diff -u b/core/modules/field/field.install b/core/modules/field/field.install
--- b/core/modules/field/field.install
+++ b/core/modules/field/field.install
@@ -126,7 +126,7 @@
     $class = $field_type_manager->getPluginClass($field_type);
 
     // Deal only with entity reference fields and descendants.
-    if (($class == EntityReferenceItem::class || is_subclass_of($class, EntityReferenceItem::class)) && (strpos($field_type, 'entity_reference') === 0)) {
+    if ($class == EntityReferenceItem::class || is_subclass_of($class, EntityReferenceItem::class)) {
       $settings = $field_config->get('settings');
 
       if (!isset($settings['serialize_embedded_entities'])) {
only in patch2:
unchanged:
--- a/core/modules/file/config/schema/file.schema.yml
+++ b/core/modules/file/config/schema/file.schema.yml
@@ -43,6 +43,9 @@ field.value.file:
 base_file_field_field_settings:
   type: mapping
   mapping:
+    serialize_embedded_entities:
+      type: boolean
+      label: 'Serialize entity references together with the parent entity'
     handler:
       type: string
       label: 'Reference method'
only in patch2:
unchanged:
--- a/core/profiles/standard/config/install/field.field.node.article.field_image.yml
+++ b/core/profiles/standard/config/install/field.field.node.article.field_image.yml
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ settings:
     title: ''
     width: null
     height: null
+  serialize_embedded_entities: false
   handler: 'default:file'
   handler_settings: {  }
 field_type: image
only in patch2:
unchanged:
--- a/core/profiles/standard/config/install/field.field.user.user.user_picture.yml
+++ b/core/profiles/standard/config/install/field.field.user.user.user_picture.yml
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ settings:
     height: null
   alt_field_required: false
   title_field_required: false
+  serialize_embedded_entities: false
   handler: 'default:file'
   handler_settings: {  }
 field_type: image