diff --git a/core/includes/install.inc b/core/includes/install.inc
index 358b259..ab818ba 100644
--- a/core/includes/install.inc
+++ b/core/includes/install.inc
@@ -479,8 +479,6 @@ function drupal_install_config_directories() {
     );
     // Rewrite settings.php, which also sets the value as global variable.
     drupal_rewrite_settings($settings);
-
-    \Drupal::service('config.storage.active')->createStorage();
   }
 
   // Ensure the config directories exist or can be created, and are writable.
diff --git a/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Config/CachedStorage.php b/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Config/CachedStorage.php
index f10b794..1ff4046 100644
--- a/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Config/CachedStorage.php
+++ b/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Config/CachedStorage.php
@@ -54,14 +54,6 @@ public function __construct(StorageInterface $storage, CacheBackendInterface $ca
   }
 
   /**
-   * {@inheritdoc}
-   */
-  public function createStorage() {
-    $this->storage->createStorage();
-    return $this;
-  }
-
-  /**
    * Implements Drupal\Core\Config\StorageInterface::exists().
    */
   public function exists($name) {
diff --git a/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Config/DatabaseStorage.php b/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Config/DatabaseStorage.php
index a2ba289..ed0bd72 100644
--- a/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Config/DatabaseStorage.php
+++ b/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Config/DatabaseStorage.php
@@ -54,19 +54,6 @@ public function __construct(Connection $connection, $table, array $options = arr
   }
 
   /**
-   * {@inheritdoc}
-   */
-  public function createStorage() {
-    try {
-      $this->connection->schema()->createTable($this->table, static::schemaDefinition());
-    }
-    catch (\Exception $e) {
-      throw new StorageException($e->getMessage(), NULL, $e);
-    }
-    return $this;
-  }
-
-  /**
    * Implements Drupal\Core\Config\StorageInterface::exists().
    */
   public function exists($name) {
@@ -76,9 +63,8 @@ public function exists($name) {
       ), $this->options)->fetchField();
     }
     catch (\Exception $e) {
-      // There are situations, like in the installer, where we may attempt a
-      // read without actually having the database available. In this case,
-      // catch the exception and just return FALSE so the caller can handle it.
+      // If we attempt a read without actually having the database or the table
+      // available, just return FALSE so the caller can handle it.
       return FALSE;
     }
   }
@@ -95,9 +81,8 @@ public function read($name) {
       }
     }
     catch (\Exception $e) {
-      // There are situations, like in the installer, where we may attempt a
-      // read without actually having the database available. In this case,
-      // catch the exception and just return FALSE so the caller can handle it.
+      // If we attempt a read without actually having the database or the table
+      // available, just return FALSE so the caller can handle it.
     }
     return $data;
   }
@@ -114,33 +99,80 @@ public function readMultiple(array $names) {
       }
     }
     catch (\Exception $e) {
-      // There are situations, like in the installer, where we may attempt a
-      // read without actually having the database available. In this case,
-      // catch the exception and just return an empty array so the caller can
-      // handle it if need be.
+      // If we attempt a read without actually having the database or the table
+      // available, just return an empty array so the caller can handle it.
     }
     return $list;
   }
 
   /**
-   * Implements Drupal\Core\Config\StorageInterface::write().
+   * {@inheritdoc}
+   */
+  public function write($name, array $data) {
+    $data = $this->encode($data);
+    try {
+      return $this->doWrite($name, $data);
+    }
+    catch (\Exception $e) {
+      // If there was an exception, try to create the table.
+      if ($this->ensureTableExists()) {
+        return $this->doWrite($name, $data);
+      }
+      // Some other failure that we can not recover from.
+      throw $e;
+    }
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Helper method so we can re-try a write.
    *
-   * @throws PDOException
+   * @param string $name
+   *   The config name.
+   * @param string $data
+   *   The config data, already dumped to a string.
    *
-   * @todo Ignore slave targets for data manipulation operations.
+   * @return bool
    */
-  public function write($name, array $data) {
+  protected function doWrite($name, $data) {
     $options = array('return' => Database::RETURN_AFFECTED) + $this->options;
     return (bool) $this->connection->merge($this->table, $options)
       ->key('name', $name)
-      ->fields(array('data' => $this->encode($data)))
+      ->fields(array('data' => $data))
       ->execute();
   }
 
