diff --git a/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Field/EntityReferenceFieldItemList.php b/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Field/EntityReferenceFieldItemList.php
index 6779542..3d1e33e 100644
--- a/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Field/EntityReferenceFieldItemList.php
+++ b/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Field/EntityReferenceFieldItemList.php
@@ -117,15 +117,4 @@ public function defaultValuesFormSubmit(array $element, array &$form, FormStateI
     return $default_value;
   }
 
-  /**
-   * {@inheritdoc}
-   */
-  public function getConstraints() {
-    $constraints = parent::getConstraints();
-    $constraints[] = \Drupal::typedDataManager()
-      ->getValidationConstraintManager()
-      ->create('EntityReferenceNotNull', []);
-    return $constraints;
-  }
-
 }
diff --git a/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Field/Plugin/Field/FieldType/EntityReferenceItem.php b/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Field/Plugin/Field/FieldType/EntityReferenceItem.php
index f456400..3b8cc0e 100644
--- a/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Field/Plugin/Field/FieldType/EntityReferenceItem.php
+++ b/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Field/Plugin/Field/FieldType/EntityReferenceItem.php
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@
  *   no_ui = TRUE,
  *   default_formatter = "entity_reference_label",
  *   list_class = "\Drupal\Core\Field\EntityReferenceFieldItemList",
- *   constraints = {"ValidReference" = {}}
+ *   constraints = {"ValidReference" = {}, "EntityReferenceNotNull" = {}}
  * )
  */
 class EntityReferenceItem extends FieldItemBase {
diff --git a/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Validation/Plugin/Validation/Constraint/EntityReferenceNotNullConstraintValidator.php b/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Validation/Plugin/Validation/Constraint/EntityReferenceNotNullConstraintValidator.php
index c88f549..e30a161 100644
--- a/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Validation/Plugin/Validation/Constraint/EntityReferenceNotNullConstraintValidator.php
+++ b/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Validation/Plugin/Validation/Constraint/EntityReferenceNotNullConstraintValidator.php
@@ -21,15 +21,10 @@ class EntityReferenceNotNullConstraintValidator extends NotNullValidator {
   /**
    * {@inheritdoc}
    */
-  public function validate($value, Constraint $constraint) {
-    foreach ($value as $item) {
-      if ($item->isEmpty()) {
-        continue;
-      }
-      if ($item->target_id === NULL && !$item->entity->isNew()) {
-        $this->context->addViolation($constraint->message);
-        return;
-      }
+  public function validate($item, Constraint $constraint) {
+    if (!$item->isEmpty && $item->target_id === NULL && !$item->entity->isNew()) {
+      $this->context->addViolation($constraint->message);
+      return;
     }
   }
 
diff --git a/core/modules/field/src/Tests/EntityReference/EntityReferenceItemTest.php b/core/modules/field/src/Tests/EntityReference/EntityReferenceItemTest.php
index dbc9037..728a161 100644
--- a/core/modules/field/src/Tests/EntityReference/EntityReferenceItemTest.php
+++ b/core/modules/field/src/Tests/EntityReference/EntityReferenceItemTest.php
@@ -340,7 +340,7 @@ public function testValidation() {
     $errors = $entity->validate();
     $this->assertEqual(1, count($errors));
     $this->assertEqual($errors[0]->getMessage(), 'This value should not be null.');
-    $this->assertEqual($errors[0]->getPropertyPath(), 'field_test_taxonomy_term');
+    $this->assertEqual($errors[0]->getPropertyPath(), 'field_test_taxonomy_term.0');
     // This should rectify the issue, favoring the entity over the target_id.
     $entity->save();
     $errors = $entity->validate();