diff --git a/core/modules/link/src/Normalizer/HalLinkItemNormalizer.php b/core/modules/link/src/Normalizer/HalLinkItemNormalizer.php
index b4c9a8c..6e74d7b 100644
--- a/core/modules/link/src/Normalizer/HalLinkItemNormalizer.php
+++ b/core/modules/link/src/Normalizer/HalLinkItemNormalizer.php
@@ -98,14 +98,11 @@ public function normalize($field_item, $format = NULL, array $context = array())
    */
   public function denormalize($link, $class, $format = NULL, array $context = array()) {
     $url = parse_url($link['uri']);
-    if (isset($url['scheme']) && $url['scheme'] === 'entity') {
-
+    if (isset($url['scheme']) && $url['scheme'] === 'entity' && isset($link['target_uuid'])) {
       $path = isset($url['path']) ? $url['path'] : '';
-      list($target_entity_type_id, $target_entity_id) = explode('/', $path);
-      if (isset($link['target_uuid'])) {
-        if ($entity = $this->entityRepository->loadEntityByUuid($target_entity_type_id, $link['target_uuid'])) {
-          $link['uri'] = 'entity:' . $target_entity_type_id . '/' . $entity->id();
-        }
+      list($target_entity_type_id,) = explode('/', $path);
+      if ($entity = $this->entityRepository->loadEntityByUuid($target_entity_type_id, $link['target_uuid'])) {
+        $link['uri'] = 'entity:' . $target_entity_type_id . '/' . $entity->id();
       }
     }
     $field_item = parent::denormalize($link, $class, $format, $context);
diff --git a/core/modules/menu_link_content/src/Normalizer/HalMenuLinkContentNormalizer.php b/core/modules/menu_link_content/src/Normalizer/HalMenuLinkContentNormalizer.php
index ed66761..7cd147c 100644
--- a/core/modules/menu_link_content/src/Normalizer/HalMenuLinkContentNormalizer.php
+++ b/core/modules/menu_link_content/src/Normalizer/HalMenuLinkContentNormalizer.php
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ class HalMenuLinkContentNormalizer extends ContentEntityNormalizer {
    *
    * @var string
    */
-  const PSUEDO_PARENT_FIELD_NAME = 'menu_link_content_parent_entity';
+  const PSEUDO_PARENT_FIELD_NAME = 'menu_link_content_parent_entity';
 
   /**
    * {@inheritdoc}
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ public function normalize($entity, $format = NULL, array $context = array()) {
           list($plugin_id, $parent_uuid) = explode(PluginBase::DERIVATIVE_SEPARATOR, $parent['value']);
           if ($plugin_id === 'menu_link_content' && $parent_entity = $this->entityManager->loadEntityByUuid('menu_link_content', $parent_uuid)) {
             // This entity has a parent menu link entity, we embed it.
-            $normalized = NestedArray::mergeDeep($normalized, $this->embedTargetEntity($entity, $parent_entity, self::PSUEDO_PARENT_FIELD_NAME, $this->serializer, $this->linkManager, $format, $context));
+            $normalized = NestedArray::mergeDeep($normalized, $this->embedTargetEntity($entity, $parent_entity, self::PSEUDO_PARENT_FIELD_NAME, $this->serializer, $this->linkManager, $format, $context));
           }
         }
       }
diff --git a/core/modules/menu_link_content/src/Normalizer/MenuLinkContentNormalizer.php b/core/modules/menu_link_content/src/Normalizer/MenuLinkContentNormalizer.php
index 362d1ac..8efdcdc 100644
--- a/core/modules/menu_link_content/src/Normalizer/MenuLinkContentNormalizer.php
+++ b/core/modules/menu_link_content/src/Normalizer/MenuLinkContentNormalizer.php
@@ -19,18 +19,16 @@ class MenuLinkContentNormalizer extends ContentEntityNormalizer {
    * {@inheritdoc}
    */
   public function denormalize($data, $class, $format = NULL, array $context = array()) {
-    if (isset($data['link']) && is_array($data['link'])) {
+    if (isset($data['link']) && is_array($data['link']) && isset($link['target_uuid'])) {
       foreach ($data['link'] as $key => $link) {
         $url = parse_url($link['uri']);
         if (!isset($url['scheme']) || $url['scheme'] !== 'entity') {
           continue;
         }
         $path = isset($url['path']) ? $url['path'] : '';
-        list($target_entity_type_id, $target_entity_id) = explode('/', $path);
-        if (isset($link['target_uuid'])) {
-          if ($entity = $this->entityManager->loadEntityByUuid($target_entity_type_id, $link['target_uuid'])) {
-            $data['link'][$key]['uri'] = 'entity:' . $target_entity_type_id . '/' . $entity->id();
-          }
+        list($target_entity_type_id,) = explode('/', $path);
+        if ($entity = $this->entityManager->loadEntityByUuid($target_entity_type_id, $link['target_uuid'])) {
+          $data['link'][$key]['uri'] = 'entity:' . $target_entity_type_id . '/' . $entity->id();
         }
       }
     }
diff --git a/core/modules/menu_link_content/tests/src/Kernel/Normalizer/HalMenuLinkContentNormalizerTest.php b/core/modules/menu_link_content/tests/src/Kernel/Normalizer/HalMenuLinkContentNormalizerTest.php
index af00035..0669b7a 100644
--- a/core/modules/menu_link_content/tests/src/Kernel/Normalizer/HalMenuLinkContentNormalizerTest.php
+++ b/core/modules/menu_link_content/tests/src/Kernel/Normalizer/HalMenuLinkContentNormalizerTest.php
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ public function testMenuLinkNormalizer() {
     $serializer = $this->container->get('serializer');
     $link_manager = $this->container->get('rest.link_manager');
     $mock_field_uri = $link_manager->getRelationUri('menu_link_content', 'menu_link_content', 'link_target', []);
-    $parent_field_uri = $link_manager->getRelationUri('menu_link_content', 'menu_link_content', HalMenuLinkContentNormalizer::PSUEDO_PARENT_FIELD_NAME, []);
+    $parent_field_uri = $link_manager->getRelationUri('menu_link_content', 'menu_link_content', HalMenuLinkContentNormalizer::PSEUDO_PARENT_FIELD_NAME, []);
     $node_url = $node->toUrl('canonical', ['absolute' => TRUE])->setRouteParameter('_format', 'hal_json')->toString();
     $parent_url = $parent->toUrl('canonical', ['absolute' => TRUE])->setRouteParameter('_format', 'hal_json')->toString();
     $context['included_fields'] = ['uuid'];