diff --git a/core/includes/install.core.inc b/core/includes/install.core.inc
index 721d106..4a32bf8 100644
--- a/core/includes/install.core.inc
+++ b/core/includes/install.core.inc
@@ -797,27 +797,28 @@ function install_tasks($install_state) {
     ],
   ];
 
+  if (!empty($install_state['config_install'])) {
+    // @todo add a load of commentary about what is happening.
+    unset($tasks['install_download_translation']);
+    $key = array_search('install_profile_modules', array_keys($tasks), TRUE);
+    unset($tasks['install_profile_modules']);
+    unset($tasks['install_profile_themes']);
+    unset($tasks['install_install_profile']);
+    $config_tasks = [
+      'install_config_import_batch' => [
+        'display_name' => t('Install configuration'),
+        'type' => 'batch',
+      ],
+      'install_config_download_translations' => [],
+      'install_config_fix_profile' => [],
+    ];
+    $tasks = array_slice($tasks, 0, $key, TRUE) +
+      $config_tasks +
+      array_slice($tasks, $key, NULL, TRUE);
+  }
+
   // Now add any tasks defined by the installation profile.
   if (!empty($install_state['parameters']['profile'])) {
-    if ($install_state['config_install']) {
-      // @todo add a load of commentary about what is happening.
-      unset($tasks['install_download_translation']);
-      $key = array_search('install_profile_modules', array_keys($tasks), TRUE);
-      unset($tasks['install_profile_modules']);
-      unset($tasks['install_profile_themes']);
-      unset($tasks['install_install_profile']);
-      $config_tasks = [
-        'install_config_import_batch' => [
-          'display_name' => t('Install configuration'),
-          'type' => 'batch',
-        ],
-        'install_config_download_translations' => [],
-        'install_config_fix_profile' => [],
-      ];
-      $tasks = array_slice($tasks, 0, $key, TRUE) +
-        $config_tasks +
-        array_slice($tasks, $key, NULL, TRUE);
-    }
     // Load the profile install file, because it is not always loaded when
     // hook_install_tasks() is invoked (e.g. batch processing).
     $profile = $install_state['parameters']['profile'];
@@ -1495,7 +1496,7 @@ function install_load_profile(&$install_state) {
   $install_state['profile_info'] = install_profile_info($profile, isset($install_state['parameters']['langcode']) ? $install_state['parameters']['langcode'] : 'en');
   // If the profile has a config/sync directory copy the information to the
   // install_state global.
-  if (isset($install_state['profile_info']['config_install'])) {
+  if (!empty($install_state['profile_info']['config_install'])) {
     $install_state['config_install'] = $install_state['profile_info']['config_install'];
     $install_state['config'] = $install_state['profile_info']['config'];
   }
diff --git a/core/includes/install.inc b/core/includes/install.inc
index 672815c..fb1dfd7 100644
--- a/core/includes/install.inc
+++ b/core/includes/install.inc
@@ -485,15 +485,17 @@ function _drupal_rewrite_settings_dump_one(\stdClass $variable, $prefix = '', $s
 function drupal_install_config_directories() {
   global $config_directories, $install_state;
 
-  // Add a randomized config directory name to settings.php, unless it was
-  // manually defined in the existing already.
+  // If settings.php does not contain a config sync directory name we need to
+  // configure one.
   if (empty($config_directories[CONFIG_SYNC_DIRECTORY])) {
-    if ($install_state['config_install']) {
-      $profile = $install_state['parameters']['profile'];
-      $config_directories[CONFIG_SYNC_DIRECTORY] = $install_state['config_install'];
+    if (empty($install_state['config_install'])) {
+      // Add a randomized config directory name to settings.php
+      $config_directories[CONFIG_SYNC_DIRECTORY] = \Drupal::service('site.path') . '/files/config_' . Crypt::randomBytesBase64(55) . '/sync';
     }
     else {
-      $config_directories[CONFIG_SYNC_DIRECTORY] = \Drupal::service('site.path') . '/files/config_' . Crypt::randomBytesBase64(55) . '/sync';
+      // Install profiles can contain a config sync directory. If they do,
+      // 'config_install' is a path to the directory.
+      $config_directories[CONFIG_SYNC_DIRECTORY] = $install_state['config_install'];
     }
     $settings['config_directories'][CONFIG_SYNC_DIRECTORY] = (object) [
       'value' => $config_directories[CONFIG_SYNC_DIRECTORY],
@@ -1084,7 +1086,7 @@ function install_profile_info($profile, $langcode = 'en') {
       'version' => NULL,
       'hidden' => FALSE,
       'php' => DRUPAL_MINIMUM_PHP,
-      'config_install' => FALSE,
+      'config_install' => NULL,
     ];
     $profile_path = drupal_get_path('profile', $profile);
     $info = \Drupal::service('info_parser')->parse($profile_path . "/$profile.info.yml");