   /**
+   * Check if the config table exists and create it if not.
+   *
+   * @return bool
+   *   TRUE if the table was created, FALSE otherwise.
+   *
+   * @throws \Drupal\Core\Config\StorageException
+   *   If a database error occurs.
+   */
+  protected function ensureTableExists()  {
+    try {
+      if (!$this->connection->schema()->tableExists($this->table)) {
+        $this->connection->schema()->createTable($this->table, static::schemaDefinition());
+        return TRUE;
+      }
+    }
+    // If another process has already created the config table, attempting to
+    // recreate it will throw an exception. In this case just catch the
+    // exception and do nothing.
+    catch (SchemaObjectExistsException $e) {
+      return TRUE;
+    }
+    catch (\Exception $e) {
+      throw new StorageException($e->getMessage(), NULL, $e);
+    }
+    return FALSE;
+  }
+
+  /**
    * Defines the schema for the configuration table.
    */
-  protected function schemaDefinition() {
+  protected static function schemaDefinition() {
     $schema = array(
       'description' => 'The base table for configuration data.',
       'fields' => array(
diff --git a/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Config/FileStorage.php b/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Config/FileStorage.php
index 26da8d2..d660169 100644
--- a/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Config/FileStorage.php
+++ b/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Config/FileStorage.php
@@ -69,10 +69,9 @@ public static function getFileExtension() {
   }
 
   /**
-   * {@inheritdoc}
+   * Check if the directory exists and create it if not.
    */
-  public function createStorage() {
-    // @todo: Use this method during install.
+  protected function ensureStorage() {
     $success = file_prepare_directory($this->directory, FILE_CREATE_DIRECTORY | FILE_MODIFY_PERMISSIONS);
     $success = $success && file_save_htaccess($this->directory, TRUE, TRUE);
     if (!$success) {
@@ -118,22 +117,24 @@ public function readMultiple(array $names) {
   }
 
   /**
-   * Implements Drupal\Core\Config\StorageInterface::write().
-   *
-   * @throws \Drupal\Core\Config\UnsupportedDataTypeConfigException
-   * @throws \Drupal\Core\Config\StorageException
+   * {@inheritdoc}
    */
   public function write($name, array $data) {
     try {
       $data = $this->encode($data);
     }
     catch(DumpException $e) {
-      throw new UnsupportedDataTypeConfigException(String::format('Invalid data type for used in config: @name', array('@name' => $name)));
+      throw new StorageException(String::format('Invalid data type for used in config: @name', array('@name' => $name)));
     }
 
     $target = $this->getFilePath($name);
     $status = @file_put_contents($target, $data);
     if ($status === FALSE) {
+      // Try to make sure the directory exists and try witing again.
+      $this->ensureStorage();
+      $status = @file_put_contents($target, $data);
+    }
+    if ($status === FALSE) {
       throw new StorageException('Failed to write configuration file: ' . $this->getFilePath($name));
     }
     else {
diff --git a/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Config/InstallStorage.php b/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Config/InstallStorage.php
index 89d478c..124748a 100644
--- a/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Config/InstallStorage.php
+++ b/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Config/InstallStorage.php
@@ -65,13 +65,6 @@ public function getFilePath($name) {
   }
 
   /**
-   * {@inheritdoc}
-   */
-  public function createStorage() {
-    return $this;
-  }
-
-  /**
    * Overrides Drupal\Core\Config\FileStorage::write().
    *
    * @throws \Drupal\Core\Config\StorageException
diff --git a/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Config/NullStorage.php b/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Config/NullStorage.php
index 5ab1fa8..2bf121d 100644
--- a/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Config/NullStorage.php
+++ b/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Config/NullStorage.php
@@ -24,13 +24,6 @@
 class NullStorage implements StorageInterface {
 
   /**
-   * {@inheritdoc}
-   */
-  public function createStorage() {
-    return $this;
-  }
-
-  /**
    * Implements Drupal\Core\Config\StorageInterface::exists().
    */
   public function exists($name) {
diff --git a/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Config/StorageInterface.php b/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Config/StorageInterface.php
index 7d5e0fc..4e23761 100644
--- a/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Config/StorageInterface.php
+++ b/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Config/StorageInterface.php
@@ -16,16 +16,6 @@
 interface StorageInterface {
 
