diff --git a/core/includes/pager.inc b/core/includes/pager.inc
index 4af6d88..1732f6c 100644
--- a/core/includes/pager.inc
+++ b/core/includes/pager.inc
@@ -185,13 +185,9 @@ function template_preprocess_pager(&$variables) {
   // Fill in default link labels.
   $tags = &$variables['tags'];
   $tags += array(
-    t('First page'),
-    t('Previous page'),
-    t('Current page'),
-    t('Next page'),
-    t('Last page'),
     t('« first'),
     t('‹ prev'),
+    '',
     t('next ›'),
     t('last »'),
   );
@@ -231,84 +227,40 @@ function template_preprocess_pager(&$variables) {
 
   // Create the "first" and "previous" links if we are not on the first page.
   if ($pager_page_array[$element] > 0) {
-    $li_first = array(
-      '#type' => 'link',
-      '#title' => '<span class="visually-hidden">' . $tags[0] . '</span><span aria-hidden="true">' . $tags[5] . '</span>',
-      '#href' => $current_path,
-      '#options' => array(
-        'html' => TRUE,
-        'query' => pager_query_add_page($parameters, $element, 0),
-        'attributes' => array(
-          'title' => t('Go to first page'),
-        ),
-        // Below is ignored by default, supplied to support hook_link_alter
-        // implementations.
-        'pager_context' => array(
-          'link_type' => 'first',
-          'element' => $element,
-        ),
-      ),
+    $li_first = array();
+    $options = array(
+      'query' => pager_query_add_page($parameters, $element, 0),
     );
-    $li_previous = array(
-      '#type' => 'link',
-      '#title' => '<span class="visually-hidden">' . $tags[2] . '</span><span aria-hidden="true">' . $tags[6] . '</span>',
-      '#href' => $current_path,
-      '#options' => array(
-        'html' => TRUE,
-        'query' => pager_query_add_page($parameters, $element, $pager_page_array[$element] - 1),
-        'attributes' => array(
-          'title' => t('Go to previous page'),
-          'rel' => 'prev',
-        ),
-        // Below is ignored by default, supplied to support hook_link_alter
-        // implementations.
-        'pager_context' => array(
-          'link_type' => 'previous',
-          'element' => $element,
-        ),
-      ),
+    $li_first['href'] = url($current_path, $options);
+    $li_first['text'] = $tags[0];
+    $li_first['attributes'] = new Attribute(array('title' => t('Go to first page')));
+
+    $li_previous = array();
+    $options = array(
+      'query' => pager_query_add_page($parameters, $element, $pager_page_array[$element] - 1),
     );
+    $li_previous['href'] = url($current_path, $options);
+    $li_previous['text'] = $tags[1];
+    $li_previous['attributes'] = new Attribute(array('title' => t('Go to previous page')));
   }
 
   // Create the "last" and "next" links if we are not on the last page.
   if ($pager_page_array[$element] < ($pager_total[$element] - 1)) {
-    $li_next = array(
-      '#type' => 'link',
-      '#title' => '<span class="visually-hidden">' . $tags[3] . '</span><span aria-hidden="true">' . $tags[7] . '</span>',
-      '#href' => $current_path,
-      '#options' => array(
-        'html' => TRUE,
-        'query' => pager_query_add_page($parameters, $element, $pager_page_array[$element] + 1),
-        'attributes' => array(
-          'title' => t('Go to next page'),
-          'rel' => 'next',
-        ),
-        // Below is ignored by default, supplied to support hook_link_alter
-        // implementations.
-        'pager_context' => array(
-          'link_type' => 'next',
-          'element' => $element,
-        ),
-      ),
+    $li_next = array();
+    $options = array(
+      'query' => pager_query_add_page($parameters, $element, $pager_page_array[$element] + 1),
     );
-    $li_last = array(
-      '#type' => 'link',
-      '#title' =>'<span class="visually-hidden">' . $tags[4] . '</span><span aria-hidden="true">' . $tags[8] . '</span>',
-      '#href' => $current_path,
-      '#options' => array(
-        'html' => TRUE,
-        'query' => pager_query_add_page($parameters, $element, $pager_total[$element] - 1),
-        'attributes' => array(
-          'title' => t('Go to last page'),
-        ),
-        // Below is ignored by default, supplied to support hook_link_alter
-        // implementations.
-        'pager_context' => array(
-          'link_type' => 'last',
-          'element' => $element,
-        ),
-      ),
+    $li_next['href'] = url($current_path, $options);
+    $li_next['text'] = $tags[3];
+    $li_next['attributes'] = new Attribute(array('title' => t('Go to next page')));
+
+    $li_last = array();
+    $options = array(
+      'query' => pager_query_add_page($parameters, $element, $pager_total[$element] - 1),
     );
+    $li_last['href'] = url($current_path, $options);
+    $li_last['text'] = $tags[4];
+    $li_last['attributes'] = new Attribute(array('title' => t('Go to last page')));
   }
 
