diff --git a/core/config/schema/core.data_types.schema.yml b/core/config/schema/core.data_types.schema.yml
index f76c907..7c0ad53 100644
--- a/core/config/schema/core.data_types.schema.yml
+++ b/core/config/schema/core.data_types.schema.yml
@@ -566,7 +566,7 @@ field.field_settings.entity_reference:
       type: string
       label: 'Reference method'
     handler_settings:
-      type: entity_reference_selection.[plugin_id]
+      type: entity_reference_selection.[%parent.handler]
       label: 'Entity reference selection settings'
 
 field.value.entity_reference:
@@ -757,9 +757,6 @@ entity_reference_selection:
   type: mapping
   label: 'View handler settings'
   mapping:
-    plugin_id:
-      type: string
-      label: 'Entity reference selection plugin ID'
     target_bundles:
       type: sequence
       label: 'types'
diff --git a/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Entity/EntityReferenceSelection/SelectionPluginManager.php b/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Entity/EntityReferenceSelection/SelectionPluginManager.php
index 59aa5cd..9918a58 100644
--- a/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Entity/EntityReferenceSelection/SelectionPluginManager.php
+++ b/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Entity/EntityReferenceSelection/SelectionPluginManager.php
@@ -45,13 +45,11 @@ public function getInstance(array $options) {
 
     // Initialize default options.
     $options += array(
-      'handler' => 'default',
+      'handler' => $this->getPluginId($options['target_type'], 'default'),
       'handler_settings' => array(),
     );
 
-    $plugin_id = isset($options['handler_settings']['plugin_id']) ? $options['handler_settings']['plugin_id'] : $this->getPluginId($options['target_type'], $options['handler']);
-
-    return $this->createInstance($plugin_id, $options);
+    return $this->createInstance($options['handler'], $options);
   }
 
   /**
@@ -95,7 +93,7 @@ public function getSelectionHandler(FieldDefinitionInterface $field_definition,
     $options = array(
       'target_type' => $field_definition->getFieldStorageDefinition()->getSetting('target_type'),
       'handler' => $field_definition->getSetting('handler'),
-      'handler_settings' => $field_definition->getSetting('handler_settings'),
+      'handler_settings' => $field_definition->getSetting('handler_settings') ?: array(),
       'entity' => $entity,
     );
     return $this->getInstance($options);
diff --git a/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Field/Plugin/Field/FieldType/EntityReferenceItem.php b/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Field/Plugin/Field/FieldType/EntityReferenceItem.php
index 17e26b6..81664ba 100644
--- a/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Field/Plugin/Field/FieldType/EntityReferenceItem.php
+++ b/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Field/Plugin/Field/FieldType/EntityReferenceItem.php
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ public static function defaultStorageSettings() {
    */
   public static function defaultFieldSettings() {
     return array(
-      'handler' => 'default',
+      'handler' => 'default:' . (\Drupal::moduleHandler()->moduleExists('node') ? 'node' : 'user'),
       'handler_settings' => array(),
     ) + parent::defaultFieldSettings();
   }
diff --git a/core/modules/entity_reference/entity_reference.module b/core/modules/entity_reference/entity_reference.module
index 1f9f5d1..6e63c08 100644
--- a/core/modules/entity_reference/entity_reference.module
+++ b/core/modules/entity_reference/entity_reference.module
@@ -87,6 +87,8 @@ function entity_reference_field_storage_config_update(FieldStorageConfigInterfac
 
   foreach ($field_storage->getBundles() as $bundle) {
     $field = FieldConfig::loadByName($field_storage->getTargetEntityTypeId(), $bundle, $field_storage->getName());
+    list($current_handler) = explode(':', $field->settings['handler'], 2);
+    $field->settings['handler'] = \Drupal::service('plugin.manager.entity_reference_selection')->getPluginId($field_storage->getSetting('target_type'), $current_handler);
     $field->settings['handler_settings'] = array();
     $field->save();
   }
@@ -95,7 +97,7 @@ function entity_reference_field_storage_config_update(FieldStorageConfigInterfac
 /**
  * Implements hook_ENTITY_TYPE_presave() for 'field_config'.
  *
- * Recalculate the 'plugin_id' handler setting when the handler is changed.
+ * Determine the selection hander plugin ID for an entity reference field.
  */
 function entity_reference_field_config_presave(FieldConfigInterface $field) {
   if ($field->getType() != 'entity_reference') {
@@ -110,7 +112,8 @@ function entity_reference_field_config_presave(FieldConfigInterface $field) {
 
