diff --git a/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Entity/Plugin/EntityReferenceSelection/DefaultSelection.php b/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Entity/Plugin/EntityReferenceSelection/DefaultSelection.php
index c951cf4..c7c9c1a 100644
--- a/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Entity/Plugin/EntityReferenceSelection/DefaultSelection.php
+++ b/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Entity/Plugin/EntityReferenceSelection/DefaultSelection.php
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ class DefaultSelection extends SelectionPluginBase implements SelectionWithAutoc
   /**
    * {@inheritdoc}
    */
-  public function getDefaultHandlerSettings() {
+  public function defaultHandlerSettings() {
     return [
       // For the 'target_bundles' setting, a NULL value is equivalent to "allow
       // entities from any bundle to be referenced" and an empty array value is
@@ -412,7 +412,8 @@ public function onDependencyRemoval(array $dependencies, FieldDefinitionInterfac
 
     // Update the 'target_bundles' handler setting if a bundle config dependency
     // has been removed.
-    $handler_settings = $this->getConfiguration()['handler_settings'];
+    $configuration = $this->getConfiguration();
+    $handler_settings = $configuration['handler_settings'];
     if (!empty($handler_settings['target_bundles'])) {
       $target_entity_type = $this->entityManager->getDefinition($this->configuration['target_type']);
       if ($bundle_entity_type_id = $target_entity_type->getBundleEntityType()) {
@@ -428,22 +429,26 @@ public function onDependencyRemoval(array $dependencies, FieldDefinitionInterfac
                 $handler_settings['auto_create'] = NULL;
                 $handler_settings['auto_create_bundle'] = NULL;
               }
+            }
+          }
 
-              $this->setConfiguration(['handler_settings' => $handler_settings]);
-              $changed = TRUE;
-
-              // In case we deleted the only target bundle allowed by the field
-              // we have to log a critical message because the field will not
-              // function correctly anymore.
-              if ($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.', [
-                  '%target_bundle' => $bundle->label(),
-                  '%target_entity_type' => $bundle->getEntityType()->getBundleOf(),
-                  '%field_name' => $field_definition->getName(),
-                  '%entity_type' => $field_definition->getTargetEntityTypeId(),
-                  '%bundle' => $field_definition->getTargetBundle()
-                ]);
-              }
+          if ($handler_settings !== $configuration['handler_settings']) {
+            // Update the configuration only if handler settings were changed.
+            $configuration['handler_settings'] = $handler_settings;
+            $this->setConfiguration($configuration);
+            $changed = TRUE;
+
+            // In case we deleted the only target bundle allowed by the field we
+            // have to log a critical message because the field will not
+            // function correctly anymore.
+            if (!empty($bundle) && ($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.', [
+                '%target_bundle' => $bundle->label(),
+                '%target_entity_type' => $bundle->getEntityType()->getBundleOf(),
+                '%field_name' => $field_definition->getName(),
+                '%entity_type' => $field_definition->getTargetEntityTypeId(),
+                '%bundle' => $field_definition->getTargetBundle()
+              ]);
             }
           }
         }
diff --git a/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Entity/Plugin/EntityReferenceSelection/SelectionPluginBase.php b/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Entity/Plugin/EntityReferenceSelection/SelectionPluginBase.php
index d998f96..2617f91 100644
--- a/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Entity/Plugin/EntityReferenceSelection/SelectionPluginBase.php
+++ b/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Entity/Plugin/EntityReferenceSelection/SelectionPluginBase.php
@@ -82,7 +82,11 @@ public static function create(ContainerInterface $container, array $configuratio
    * {@inheritdoc}
    */
   public function defaultConfiguration() {
-    return ['handler_settings' => $this->getDefaultHandlerSettings()];
+    return [
+      'target_type' => NULL,
+      'handler' => NULL,
+      'handler_settings' => $this->defaultHandlerSettings(),
+    ];
   }
 
   /**
@@ -123,7 +127,7 @@ public function onDependencyRemoval(array $dependencies) {
    *
    * @todo Add this to SelectionInterface in Drupal 9.0.x.
    */
-  public function getDefaultHandlerSettings() {
+  public function defaultHandlerSettings() {
     return [];
   }
 
diff --git a/core/modules/views/src/Plugin/EntityReferenceSelection/ViewsSelection.php b/core/modules/views/src/Plugin/EntityReferenceSelection/ViewsSelection.php
index 53114a0..d6f9ded 100644
--- a/core/modules/views/src/Plugin/EntityReferenceSelection/ViewsSelection.php
+++ b/core/modules/views/src/Plugin/EntityReferenceSelection/ViewsSelection.php
@@ -38,9 +38,21 @@ class ViewsSelection extends SelectionPluginBase {
   /**
    * {@inheritdoc}
    */
+  public function defaultHandlerSettings() {
+    return [
+      'view' => [
+        'view_name' => NULL,
+        'display_name' => NULL,
+        'arguments' => [],
+      ],
+    ] + parent::defaultHandlerSettings();
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * {@inheritdoc}
+   */
   public function buildConfigurationForm(array $form, FormStateInterface $form_state) {
-    $selection_handler_settings = $this->configuration['handler_settings'];
-    $view_settings = !empty($selection_handler_settings['view']) ? $selection_handler_settings['view'] : array();
+    $view_settings = $this->getConfiguration()['handler_settings']['view'];
     $displays = Views::getApplicableViews('entity_reference_display');
     // Filter views that list the entity type we want, and group the separate
     // displays by view.
@@ -136,11 +148,10 @@ protected function initializeView($match = NULL, $match_operator = 'CONTAINS', $
     $display_name = $handler_settings['view']['display_name'];
 
     // Check that the view is valid and the display still exists.
-    $this->view = Views::getView($view_name);
-    if (!$this->view) {
+    if (!$view_name || !($this->view = Views::getView($view_name))) {
       throw new FieldException("The reference view $view_name cannot be found.");
     }
-    elseif (!$this->view->access($display_name)) {
+    elseif (!$display_name || !$this->view->access($display_name)) {
       throw new FieldException("The reference display $view_name:$display_name doesn't exist or is inaccessible.");
     }
     $this->view->setDisplay($display_name);