diff --git a/core/includes/install.core.inc b/core/includes/install.core.inc
index 9365698b84..343c45507c 100644
--- a/core/includes/install.core.inc
+++ b/core/includes/install.core.inc
@@ -193,8 +193,10 @@ function install_state_defaults() {
     'completed_task' => NULL,
     // Partial configuration cached during an installation from existing config.
     'config' => NULL,
-    // The path to the configuration to install when installing from config.
-    'config_install' => NULL,
+    // TRUE when installing from existing configuration.
+    'config_install' => FALSE,
+      // The path to the configuration to install when installing from config.
+    'profile_sync' => NULL,
     // TRUE when there are valid config directories.
     'config_verified' => FALSE,
     // TRUE when there is a valid database connection.
@@ -453,7 +455,7 @@ function install_begin_request($class_loader, &$install_state) {
   }
 
   // Use the language from profile configuration if available.
-  if (!empty($install_state['config_install']) && $install_state['config']['system.site']) {
+  if ($install_state['config_install'] && $install_state['config']['system.site']) {
     $install_state['parameters']['langcode'] = $install_state['config']['system.site']['default_langcode'];
   }
   else {
@@ -800,7 +802,7 @@ function install_tasks($install_state) {
     ],
   ];
 
-  if (!empty($install_state['config_install'])) {
+  if ($install_state['config_install']) {
     // The chosen profile indicates that rather than installing a new site, an
     // instance of the same site should be installed from the given
     // configuration.
@@ -1498,13 +1500,21 @@ function _install_get_version_info($version) {
  *   profile information will be added here.
  */
 function install_load_profile(&$install_state) {
+  global $config_directories;
+
   $profile = $install_state['parameters']['profile'];
   $install_state['profiles'][$profile]->load();
   $install_state['profile_info'] = install_profile_info($profile, isset($install_state['parameters']['langcode']) ? $install_state['parameters']['langcode'] : 'en');
-  // If the profile has a config/sync directory copy the information to the
-  // install_state global.
-  if (!empty($install_state['profile_info']['config_install'])) {
-    $install_state['config_install'] = $install_state['profile_info']['config_install'];
+  if ($install_state['profile_info']['config_install'] && !empty($config_directories[CONFIG_SYNC_DIRECTORY])) {
+    $install_state['config_install'] = TRUE;
+    $install_state['config']['system.site'] = \Drupal::service('config.storage.sync')->read('system.site');
+  }
+  elseif (!empty($install_state['profile_info']['profile_sync'])) {
+    // If the profile has a config/sync directory copy the information to the
+    // install_state global.
+    $install_state['config_install'] = TRUE;
+    $install_state['profile_sync'] = $install_state['profile_info']['profile_sync'];
+
     if (!empty($install_state['profile_info']['config'])) {
       $install_state['config'] = $install_state['profile_info']['config'];
     }
@@ -2378,7 +2388,9 @@ function install_config_import_batch_finish($success, $results, $operations) {
     $error_operation = reset($operations);
     $message = t('An error occurred while processing %error_operation with arguments: @arguments', [
       '%error_operation' => $error_operation[0],
-      '@arguments' => print_r($error_operation[1], TRUE)
+      // The arguments are usually added with print_r which does not handle
+      // circular references very well. All operations use the $config_importer.
+      '@arguments' => sprintf('%s::%s', get_class($error_operation[1][0]), $error_operation[1][1])
     ]);
     drupal_set_message($message, 'error');
   }
diff --git a/core/includes/install.inc b/core/includes/install.inc
index fb1dfd7c08..ef4a161383 100644
--- a/core/includes/install.inc
+++ b/core/includes/install.inc
@@ -488,14 +488,14 @@ function drupal_install_config_directories() {
   // If settings.php does not contain a config sync directory name we need to
   // configure one.
   if (empty($config_directories[CONFIG_SYNC_DIRECTORY])) {
-    if (empty($install_state['config_install'])) {
+    if (empty($install_state['profile_sync'])) {
       // 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 {
       // 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'];
+      // 'profile_sync' is a path to the directory.
+      $config_directories[CONFIG_SYNC_DIRECTORY] = $install_state['profile_sync'];
     }
     $settings['config_directories'][CONFIG_SYNC_DIRECTORY] = (object) [
       'value' => $config_directories[CONFIG_SYNC_DIRECTORY],
@@ -1086,7 +1086,8 @@ function install_profile_info($profile, $langcode = 'en') {
       'version' => NULL,
       'hidden' => FALSE,
       'php' => DRUPAL_MINIMUM_PHP,
-      'config_install' => NULL,
+      'config_install' => FALSE,
+      'profile_sync' => NULL,
     ];
     $profile_path = drupal_get_path('profile', $profile);
     $info = \Drupal::service('info_parser')->parse($profile_path . "/$profile.info.yml");
@@ -1102,7 +1103,7 @@ function install_profile_info($profile, $langcode = 'en') {
 
     // If the profile has a config/sync directory use that to install drupal.
     if (is_dir($profile_path . '/config/sync')) {
-      $info['config_install'] = $profile_path . '/config/sync';
+      $info['profile_sync'] = $profile_path . '/config/sync';
       $sync = new FileStorage($profile_path . '/config/sync');
       $info['config']['system.site'] = $sync->read('system.site');
     }