diff --git a/core/modules/entity/lib/Drupal/entity/EntityDisplayBase.php b/core/modules/entity/lib/Drupal/entity/EntityDisplayBase.php
index c0f4356..54f1c7c 100644
--- a/core/modules/entity/lib/Drupal/entity/EntityDisplayBase.php
+++ b/core/modules/entity/lib/Drupal/entity/EntityDisplayBase.php
@@ -198,8 +198,10 @@ public function getExportProperties() {
   /**
    * Initializes the display.
    *
-   * This fills in default options for components that are not
-   * explicitly known as either "visible" or "hidden" in the display.
+   * This fills in default options for components:
+   * - that are not explicitly known as either "visible" or "hidden" in the
+   *   display.
+   * - or that are not supposed to be configurable.
    */
   protected function init() {
     // Fill in defaults for extra fields.
@@ -221,7 +223,7 @@ protected function init() {
     // Fill in defaults for fields.
     $fields = $this->getFieldDefinitions();
     foreach ($fields as $name => $definition) {
-      if (!isset($this->content[$name]) && !isset($this->hidden[$name])) {
+      if (!$definition->isDisplayConfigurable($this->displayContext) || (!isset($this->content[$name]) && !isset($this->hidden[$name]))) {
         $options = $definition->getDisplayOptions($this->displayContext);
 
         if (!empty($options['type']) && $options['type'] == 'hidden') {
diff --git a/core/modules/entity/lib/Drupal/entity/Tests/EntityDisplayTest.php b/core/modules/entity/lib/Drupal/entity/Tests/EntityDisplayTest.php
index 67b6a51..befce3a 100644
--- a/core/modules/entity/lib/Drupal/entity/Tests/EntityDisplayTest.php
+++ b/core/modules/entity/lib/Drupal/entity/Tests/EntityDisplayTest.php
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@
  */
 class EntityDisplayTest extends DrupalUnitTestBase {
 
-  public static $modules = array('entity', 'field', 'entity_test', 'user');
+  public static $modules = array('entity', 'field', 'entity_test', 'user', 'text');
 
   public static function getInfo() {
     return array(
@@ -159,19 +159,19 @@ public function testFieldComponent() {
     $display->setComponent($field_name);
     $field_type_info = \Drupal::service('plugin.manager.field.field_type')->getDefinition($field->type);
     $default_formatter = $field_type_info['default_formatter'];
-    $formatter_settings =  \Drupal::service('plugin.manager.field.formatter')->getDefinition($default_formatter);
+    $formatter_settings =  \Drupal::service('plugin.manager.field.formatter')->getDefaultSettings($default_formatter);
     $expected = array(
       'weight' => 0,
       'label' => 'above',
       'type' => $default_formatter,
-      'settings' => $formatter_settings['settings'],
+      'settings' => $formatter_settings,
     );
     $this->assertEqual($display->getComponent($field_name), $expected);
 
     // Check that the getFormatter() method returns the correct formatter plugin.
     $formatter = $display->getRenderer($field_name);
     $this->assertEqual($formatter->getPluginId(), $default_formatter);
-    $this->assertEqual($formatter->getSettings(), $formatter_settings['settings']);
+    $this->assertEqual($formatter->getSettings(), $formatter_settings);
 
     // Check that the formatter is statically persisted, by assigning an
     // arbitrary property and reading it back.
@@ -201,6 +201,65 @@ public function testFieldComponent() {
   }
 
