diff -u b/core/modules/system/config/schema/system.schema.yml b/core/modules/system/config/schema/system.schema.yml
--- b/core/modules/system/config/schema/system.schema.yml
+++ b/core/modules/system/config/schema/system.schema.yml
@@ -357,10 +357,10 @@
   type: block_settings
   label: 'Tabs block'
   mapping:
-    primary_tasks:
+    primary:
       type: boolean
       label: 'Whether primary tabs is shown'
-    secondary_tasks:
+    secondary:
       type: boolean
       label: 'Whether secondary tabs is shown'
 
diff -u b/core/modules/system/src/Plugin/Block/SystemLocalActionsBlock.php b/core/modules/system/src/Plugin/Block/SystemLocalActionsBlock.php
--- b/core/modules/system/src/Plugin/Block/SystemLocalActionsBlock.php
+++ b/core/modules/system/src/Plugin/Block/SystemLocalActionsBlock.php
@@ -114,6 +114,7 @@
    * {@inheritdoc}
    */
   public function getCacheMaxAge() {
+    // @todo Remove after local action hooks provide cacheability metadata.
     return 0;
   }
 
diff -u b/core/modules/system/src/Plugin/Block/SystemTabsBlock.php b/core/modules/system/src/Plugin/Block/SystemTabsBlock.php
--- b/core/modules/system/src/Plugin/Block/SystemTabsBlock.php
+++ b/core/modules/system/src/Plugin/Block/SystemTabsBlock.php
@@ -40,8 +40,8 @@
   public function defaultConfiguration() {
     return [
       'label_display' => FALSE,
-      'primary_tasks' => TRUE,
-      'secondary_tasks' => TRUE,
+      'primary' => TRUE,
+      'secondary' => TRUE,
     ];
   }
 
@@ -56,12 +56,12 @@
     ];
 
     // Add only selected levels for the printed output.
-    if ($config['primary_tasks']) {
+    if ($config['primary']) {
       $tabs += [
         '#primary' => menu_primary_local_tasks(),
       ];
     }
-    if ($config['secondary_tasks']) {
+    if ($config['secondary']) {
       $tabs += [
         '#secondary' => menu_secondary_local_tasks(),
       ];
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@
    * {@inheritdoc}
    */
   public function getCacheMaxAge() {
-    // @todo Make cacheable now that https://drupal.org/node/2287071 has landed.
+    // @todo Remove after local task hooks provide cacheability metadata.
     return 0;
   }
 
@@ -118,17 +118,17 @@
       '#title' => $this->t('Shown tabs'),
       '#description' => $this->t('Select local tasks being shown in the block'),
       // Open if not set to defaults.
-      '#open' => $defaults['primary_tasks'] !== $config['primary_tasks'] || $defaults['secondary_tasks'] !== $config['secondary_tasks'],
+      '#open' => $defaults['primary'] !== $config['primary'] || $defaults['secondary'] !== $config['secondary'],
     );
-    $form['levels']['primary_tasks'] = [
+    $form['levels']['primary'] = [
       '#type' => 'checkbox',
       '#title' => $this->t('Show primary tabs'),
-      '#default_value' => $config['primary_tasks'],
+      '#default_value' => $config['primary'],
     ];
-    $form['levels']['secondary_tasks'] = [
+    $form['levels']['secondary'] = [
       '#type' => 'checkbox',
       '#title' => $this->t('Show secondary tabs'),
-      '#default_value' => $config['secondary_tasks'],
+      '#default_value' => $config['secondary'],
     ];
 
     return $form;
@@ -139,8 +139,8 @@
    */
   public function blockSubmit($form, FormStateInterface $form_state) {
     $levels = $form_state->getValue('levels');
-    $this->configuration['primary_tasks'] = $levels['primary_tasks'];
-    $this->configuration['secondary_tasks'] = $levels['secondary_tasks'];
+    $this->configuration['primary'] = $levels['primary'];
+    $this->configuration['secondary'] = $levels['secondary'];
   }
 
 }
diff -u b/core/modules/system/src/Tests/Menu/LocalTasksTest.php b/core/modules/system/src/Tests/Menu/LocalTasksTest.php
--- b/core/modules/system/src/Tests/Menu/LocalTasksTest.php
+++ b/core/modules/system/src/Tests/Menu/LocalTasksTest.php
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 /**
  * @file
- * Contains \Drupal\system\Tests\Menu\LocalTasksTest.
+ * Contains \1.
  */
 
 namespace Drupal\system\Tests\Menu;
@@ -25,12 +25,19 @@
   public static $modules = ['block', 'menu_test', 'entity_test'];
 