   /**
-   * Creates the storage for this backend.
-   *
-   * @return $this
-   *
-   * @throws \Drupal\Core\Config\StorageException
-   *   If the storage cannot be created.
-   */
-  public function createStorage();
-
-  /**
    * Returns whether a configuration object exists.
    *
    * @param string $name
@@ -70,6 +60,9 @@ public function readMultiple(array $names);
    *
    * @return bool
    *   TRUE on success, FALSE in case of an error.
+   *
+   * @throws \Drupal\Core\Config\StorageException
+   *   If the back-end storage does not exist and cannot be created.
    */
   public function write($name, array $data);
 
diff --git a/core/modules/config/lib/Drupal/config/Tests/Storage/ConfigStorageTestBase.php b/core/modules/config/lib/Drupal/config/Tests/Storage/ConfigStorageTestBase.php
index 74df325..cef916b 100644
--- a/core/modules/config/lib/Drupal/config/Tests/Storage/ConfigStorageTestBase.php
+++ b/core/modules/config/lib/Drupal/config/Tests/Storage/ConfigStorageTestBase.php
@@ -115,15 +115,6 @@ function testCRUD() {
     $this->assertIdentical($result, TRUE);
     $this->assertIdentical($names, array());
 
-    // Writing to a non-existing storage bin throws an exception.
-    try {
-      $this->invalidStorage->write($name, array('foo' => 'bar'));
-      $this->fail('Exception not thrown upon writing to a non-existing storage bin.');
-    }
-    catch (\Exception $e) {
-      $class = get_class($e);
-      $this->pass($class . ' thrown upon writing to a non-existing storage bin.');
-    }
 
     // Deleting from a non-existing storage bin throws an exception.
     try {
@@ -153,6 +144,10 @@ function testCRUD() {
       $this->pass($class . ' thrown upon renaming a nonexistent storage bin.');
     }
 
+    // Writing to a non-existing storage bin creates the bin.
+    $this->invalidStorage->write($name, array('foo' => 'bar'));
+    $result = $this->invalidStorage->read($name);
+    $this->assertIdentical($result, array('foo' => 'bar'));
   }
 
   /**
diff --git a/core/modules/config/lib/Drupal/config/Tests/Storage/DatabaseStorageTest.php b/core/modules/config/lib/Drupal/config/Tests/Storage/DatabaseStorageTest.php
index beb24da..eba9873 100644
--- a/core/modules/config/lib/Drupal/config/Tests/Storage/DatabaseStorageTest.php
+++ b/core/modules/config/lib/Drupal/config/Tests/Storage/DatabaseStorageTest.php
@@ -25,7 +25,6 @@ function setUp() {
     parent::setUp();
 
     $this->storage = new DatabaseStorage($this->container->get('database'), 'config');
-    $this->storage->createStorage();
     $this->invalidStorage = new DatabaseStorage($this->container->get('database'), 'invalid');
 
     // ::listAll() verifications require other configuration data to exist.
diff --git a/core/modules/config/lib/Drupal/config/Tests/Storage/FileStorageTest.php b/core/modules/config/lib/Drupal/config/Tests/Storage/FileStorageTest.php
index 4331e99..bcd49989 100644
--- a/core/modules/config/lib/Drupal/config/Tests/Storage/FileStorageTest.php
+++ b/core/modules/config/lib/Drupal/config/Tests/Storage/FileStorageTest.php
@@ -25,7 +25,6 @@ public static function getInfo() {
   function setUp() {
     parent::setUp();
     $this->storage = new FileStorage($this->configDirectories[CONFIG_ACTIVE_DIRECTORY]);
-    $this->storage->createStorage();
     $this->invalidStorage = new FileStorage($this->configDirectories[CONFIG_ACTIVE_DIRECTORY] . '/nonexisting');
 
     // FileStorage::listAll() requires other configuration data to exist.
diff --git a/core/modules/simpletest/lib/Drupal/simpletest/DrupalUnitTestBase.php b/core/modules/simpletest/lib/Drupal/simpletest/DrupalUnitTestBase.php
index e175f1e..b6e4ee2 100644
--- a/core/modules/simpletest/lib/Drupal/simpletest/DrupalUnitTestBase.php
+++ b/core/modules/simpletest/lib/Drupal/simpletest/DrupalUnitTestBase.php
@@ -138,9 +138,6 @@ protected function setUp() {
     \Drupal::state()->set('system.module.files', $this->moduleFiles);
     \Drupal::state()->set('system.theme.files', $this->themeFiles);
 
-    // Create the active configuration storage (required to boot DrupalKernel).
-    $this->container->get('config.storage.active')->createStorage();
-
     // Bootstrap the kernel.
     // No need to dump it; this test runs in-memory.
     $this->kernel = new DrupalKernel('unit_testing', drupal_classloader(), FALSE);