diff -u b/modules/commerce/migration_templates/d7_product.yml b/modules/commerce/migration_templates/d7_product.yml
--- b/modules/commerce/migration_templates/d7_product.yml
+++ b/modules/commerce/migration_templates/d7_product.yml
@@ -6,13 +6,13 @@
 source:
   plugin: d7_product
 process:
-# This is the product id and not the product variation id.
-# It may not be correct after this migration. It is back
-# reference to the product id which is migrated in the
-# product migration, d7_product_display, and is run after
-# this migration. This value is updated via the event
-# subscriber MigrateProduct.
-  product_id: product_id
+  variation_id: product_id
+  # The product_id field is NULL after this migration.
+  # It is back reference to the product id which is
+  # migrated in the product migration, d7_product_display,
+  # and is run after this migration. The value is updated
+  # via the event subscriber MigrateProduct.
+  #product_id:
   revision_id: revision_id
   sku: sku
   title: title
diff -u b/modules/commerce/migration_templates/d7_product_display.yml b/modules/commerce/migration_templates/d7_product_display.yml
--- b/modules/commerce/migration_templates/d7_product_display.yml
+++ b/modules/commerce/migration_templates/d7_product_display.yml
@@ -15,13 +15,10 @@
   created: created
   changed: changed
   path: path
-  # Note that a post event subscriber, MigrateProduct,
-  # is used to update the back reference to the product id
-  # for all variations.
   variations:
-    plugin: commerce_migrate_commerce_reference
+    plugin: migration_lookup
+    migration: d7_product
     source: variations_field
-    target_key: product_id
 destination:
   plugin: 'entity:commerce_product'
 migration_dependencies: