diff --git a/panels.module b/panels.module
index d56d8d9..5a09a5f 100644
--- a/panels.module
+++ b/panels.module
@@ -35,6 +35,8 @@ function panels_api_version() {
  * We need to set the storage information on Panels displays being storaged
  * in Page Manager as early as possible, to signal to Panels that features
  * requiring Panels storage (like the IPE) are supported.
+ *
+ * @see panels_page_variant_presave()
  */
 function panels_page_variant_create(PageVariantInterface $page_variant) {
   if ($page_variant->getVariantPluginId() == 'panels_variant') {
@@ -48,28 +50,23 @@ function panels_page_variant_create(PageVariantInterface $page_variant) {
 }
 
 /**
- * Implements hook_form_FORM_ID_alter().
- */
-function panels_form_page_variant_add_form_alter(&$form, FormStateInterface $form_state) {
-  // We set a validation callback because it'll run before the forms built-in
-  // ::submitForm() method, which we need to make sure our changes get saved.
-  $form['actions']['submit']['#validate'][] = 'panels_page_variant_add_form_validate';
-}
-
-/**
- * Form validation callback for page_variant_add_form().
+ * Implements hook_ENTITY_TYPE_presave().
+ *
+ * Now that we have the id for the page variant, we need to set the storage
+ * information again.
+ *
+ * @see panels_page_variant_create()
  */
-function panels_page_variant_add_form_validate($form, FormStateInterface $form_state) {
-  /** @var  \Drupal\Core\Entity\EntityForm $form_obj */
-  $form_obj = $form_state->getFormObject();
-  /** @var \Drupal\page_manager\PageVariantInterface $page_variant */
-  $page_variant = $form_obj->getEntity();
-
+function panels_page_variant_presave(PageVariantInterface $page_variant) {
   if ($page_variant->getVariantPluginId() == 'panels_variant') {
     /** @var \Drupal\panels\Plugin\DisplayVariant\PanelsDisplayVariant $panels_display */
     $panels_display = $page_variant->getVariantPlugin();
     // Set the storage info now that we have the id.
     $panels_display->setStorage('page_manager', $page_variant->id());
+    // Since the plugin collection magic has already run and copied the
+    // configuration from the $panels_display to the $page_variant, we need to
+    // do it again manually.
+    $page_variant->set('variant_settings', $panels_display->getConfiguration());
   }
 }