diff --git a/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Entity/ContentEntityStorageBase.php b/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Entity/ContentEntityStorageBase.php
index 5986666..6bc33e8 100644
--- a/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Entity/ContentEntityStorageBase.php
+++ b/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Entity/ContentEntityStorageBase.php
@@ -224,25 +224,29 @@ protected function invokeHook($hook, EntityInterface $entity) {
   /**
    * Invokes a method on the Field objects within an entity.
    *
-   * @param string|callable $method
-   *   The name of the method to be invoked or a callable to which processed
-   *   items will be passed.
+   * Any argument passed will be forwarded to the invoked method.
+   *
+   * @param string $method
+   *   The name of the method to be invoked.
    * @param \Drupal\Core\Entity\ContentEntityInterface $entity
    *   The entity object.
+   *
+   * @return array
+   *   A multidimensional associative array of results, keyed by entity
+   *   translation language code and field name.
    */
   protected function invokeFieldMethod($method, ContentEntityInterface $entity) {
-    $method_is_callable = is_callable($method);
+    $result = [];
+    $args = array_slice(func_get_args(), 2);
     foreach (array_keys($entity->getTranslationLanguages()) as $langcode) {
       $translation = $entity->getTranslation($langcode);
       foreach ($translation->getFields() as $name => $items) {
-        if ($method_is_callable) {
-          call_user_func($method, $items, $name, $langcode);
-        }
-        else {
-          $items->$method();
-        }
+        // call_user_func_array is way slower than a direct call so we avoid
+        // using it if have no parameters.
+        $result[$langcode][$name] = $args ? call_user_func_array([$items, $method], $args) : $items->{$method}();
       }
     }
+    return $result;
   }
 
   /**
@@ -254,20 +258,12 @@ protected function invokeFieldMethod($method, ContentEntityInterface $entity) {
    *   Specifies whether the entity is being updated or created.
    */
   protected function invokeFieldPostSave(ContentEntityInterface $entity, $update) {
-    $fields = [];
-
-    $this->invokeFieldMethod(
-      function (FieldItemListInterface $items, $name) use (&$fields, $update) {
-        if ($items->postSave($update)) {
-          $fields[$name] = $name;
-        }
-      },
-      $entity
-    );
-
-
-    if ($fields) {
-      $this->doSaveFieldItems($entity, $fields);
+    $resave = [];
+    foreach ($this->invokeFieldMethod('postSave', $entity, $update) as $langcode => $results) {
+      $resave = array_filter($results);
+    }
+    if ($resave) {
+      $this->doSaveFieldItems($entity, array_keys($resave));
     }
   }
 
diff --git a/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Field/FieldItemInterface.php b/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Field/FieldItemInterface.php
index afd1371..c6b94f0 100644
--- a/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Field/FieldItemInterface.php
+++ b/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Field/FieldItemInterface.php
@@ -183,8 +183,13 @@ public function view($display_options = array());
   /**
    * Defines custom presave behavior for field values.
    *
-   * This method is called before insert() and update() methods, and before
-   * values are written into storage.
+   * This method is called during the process of saving an entity, just before
+   * values are written into storage. When storing a new entity, its identifier
+   * will not be available yet. This should be used to massage item property
+   * values or perform any other operation that needs to happen before values
+   * are stored. For instance this is the proper phase to auto-create a new
+   * entity for an entity reference field item, because this way it will be
+   * possible to store the referenced entity identifier.
    */
   public function preSave();
 
@@ -192,7 +197,16 @@ public function preSave();
    * Defines custom post-save behavior for field values.
    *
    * This method is called during the process of saving an entity, just after
-   * values are written into storage.
+   * values are written into storage. This is useful mostly when the business
+   * logic to be implemented always requires the entity identifier, even when
+   * storing a new entity. For instance, when implementing circular entity
+   * references, the referenced entity will be created on pre-save with a dummy
+   * value for the referring entity identifier, which will be updated with the
+   * actual one on post-save.
+   *
+   * In the rare cases where item properties depend on the entity identifier,
+   * massaging logic will have to be implemented on post-save and returning TRUE
+   * will allow them to be rewritten to the storage with the updated values.
    *
    * @param bool $update
    *   Specifies whether the entity is being updated or created.
diff --git a/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Field/FieldItemList.php b/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Field/FieldItemList.php
index a895d4f..5605f11 100644
--- a/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Field/FieldItemList.php
+++ b/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Field/FieldItemList.php
@@ -211,9 +211,7 @@ public function preSave() {
    * {@inheritdoc}
    */
   public function postSave($update) {
-    $result = $this->delegateMethod(function(FieldItemInterface $item) use ($update) {
-      return $item->postSave($update);
-    });
+    $result = $this->delegateMethod('postSave', $update);
     return (bool) array_filter($result);
   }
 
@@ -234,18 +232,21 @@ public function deleteRevision() {
   /**
    * Calls a method on each FieldItem.
    *
-   * @param string|callable $method
-   *   The name of the method to be invoked or a callable to which processed
-   *   items will be passed.
+   * Any argument passed will be forwarded to the invoked method.
+   *
+   * @param string $method
+   *   The name of the method to be invoked.
    *
    * @return array
    *   An array of results keyed by delta.
    */
   protected function delegateMethod($method) {
     $result = [];
-    $method_is_callable = is_callable($method);
+    $args = array_slice(func_get_args(), 1);
     foreach ($this->list as $delta => $item) {
-      $result[$delta] = $method_is_callable ? $method($item) : $item->{$method}();
+      // call_user_func_array is way slower than a direct call so we avoid using
+      // it if have no parameters.
+      $result[$delta] = $args ? call_user_func_array([$item, $method], $args) : $item->{$method}();
     }
     return $result;
   }
diff --git a/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Field/FieldItemListInterface.php b/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Field/FieldItemListInterface.php
index 18609cf..df595e5 100644
--- a/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Field/FieldItemListInterface.php
+++ b/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Field/FieldItemListInterface.php
@@ -130,8 +130,10 @@ public function __unset($property_name);
   /**
    * Defines custom presave behavior for field values.
    *
-   * This method is called before either insert() or update() methods, and
-   * before values are written into storage.
+   * This method is called during the process of saving an entity, just before
+   * item values are written into storage.
+   *
+   * @see \Drupal\Core\Field\FieldItemInterface::preSave()
    */
   public function preSave();
 
@@ -139,7 +141,7 @@ public function preSave();
    * Defines custom post-save behavior for field values.
    *
    * This method is called during the process of saving an entity, just after
-   * values are written into storage.
+   * item values are written into storage.
    *
    * @param bool $update
    *   Specifies whether the entity is being updated or created.
@@ -147,6 +149,8 @@ public function preSave();
    * @return bool
    *   Whether field items should be rewritten to the storage as a consequence
    *   of the logic implemented by the custom behavior.
+   *
+   * @see \Drupal\Core\Field\FieldItemInterface::postSave()
    */
   public function postSave($update);
 
diff --git a/core/modules/file/src/Plugin/Field/FieldType/FileFieldItemList.php b/core/modules/file/src/Plugin/Field/FieldType/FileFieldItemList.php
index 5626ee5..033a742 100644
--- a/core/modules/file/src/Plugin/Field/FieldType/FileFieldItemList.php
+++ b/core/modules/file/src/Plugin/Field/FieldType/FileFieldItemList.php
@@ -24,7 +24,6 @@ public function defaultValuesForm(array &$form, FormStateInterface $form_state)
    * {@inheritdoc}
    */
   public function postSave($update) {
-    $resave = parent::postSave($update);
     $entity = $this->getEntity();
 
     if (!$update) {
@@ -75,7 +74,7 @@ public function postSave($update) {
       }
     }
 
-    return $resave;
+    return FALSE;
   }
 
   /**
diff --git a/core/modules/path/src/Plugin/Field/FieldType/PathItem.php b/core/modules/path/src/Plugin/Field/FieldType/PathItem.php
index e6cef58..9ad35ac 100644
--- a/core/modules/path/src/Plugin/Field/FieldType/PathItem.php
+++ b/core/modules/path/src/Plugin/Field/FieldType/PathItem.php
@@ -56,8 +56,6 @@ public function preSave() {
    * {@inheritdoc}
    */
   public function postSave($update) {
-    $resave = parent::postSave($update);
-
     if (!$update) {
       if ($this->alias) {
         $entity = $this->getEntity();
@@ -77,8 +75,7 @@ public function postSave($update) {
         \Drupal::service('path.alias_storage')->save($entity->urlInfo()->getInternalPath(), $this->alias, $this->getLangcode(), $this->pid);
       }
     }
-
-    return $resave;
+    return FALSE;
   }
 
   /**