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 d340bb5..600b340 100644
--- a/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Field/Plugin/Field/FieldType/EntityReferenceItem.php
+++ b/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Field/Plugin/Field/FieldType/EntityReferenceItem.php
@@ -371,16 +371,18 @@ public static function onDependencyRemoval(FieldDefinitionInterface $field_defin
             if (isset($dependencies[$bundle->getConfigDependencyKey()][$bundle->getConfigDependencyName()])) {
               unset($handler_settings['target_bundles'][$bundle->id()]);
 
-              // If this bundle is also used in the 'auto_create_bundle' setting, make it NULL.
+              // If this bundle is also used in the 'auto_create_bundle'
+              // setting, disable the auto-creation feature completely.
               $auto_create_bundle = !empty($handler_settings['auto_create_bundle']) ? $handler_settings['auto_create_bundle'] : FALSE;
               if ($auto_create_bundle && $auto_create_bundle == $bundle->id()) {
+                $handler_settings['auto_create'] = NULL;
                 $handler_settings['auto_create_bundle'] = NULL;
               }
 
               $bundles_changed = TRUE;
 
               // In case we deleted the only target bundle allowed by the field
-              // we have to log a warning message because the field will not
+              // we have to log a critical message because the field will not
               // function correctly anymore.
               if ($handler_settings['target_bundles'] === []) {
                 \Drupal::logger('entity_reference')->critical('The %target_bundle bundle (entity type: %target_entity_type) was deleted. As a result, the %field_name entity reference field (entity_type: %entity_type, bundle: %bundle) no longer has any valid bundle it can reference. The field is not working correctly anymore and has to be adjusted.', [
@@ -397,16 +399,6 @@ public static function onDependencyRemoval(FieldDefinitionInterface $field_defin
       }
     }
     if ($bundles_changed) {
-      // If there is only one possible target bundle left, use it for the
-      // 'auto_create_bundle' setting.
-      if (!empty($handler_settings['auto_create']) && count($handler_settings['target_bundles']) === 1) {
-        $handler_settings['auto_create_bundle'] = key($handler_settings['target_bundles']);
-      }
-
-      // If there is no 'auto_create_bundle' set, disable the auto creation
-      // feature completely.
-      $handler_settings['auto_create'] = !empty($handler_settings['auto_create_bundle']);
-
       $field_definition->setSetting('handler_settings', $handler_settings);
     }
     $changed |= $bundles_changed;
diff --git a/core/modules/entity_reference/entity_reference.module b/core/modules/entity_reference/entity_reference.module
index e1047ac..0b6105d 100644
--- a/core/modules/entity_reference/entity_reference.module
+++ b/core/modules/entity_reference/entity_reference.module
@@ -241,7 +241,7 @@ function entity_reference_entity_bundle_delete($entity_type_id, $bundle) {
         $field_config->save();
 
         // In case we deleted the only target bundle allowed by the field we
-        // have to log a warning message because the field will not function
+        // have to log a critical message because the field will not function
         // correctly anymore.
         if ($handler_settings['target_bundles'] === []) {
           \Drupal::logger('entity_reference')->critical('The %target_bundle bundle (entity type: %target_entity_type) was deleted. As a result, the %field_name entity reference field (entity_type: %entity_type, bundle: %bundle) no longer has any valid bundle it can reference. The field is not working correctly anymore and has to be adjusted.', [