   if ($pager_total[$element] > 1) {
@@ -327,32 +279,13 @@ function template_preprocess_pager(&$variables) {
       }
       // Now generate the actual pager piece.
       for (; $i <= $pager_last && $i <= $pager_max; $i++) {
-        $link_title = '<span class="visually-hidden">' . t('Page') . '</span> ' . $i;
-        $title_attribute = t('Go to page @number', array('@number' => $i));
+        $options = array(
+          'query' => pager_query_add_page($parameters, $element, $i - 1),
+        );
+        $items['pages'][$i]['href'] = url($current_path, $options);
         if ($i == $pager_current) {
           $items['current'] = $i;
-          $link_title = '<span class="visually-hidden">' . $tags[2] . '</span> ' . $i;
-          $title_attribute = $tags[2];
         }
-        $items['pages'][$i] = array(
-          '#type' => 'link',
-          '#title' => $link_title,
-          '#href' => $current_path,
-          '#options' => array(
-            'html' => TRUE,
-            'query' => pager_query_add_page($parameters, $element, $i - 1),
-            'attributes' => array(
-              'title' => $title_attribute,
-            ),
-            // Below is ignored by default, supplied to support hook_link_alter
-            // implementations.
-            'pager_context' => array(
-              'link_type' => 'item',
-              'element' => $element,
-              'interval' => abs($pager_current - $i),
-             ),
-          ),
-        );
       }
       // Check whether there are further next pages.
       if ($i < $pager_max) {
diff --git a/core/modules/system/templates/pager.html.twig b/core/modules/system/templates/pager.html.twig
index f5cd355..1a92b01 100644
--- a/core/modules/system/templates/pager.html.twig
+++ b/core/modules/system/templates/pager.html.twig
@@ -16,26 +16,61 @@
     <h4 id="pagination-heading" class="visually-hidden">{{ 'Pagination'|t }}</h4>
     <ul class="pager__items">
       {% if items.first %}
-        <li class="pager__item pager__item-first">{{ items.first }}</li>
+        <li class="pager__item pager__item-first">
+          <a href="{{ items.first.href }}"{{ items.first.attributes }}>
+            <span class="visually-hidden">{{ "First page"|t }}</span>
+            <span aria-hidden="true">{{ items.first.text }}</span>
+          </a>
+        </li>
       {% endif %}
       {% if items.previous %}
-        <li class="pager__item pager__item-previous">{{ items.previous }}</li>
+        <li class="pager__item pager__item-previous">
+          <a href="{{ items.previous.href }}"{{ items.previous.attributes }}>
+            <span class="visually-hidden">{{ "Previous page"|t }}</span>
+            <span aria-hidden="true">{{ items.previous.text }}</span>
+          </a>
+        </li>
       {% endif %}
       {% if items.ellipsis.previous %}
         <li class="pager__item pager__item-ellipsis" role="presentation">&hellip;</li>
       {% endif %}
       {% for key, item in items.pages %}
-        <li class="pager__item {{ items.current == key ? 'is-active' : '' }}">{{ item }}</li>
+        <li class="pager__item {{ items.current == key ? 'is-active' : '' }}">
+          {% if items.current == key %}
+            {% set title = "Current page"|t %}
+          {% else %}
+            {% set title %}
+              {% trans %}Go to page {{ key }}{% endtrans %}
+            {% endset %}
+          {% endif %}
+          <a href="{{ item.href }}" title="{{ title }}"{{ item.attributes|title }}>
+            <span class="visually-hidden">
+              {{ items.current == key ? "Current page"|t : "Page"|t }}
+            </span>
+            {{ key }}
+          </a>
+        </li>
       {% endfor %}
       {% if items.ellipsis.next %}
         <li class="pager__item pager__item-ellipsis" role="presentation">&hellip;</li>
       {% endif %}
       {% if items.next %}
-        <li class="pager__item pager__item-next">{{ items.next }}</li>
+        <li class="pager__item pager__item-next">
+          <a href="{{ items.next.href }}"{{ items.next.attributes }}>
+            <span class="visually-hidden">{{ "Next page"|t }}</span>
+            <span aria-hidden="true">{{ items.next.text }}</span>
+          </a>
+        </li>
       {% endif %}
       {% if items.last %}
-        <li class="pager__item pager__item-last">{{ items.last }}</li>
+        <li class="pager__item pager__item-last">
+          <a href="{{ items.last.href }}"{{ items.last.attributes }}>
+            <span class="visually-hidden">{{ "Last page"|t }}</span>
+            <span aria-hidden="true">{{ items.last.text }}</span>
+          </a>
+        </li>
       {% endif %}
     </ul>
   </nav>
 {% endif %}
+