diff -u b/core/includes/common.inc b/core/includes/common.inc
--- b/core/includes/common.inc
+++ b/core/includes/common.inc
@@ -3603,32 +3603,6 @@
 }
 
 /**
- * @needsdoc
- */
-function drupal_pre_render($elements) {
-  // If the default values for this element have not been loaded yet, populate
-  // them.
-  if (isset($elements['#type']) && empty($elements['#defaults_loaded'])) {
-    $elements += element_info($elements['#type']);
-  }
-
-  if (isset($elements['#pre_render'])) {
-    foreach ($elements['#pre_render'] as $callable) {
-      $elements = call_user_func($callable, $elements);
-    }
-    // Once the item is built, the callback is no longer needed.
-    unset($elements['#pre_render']);
-  }
-  // Build the child elements as well.
-  if ($children = element_children($elements)) {
-    foreach ($children as $child) {
-      $elements[$child] = drupal_pre_render($elements[$child]);
-    }
-  }
-  return $elements;
-}
-
-/**
  * Renders the page, including all theming.
  *
  * @param string|array $page
@@ -3809,11 +3783,19 @@
     }
   }
 
+  // If the default values for this element have not been loaded yet, populate
+  // them.
+  if (isset($elements['#type']) && empty($elements['#defaults_loaded'])) {
+    $elements += element_info($elements['#type']);
+  }
+
   // Make any final changes to the element before it is rendered. This means
   // that the $element or the children can be altered or corrected before the
   // element is rendered into the final text.
-  if (!$is_recursive_call) {
-    $elements = drupal_pre_render($elements);
+  if (isset($elements['#pre_render'])) {
+    foreach ($elements['#pre_render'] as $callable) {
+      $elements = call_user_func($callable, $elements);
+    }
   }
 
   // Allow #pre_render to abort rendering.
@@ -3821,16 +3803,6 @@
     return '';
   }
 
-  // Collect all #post_render_cache callbacks associated with this element when:
-  // - about to store this element in the render cache, or when;
-  // - about to apply #post_render_cache callbacks.
-  if (isset($elements['#cache']) || !$is_recursive_call) {
-    $post_render_cache = drupal_render_collect_post_render_cache($elements);
-    if ($post_render_cache) {
-      $elements['#post_render_cache'] = $post_render_cache;
-    }
-  }
-
   // Add any JavaScript state information associated with the element.
   if (!empty($elements['#states'])) {
     drupal_process_states($elements);
@@ -3934,6 +3906,12 @@
   $suffix = isset($elements['#suffix']) ? $elements['#suffix'] : '';
   $elements['#markup'] = $prefix . $elements['#children'] . $suffix;
 
+  if (!$is_recursive_call || isset($elements['#cache'])) {
+    $post_render_cache = drupal_render_collect_post_render_cache($elements);
+    if ($post_render_cache) {
+      $elements['#post_render_cache'] = $post_render_cache;
+    }
+  }
   // Collect all cache tags. This allows the caller of drupal_render() to also
   // access the complete list of cache tags.
   if (!$is_recursive_call || isset($elements['#cache'])) {
@@ -3954,7 +3932,7 @@
   // - they run when #cache is enabled and there is a cache miss.
   // Only the case of a cache hit when #cache is enabled, is not handled here,
   // that is handled earlier in drupal_render().
-  if (!$is_recursive_call) {
+  if (!$is_recursive_call || isset($elements['#cache'])) {
     _drupal_render_process_post_render_cache($elements);
   }
 
