diff -u b/core/modules/field/lib/Drupal/field/Entity/FieldConfig.php b/core/modules/field/lib/Drupal/field/Entity/FieldConfig.php
--- b/core/modules/field/lib/Drupal/field/Entity/FieldConfig.php
+++ b/core/modules/field/lib/Drupal/field/Entity/FieldConfig.php
@@ -321,7 +321,9 @@
 
     // Make sure all settings are present, so that a complete field
     // definition is passed to the various hooks and written to config.
-    $this->settings += $field_type['settings'];
+     if (isset($field_type['class'])) {
+       $this->settings += $field_type['class']::settings();
+     }
 
     // Notify the entity storage controller.
     $entity_manager->getStorageController($this->entity_type)->onFieldCreate($this);
@@ -510,10 +512,12 @@
     //   $this.
     $field_type_info = \Drupal::service('plugin.manager.field.field_type')->getDefinition($this->type);
 
-    $item_class = $field_type_info['class'];
+    $settings = array();
+    if (isset($field_type_info['class'])) {
+      $settings = $field_type_info['class']::settings();
+    }
     // @todo Convert instance settings to method.
-    $settings = $this->settings + $item_class::settings() + $field_type_info['instance_settings'];
-    return $settings;
+    return $this->settings + $settings + $field_type_info['instance_settings'];
   }
 
   /**
diff -u b/core/modules/field_ui/lib/Drupal/field_ui/Tests/ManageDisplayTest.php b/core/modules/field_ui/lib/Drupal/field_ui/Tests/ManageDisplayTest.php
--- b/core/modules/field_ui/lib/Drupal/field_ui/Tests/ManageDisplayTest.php
+++ b/core/modules/field_ui/lib/Drupal/field_ui/Tests/ManageDisplayTest.php
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@
 
     // Confirm that the extra settings are not updated on the settings form.
     $this->drupalPostAjaxForm(NULL, array(), "field_test_settings_edit");
-    $this->assertNoFieldByName($fieldname, 'foo');
+    $this->assertFieldByName($fieldname, '');
 
     // Test the empty setting formatter.
     $edit = array('fields[field_test][type]' => 'field_empty_setting');
@@ -199,9 +199,9 @@
     $edit = array($fieldname => 'foo');
     $this->drupalPostAjaxForm(NULL, $edit, "field_test_plugin_settings_update");
 
-    // Confirm that the settings are updated on the settings form.
+    // Confirm that the extra settings are not updated on the settings form.
     $this->drupalPostAjaxForm(NULL, array(), "field_test_settings_edit");
-    $this->assertFieldByName($fieldname, 'foo');
+    $this->assertFieldByName($fieldname, '');
   }
 
   /**