   /**
+   * Tests the behavior of a field component for a base field.
+   */
+  public function testBaseFieldComponent() {
+    $display = entity_create('entity_display', array(
+      'targetEntityType' => 'entity_test_base_field_display',
+      'bundle' => 'entity_test_base_field_display',
+      'mode' => 'default',
+    ));
+
+    // Check that default options are correctly filled in.
+    $formatter_settings =  \Drupal::service('plugin.manager.field.formatter')->getDefaultSettings('text_default');
+    $expected = array(
+      'test_no_display' => NULL,
+      'test_display_configurable' => array(
+        'label' => 'above',
+        'type' => 'text_default',
+        'settings' => $formatter_settings,
+        'weight' => 10,
+      ),
+      'test_display_non_configurable' => array(
+        'label' => 'above',
+        'type' => 'text_default',
+        'settings' => $formatter_settings,
+        'weight' => 11,
+      ),
+    );
+    foreach ($expected as $field_name => $options) {
+      $this->assertEqual($display->getComponent($field_name), $options);
+    }
+
+    // Check that saving the display only writes data for fields whose display
+    // is configurable.
+    $display->save();
+    $config = \Drupal::config('entity.display.' . $display->id());
+    $data = $config->get();
+    $this->assertFalse(isset($data['content']['test_no_display']));
+    $this->assertFalse(isset($data['hidden']['test_no_display']));
+    $this->assertEqual($data['content']['test_display_configurable'], $expected['test_display_configurable']);
+    $this->assertFalse(isset($data['content']['test_display_non_configurable']));
+    $this->assertFalse(isset($data['hidden']['test_display_non_configurable']));
+
+    // Check that defaults are correctly filled when loading the display.
+    $display = entity_load('entity_display', $display->id());
+    foreach ($expected as $field_name => $options) {
+      $this->assertEqual($display->getComponent($field_name), $options);
+    }
+
+    // Check that data manually written for fields whose display is not
+    // configurable are discarded when loading the display.
+    $data['content']['test_display_non_configurable'] = $expected['test_display_non_configurable'];
+    $data['content']['test_display_non_configurable']['weight']++;
+    $config->setData($data)->save();
+    $display = entity_load('entity_display', $display->id());
+    foreach ($expected as $field_name => $options) {
+      $this->assertEqual($display->getComponent($field_name), $options);
+    }
+  }
+
+  /**
    * Tests renaming and deleting a bundle.
    */
   public function testRenameDeleteBundle() {
diff --git a/core/modules/system/tests/modules/entity_test/lib/Drupal/entity_test/Entity/EntityTestBaseFieldDisplay.php b/core/modules/system/tests/modules/entity_test/lib/Drupal/entity_test/Entity/EntityTestBaseFieldDisplay.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8f60bfa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/modules/system/tests/modules/entity_test/lib/Drupal/entity_test/Entity/EntityTestBaseFieldDisplay.php
@@ -0,0 +1,79 @@
+<?php
+
+/**
+ * @file
+ * Definition of Drupal\entity_test\Entity\EntityTestBaseFieldDisplay.
+ */
+
+namespace Drupal\entity_test\Entity;
+
+use Drupal\Core\Field\FieldDefinition;
+
+/**
+ * Defines the test entity class.
+ *
+ * @EntityType(
+ *   id = "entity_test_base_field_display",
+ *   label = @Translation("Test entity - base field display"),
+ *   controllers = {
+ *     "storage" = "Drupal\Core\Entity\FieldableDatabaseStorageController",
+ *     "access" = "Drupal\entity_test\EntityTestAccessController",
+ *     "form" = {
+ *       "default" = "Drupal\entity_test\EntityTestFormController"
+ *     },
+ *     "translation" = "Drupal\content_translation\ContentTranslationController"
+ *   },
+ *   base_table = "entity_test",
+ *   fieldable = TRUE,
+ *   entity_keys = {
+ *     "id" = "id",
+ *     "uuid" = "uuid",
+ *     "revision" = "revision_id",
+ *     "bundle" = "type"
+ *   },
+ *   links = {
+ *     "edit-form" = "entity_test.edit_entity_test",
+ *     "admin-form" = "entity_test.admin_entity_test"
+ *   }
+ * )
+ */
+class EntityTestBaseFieldDisplay extends EntityTest {
+
+  /**
+   * {@inheritdoc}
+   */
+  public static function baseFieldDefinitions($entity_type) {
+    $fields = parent::baseFieldDefinitions($entity_type);
+
+    $fields['test_no_display'] = FieldDefinition::create('text')
+      ->setLabel(t('Field with no display'));
+
+    $fields['test_display_configurable'] = FieldDefinition::create('text')
+      ->setLabel(t('Field with configurable display'))
+      ->setDisplayOptions('view', array(
+        'type' => 'text_default',
+        'weight' => 10,
+      ))
+      ->setDisplayConfigurable('view', TRUE)
+      ->setDisplayOptions('form', array(
+        'type' => 'text_textfield',
+        'weight' => 10,
+      ))
+      ->setDisplayConfigurable('form', TRUE);
+
+    $fields['test_display_non_configurable'] = FieldDefinition::create('text')
+      ->setLabel(t('Field with non-configurable display'))
+      ->setDisplayOptions('view', array(
+        'type' => 'text_default',
+        'weight' => 11,
+      ))
+      ->setDisplayOptions('form', array(
+        'type' => 'text_textfield',
+        'weight' => 11,
+      ));
+
+
+    return $fields;
+  }
+
+}