   /**
+   * The local tasks block used for testing.
+   *
+   * @var \Drupal\block\Entity\Block
+   */
+  protected $block;
+
+  /**
    * {@inheritdoc}
    */
   protected function setUp() {
     parent::setUp();
 
-    $this->drupalPlaceBlock('system_tabs_block');
+    $this->block = $this->drupalPlaceBlock('system_tabs_block', ['id' => 'tabs_block']);
   }
 
   /**
@@ -62,6 +69,20 @@
   }
 
   /**
+   * Asserts that te local tasks on the specified level is not being printed.
+   *
+   * @param int $level
+   *   (optional) The local tasks level to assert; 0 for primary, 1 for
+   *   secondary. Defaults to 0.
+   */
+  protected function assertNoLocalTasks($level = 0) {
+    $elements = $this->xpath('//*[contains(@class, :class)]//a', array(
+      ':class' => $level == 0 ? 'tabs primary' : 'tabs secondary',
+    ));
+    $this->assertFalse(count($elements), 'Local tasks not found.');
+  }
+
+  /**
    * Tests the plugin based local tasks.
    */
   public function testPluginLocalTask() {
@@ -151,2 +172,50 @@
 
+  /**
+   * Tests that local task blocks are configurable to print a specific level.
+   */
+  public function testLocalTaskBlock() {
+    // Remove the default block and create a new one.
+    $this->block->delete();
+
+    $this->block = $this->drupalPlaceBlock('system_tabs_block', [
+      'id' => 'tabs_block',
+      'primary' => TRUE,
+      'secondary' => FALSE,
+    ]);
+
+    $this->drupalGet(Url::fromRoute('menu_test.local_task_test_tasks_settings'));
+
+    // Verify that local tasks in the first level appear.
+    $this->assertLocalTasks([
+      ['menu_test.local_task_test_tasks_view', []],
+      ['menu_test.local_task_test_tasks_edit', []],
+      ['menu_test.local_task_test_tasks_settings', []],
+    ]);
+
+    // Verify that local tasks in the second doesn't appear.
+    $this->assertNoLocalTasks(1);
+
+    $this->block->delete();
+    $this->block = $this->drupalPlaceBlock('system_tabs_block', [
+      'id' => 'tabs_block',
+      'primary' => FALSE,
+      'secondary' => TRUE,
+    ]);
+
+    $this->drupalGet(Url::fromRoute('menu_test.local_task_test_tasks_settings'));
+
+    // Verify that local tasks in the first level doesn't appear.
+    $this->assertNoLocalTasks(0);
+
+    // Verify that local tasks in the second level appear.
+    $sub_tasks = [
+      ['menu_test.local_task_test_tasks_settings_sub1', []],
+      ['menu_test.local_task_test_tasks_settings_sub2', []],
+      ['menu_test.local_task_test_tasks_settings_sub3', []],
+      ['menu_test.local_task_test_tasks_settings_derived', ['placeholder' => 'derive1']],
+      ['menu_test.local_task_test_tasks_settings_derived', ['placeholder' => 'derive2']],
+    ];
+    $this->assertLocalTasks($sub_tasks, 1);
+  }
+
 }
diff -u b/core/profiles/standard/config/install/block.block.seven_page_primary_tabs.yml b/core/profiles/standard/config/install/block.block.seven_page_primary_tabs.yml
--- b/core/profiles/standard/config/install/block.block.seven_page_primary_tabs.yml
+++ b/core/profiles/standard/config/install/block.block.seven_page_primary_tabs.yml
@@ -10,8 +10,8 @@
   label: Primary tabs
   provider: system
   label_display: '0'
-  primary_tasks: true
-  secondary_tasks: false
+  primary: true
+  secondary: false
 dependencies:
   module:
     - system
diff -u b/core/profiles/standard/config/install/block.block.seven_page_seconadry_tabs.yml b/core/profiles/standard/config/install/block.block.seven_page_seconadry_tabs.yml
--- b/core/profiles/standard/config/install/block.block.seven_page_seconadry_tabs.yml
+++ b/core/profiles/standard/config/install/block.block.seven_page_seconadry_tabs.yml
@@ -10,8 +10,8 @@
   label: Secondary tabs
   provider: system
   label_display: '0'
-  primary_tasks: false
-  secondary_tasks: true
+  primary: false
+  secondary: true
 dependencies:
   module:
     - system