@@ -4239,42 +4217,11 @@
     // and if keyed by a number, no token is passed, otherwise, the token string
     // is passed to the callback as well. This token is used to uniquely
     // identify the placeholder in the markup.
-    $modified_elements = $elements;
     foreach ($elements['#post_render_cache'] as $callback => $options) {
       foreach ($elements['#post_render_cache'][$callback] as $token => $context) {
-        // The advanced option, when setting #post_render_cache directly.
-        if (is_numeric($token)) {
-          $modified_elements = call_user_func_array($callback, array($modified_elements, $context));
-        }
-        // The simple option, when using the standard placeholders, and hence
-        // also when using #type => render_cache_placeholder.
-        else {
-          // Call #post_render_cache callback to generate the element that will
-          // fill in the placeholder.
-          $generated_element = call_user_func_array($callback, array($context));
-
-          // Update #attached based on the generated element.
-          if (isset($generated_element['#attached'])) {
-            if (!isset($modified_elements['#attached'])) {
-              $modified_elements['#attached'] = array();
-            }
-            $modified_elements['#attached'] = drupal_merge_attached($modified_elements['#attached'], drupal_render_collect_attached($generated_element, TRUE));
-          }
-
-          // Replace the placeholder with the rendered markup of the generated
-          // element.
-          $placeholder = drupal_render_cache_generate_placeholder($callback, $context, $token);
-          $modified_elements['#markup'] = str_replace($placeholder, drupal_render($generated_element), $modified_elements['#markup']);
-        }
+        $elements = call_user_func_array($callback, array($elements, $context));
       }
     }
-    // Only retain changes to the #markup and #attached properties, as would be
-    // the case when the render cache was actually being used.
-    $elements['#markup'] = $modified_elements['#markup'];
-    if (isset($modified_elements['#attached'])) {
-      $elements['#attached'] = $modified_elements['#attached'];
-    }
-
     // Make sure that any attachments added in #post_render_cache callbacks are
     // also executed.
     if (isset($elements['#attached'])) {
@@ -4331,13 +4278,6 @@
     }
   }
 
-  // If this is a render cache placeholder that hasn't been rendered yet, then
-  // render it now, because we must be able to collect its #post_render_cache
-  // callback.
-  if (!isset($elements['#post_render_cache']) && isset($elements['#type']) && $elements['#type'] === 'render_cache_placeholder') {
-    $elements = drupal_pre_render_render_cache_placeholder($elements);
-  }
-
   // Collect all #post_render_cache callbacks for this element.
   if (isset($elements['#post_render_cache'])) {
     $callbacks = NestedArray::mergeDeep($callbacks, $elements['#post_render_cache']);
diff -u b/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Entity/EntityViewBuilder.php b/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Entity/EntityViewBuilder.php
--- b/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Entity/EntityViewBuilder.php
+++ b/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Entity/EntityViewBuilder.php
@@ -147,7 +147,7 @@
 
     $return = array(
       '#theme' => $this->entityTypeId,
-      '#build' => array(array($this, 'entityViewBuilderBuildView')),
+      '#pre_render' => array(array($this, 'entityViewBuilderBuildView')),
       "#{$this->entityTypeId}" => $entity,
       '#view_mode' => $view_mode,
       '#langcode' => $langcode,
diff -u b/core/modules/node/lib/Drupal/node/NodeViewBuilder.php b/core/modules/node/lib/Drupal/node/NodeViewBuilder.php
--- b/core/modules/node/lib/Drupal/node/NodeViewBuilder.php
+++ b/core/modules/node/lib/Drupal/node/NodeViewBuilder.php
@@ -34,16 +34,25 @@
       $bundle = $entity->bundle();
       $display = $displays[$bundle];
 
+      $callback = '\Drupal\node\NodeViewBuilder::renderLinks';
+      $token = \Drupal\Component\Utility\Crypt::randomBytesBase64(55);
+      $context = array(
+        'node_entity_id' => $entity->id(),
+        'view_mode' => $view_mode,
+        'langcode' => $langcode,
+        'in_preview' => !empty($entity->in_preview),
+        'token' => $token,
+      );
+
       $entity->content['links'] = array(
-        '#type' => 'render_cache_placeholder',
-        '#callback' => '\Drupal\node\NodeViewBuilder::renderLinks',
-        '#context' => array(
-          'node_entity_id' => $entity->id(),
-          'view_mode' => $view_mode,
-          'langcode' => $langcode,
-          'in_preview' => !empty($entity->in_preview),
+        '#post_render_cache' => array(
+          $callback => array(
+            $context,
+          ),
         ),
-      );
+        '#markup' => drupal_render_cache_generate_placeholder($callback, $context, $context['token']),
+      ); 
+
 