   $target_type = $field->getFieldStorageDefinition()->getSetting('target_type');
   $selection_manager = \Drupal::service('plugin.manager.entity_reference_selection');
-  $field->settings['handler_settings']['plugin_id'] = $selection_manager->getPluginId($target_type, $field->getSetting('handler'));
+  list($current_handler) = explode(':', $field->getSetting('handler'), 2);
+  $field->settings['handler'] = $selection_manager->getPluginId($target_type, $current_handler);
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/core/modules/entity_reference/src/ConfigurableEntityReferenceItem.php b/core/modules/entity_reference/src/ConfigurableEntityReferenceItem.php
index c475a7b..2299351 100644
--- a/core/modules/entity_reference/src/ConfigurableEntityReferenceItem.php
+++ b/core/modules/entity_reference/src/ConfigurableEntityReferenceItem.php
@@ -141,7 +141,7 @@ public function fieldSettingsForm(array $form, FormStateInterface $form_state) {
       }
       elseif (array_key_exists($selection_group_id . ':' . $this->getSetting('target_type'), $selection_plugins[$selection_group_id])) {
         $selection_group_plugin = $selection_group_id . ':' . $this->getSetting('target_type');
-        $handlers_options[$selection_group_id] = String::checkPlain($selection_plugins[$selection_group_id][$selection_group_plugin]['base_plugin_label']);
+        $handlers_options[$selection_group_plugin] = String::checkPlain($selection_plugins[$selection_group_id][$selection_group_plugin]['base_plugin_label']);
       }
     }
 
diff --git a/core/modules/entity_reference/src/Tests/EntityReferenceAdminTest.php b/core/modules/entity_reference/src/Tests/EntityReferenceAdminTest.php
index 19ef644..e3fcc16 100644
--- a/core/modules/entity_reference/src/Tests/EntityReferenceAdminTest.php
+++ b/core/modules/entity_reference/src/Tests/EntityReferenceAdminTest.php
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ public function testFieldAdminHandler() {
     $this->drupalPostForm(NULL, array(), t('Save field settings'));
 
     // The base handler should be selected by default.
-    $this->assertFieldByName('field[settings][handler]', 'default');
+    $this->assertFieldByName('field[settings][handler]', 'default:node');
 
     // The base handler settings should be displayed.
     $entity_type_id = 'node';
diff --git a/core/modules/field/src/Tests/EntityReference/EntityReferenceItemTest.php b/core/modules/field/src/Tests/EntityReference/EntityReferenceItemTest.php
index 8c1ba50..6c0b4a8 100644
--- a/core/modules/field/src/Tests/EntityReference/EntityReferenceItemTest.php
+++ b/core/modules/field/src/Tests/EntityReference/EntityReferenceItemTest.php
@@ -217,7 +217,7 @@ public function testEntitySaveOrder() {
   }
 
   /**
-   * Tests that the 'plugin_id' selection setting.
+   * Tests that the 'handler' field setting stores the proper plugin ID.
    */
   public function testSelectionHandlerSettings() {
     $field_name = Unicode::strtolower($this->randomMachineName());
@@ -231,22 +231,21 @@ public function testSelectionHandlerSettings() {
     ));
     $field_storage->save();
 
+    // Do not specify any value for the 'handler' setting in order to verify
+    // that the default value is properly used.
     $field = FieldConfig::create(array(
       'field_storage' => $field_storage,
       'bundle' => 'entity_test',
-      'settings' => array(
-        'handler' => 'default',
-      ),
     ));
     $field->save();
 
     $field = FieldConfig::load($field->id());
-    $this->assertTrue($field->getSetting('handler_settings')['plugin_id'] == 'default:entity_test');
+    $this->assertTrue($field->getSetting('handler') == 'default:entity_test');
 
     $field->settings['handler'] = 'views';
     $field->save();
     $field = FieldConfig::load($field->id());
-    $this->assertTrue($field->getSetting('handler_settings')['plugin_id'] == 'views');
+    $this->assertTrue($field->getSetting('handler') == 'views');
   }
 
 }
diff --git a/core/modules/file/config/schema/file.schema.yml b/core/modules/file/config/schema/file.schema.yml
index b6195d2..bbf4048 100644
--- a/core/modules/file/config/schema/file.schema.yml
+++ b/core/modules/file/config/schema/file.schema.yml
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ base_file_field_field_settings:
       type: string
       label: 'Reference method'
     handler_settings:
-      type: entity_reference_selection.[plugin_id]
+      type: entity_reference_selection.[%parent.handler]
       label: 'Entity reference selection settings'
     file_directory:
       type: string
diff --git a/core/modules/taxonomy/config/schema/taxonomy.schema.yml b/core/modules/taxonomy/config/schema/taxonomy.schema.yml
index ed6a28c..25124f7 100644
--- a/core/modules/taxonomy/config/schema/taxonomy.schema.yml
+++ b/core/modules/taxonomy/config/schema/taxonomy.schema.yml
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ field.field_settings.taxonomy_term_reference:
       type: string
       label: 'Reference method'
     handler_settings:
-      type: entity_reference_selection.[plugin_id]
+      type: entity_reference_selection.[%parent.handler]
       label: 'Entity reference selection settings'
 
 field.value.taxonomy_term_reference:
diff --git a/core/modules/views/config/schema/views.entity_reference.schema.yml b/core/modules/views/config/schema/views.entity_reference.schema.yml
index a484871..027c62f 100644
--- a/core/modules/views/config/schema/views.entity_reference.schema.yml
+++ b/core/modules/views/config/schema/views.entity_reference.schema.yml
@@ -4,9 +4,6 @@ entity_reference_selection.views:
   type: mapping
   label: 'View handler settings'
   mapping:
-    plugin_id:
-      type: string
-      label: 'Entity reference selection plugin ID'
     view:
       type: mapping
       label: 'View used to select the entities'