diff -u b/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Field/Plugin/Field/FieldType/EntityReferenceItem.php b/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Field/Plugin/Field/FieldType/EntityReferenceItem.php
--- b/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Field/Plugin/Field/FieldType/EntityReferenceItem.php
+++ b/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Field/Plugin/Field/FieldType/EntityReferenceItem.php
@@ -83,12 +83,12 @@
 
     if ($target_id_data_type === 'integer') {
       $target_id_definition = DataDefinition::create('integer')
-        ->setLabel(new TranslationWrapper('@label ID', array($target_type_info->getLabel())))
+        ->setLabel(new TranslationWrapper('@label ID', array('@label' => $target_type_info->getLabel())))
         ->setSetting('unsigned', TRUE);
     }
     else {
       $target_id_definition = DataDefinition::create('string')
-        ->setLabel(new TranslationWrapper('@label ID', array($target_type_info->getLabel())));
+        ->setLabel(new TranslationWrapper('@label ID', array('@label' => $target_type_info->getLabel())));
     }
     $target_id_definition->setRequired(TRUE);
     $properties['target_id'] = $target_id_definition;
only in patch2:
unchanged:
--- a/core/modules/field/src/Tests/EntityReference/EntityReferenceItemTest.php
+++ b/core/modules/field/src/Tests/EntityReference/EntityReferenceItemTest.php
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 use Drupal\Component\Utility\Unicode;
 use Drupal\Core\Field\FieldItemListInterface;
 use Drupal\Core\Field\FieldItemInterface;
+use Drupal\Core\StringTranslation\TranslationWrapper;
 use Drupal\Core\Language\LanguageInterface;
 use Drupal\entity_reference\Tests\EntityReferenceTestTrait;
 use Drupal\entity_test\Entity\EntityTest;
@@ -111,6 +112,10 @@ public function testContentEntityReferenceItem() {
     $this->assertEqual($entity->field_test_taxonomy_term->entity->getName(), $this->term->getName());
     $this->assertEqual($entity->field_test_taxonomy_term->entity->id(), $tid);
     $this->assertEqual($entity->field_test_taxonomy_term->entity->uuid(), $this->term->uuid());
+    // Verify that the label for the target ID property definition is correct.
+    $label = $entity->field_test_taxonomy_term->getFieldDefinition()->getFieldStorageDefinition()->getPropertyDefinition('target_id')->getLabel();
+    $this->assertTrue($label instanceof TranslationWrapper);
+    $this->assertEqual($label->render(), 'Taxonomy term ID');
 
     // Change the name of the term via the reference.
     $new_name = $this->randomMachineName();
@@ -178,6 +183,10 @@ public function testContentEntityReferenceItemWithStringId() {
     $storage = \Drupal::entityManager()->getStorage('entity_test');
     $storage->resetCache();
     $this->assertEqual($this->entityStringId->id(), $storage->load($entity->id())->field_test_entity_test_string_id->target_id);
+    // Verify that the label for the target ID property definition is correct.
+    $label = $entity->field_test_taxonomy_term->getFieldDefinition()->getFieldStorageDefinition()->getPropertyDefinition('target_id')->getLabel();
+    $this->assertTrue($label instanceof TranslationWrapper);
+    $this->assertEqual($label->render(), 'Taxonomy term ID');
   }
 
   /**