
   public function postSave($update) {
     if (!$update) {
       if ($this->alias) {
@@ -160,38 +98,4 @@ public static function mainPropertyName() {
     return 'alias';
   }
 
-  /**
-   * Ensures the alias properties are loaded if available.
-   *
-   * This ensures that the properties will always be loaded and act like
-   * non-computed fields when calling ::__get() and getValue().
-   *
-   * @todo: Determine if this should be moved to the base class in
-   *   https://www.drupal.org/node/2392845.
-   */
-  protected function ensureLoaded() {
-    if (!$this->isLoaded) {
-      $entity = $this->getEntity();
-      if (!$entity->isNew()) {
-        // @todo Support loading languge neutral aliases in
-        //   https://www.drupal.org/node/2511968.
-        $alias = \Drupal::service('path.alias_storage')->load([
-          'source' => '/' . $entity->toUrl()->getInternalPath(),
-          'langcode' => $this->getLangcode(),
-        ]);
-        if ($alias) {
-          $this->setValue($alias);
-        }
-        else {
-          // If there is no existing alias, default the langcode to the current
-          // language.
-          // @todo Set the langcode to not specified for untranslatable fields
-          //   in https://www.drupal.org/node/2689459.
-          $this->langcode = $this->getLangcode();
-        }
-      }
-      $this->isLoaded = TRUE;
-    }
-  }
-
 }
diff --git a/core/modules/serialization/src/Normalizer/ContentEntityNormalizer.php b/core/modules/serialization/src/Normalizer/ContentEntityNormalizer.php
index d3abef6..ad3f02e 100644
--- a/core/modules/serialization/src/Normalizer/ContentEntityNormalizer.php
+++ b/core/modules/serialization/src/Normalizer/ContentEntityNormalizer.php
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ public function normalize($entity, $format = NULL, array $context = []) {
 
     $attributes = [];
     foreach ($entity as $name => $field_items) {
+      $field_items->filterEmptyItems();
       if ($field_items->access('view', $context['account'])) {
         $attributes[$name] = $this->serializer->normalize($field_items, $format, $context);
       }