       // Add Language field text element to node render array.
       if ($display->getComponent('langcode')) {
@@ -92,7 +101,10 @@
    * @return array
    *   A renderable array representing the node links.
    */
-  public static function renderLinks(array $context) {
+  public static function renderLinks(array $element, array $context) {
+    $callback = '\Drupal\node\NodeViewBuilder::renderLinks';
+    $placeholder = drupal_render_cache_generate_placeholder($callback, $context, $context['token']);
+
     $links = array(
       '#theme' => 'links__node',
       '#pre_render' => array('drupal_pre_render_links'),
@@ -110,8 +122,10 @@
       );
       \Drupal::moduleHandler()->alter('node_links', $links, $entity, $hook_context);
     }
+    $replace = drupal_render($links);
+    $element['#markup'] = str_replace($placeholder, $replace, $element['#markup']);
 
-    return $links;
+    return $element;
   }
 
   /**
only in patch2:
unchanged:
--- a/core/modules/comment/lib/Drupal/comment/CommentViewBuilder.php
+++ b/core/modules/comment/lib/Drupal/comment/CommentViewBuilder.php
@@ -123,17 +123,24 @@ public function buildContent(array $entities, array $displays, $view_mode, $lang
       }
       $entity->content['#entity'] = $entity;
       $entity->content['#theme'] = 'comment__' . $entity->getFieldId() . '__' . $commented_entity->bundle();
+      $callback = '\Drupal\comment\CommentViewBuilder::renderLinks';
+      $token = \Drupal\Component\Utility\Crypt::randomBytesBase64(55);
+      $context = array(
+        'comment_entity_id' => $entity->id(),
+        'view_mode' => $view_mode,
+        'langcode' => $langcode,
+        'commented_entity_type' => $commented_entity->getEntityTypeId(),
+        'commented_entity_id' => $commented_entity->id(),
+        'in_preview' => !empty($entity->in_preview),
+        'token' => $token,
+      );
       $entity->content['links'] = array(
-        '#type' => 'render_cache_placeholder',
-        '#callback' => '\Drupal\comment\CommentViewBuilder::renderLinks',
-        '#context' => array(
-          'comment_entity_id' => $entity->id(),
-          'view_mode' => $view_mode,
-          'langcode' => $langcode,
-          'commented_entity_type' => $commented_entity->getEntityTypeId(),
-          'commented_entity_id' => $commented_entity->id(),
-          'in_preview' => !empty($entity->in_preview),
+        '#post_render_cache' => array(
+          $callback => array(
+            $context,
+          ),
         ),
+        '#markup' => drupal_render_cache_generate_placeholder($callback, $context, $context['token']),
       );
 
       if (!isset($entity->content['#attached'])) {
@@ -168,7 +175,9 @@ public function buildContent(array $entities, array $displays, $view_mode, $lang
    * @return array
    *   A renderable array representing the comment links.
    */
-  public static function renderLinks(array $context) {
+  public static function renderLinks(array $element, array $context) {
+    $callback = '\Drupal\comment\CommentViewBuilder::renderLinks';
+    $placeholder = drupal_render_cache_generate_placeholder($callback, $context, $context['token']);
     $links = array(
       '#theme' => 'links__comment',
       '#pre_render' => array('drupal_pre_render_links'),
@@ -189,8 +198,10 @@ public static function renderLinks(array $context) {
       );
       \Drupal::moduleHandler()->alter('comment_links', $links, $entity, $hook_context);
     }
+    $replace = drupal_render($links);
+    $element['#markup'] = str_replace($placeholder, $replace, $element['#markup']);
 
-    return $links;
+    return $element;
   }
 
   /**
only in patch2:
unchanged:
--- a/core/modules/comment/lib/Drupal/comment/Plugin/Field/FieldFormatter/CommentDefaultFormatter.php
+++ b/core/modules/comment/lib/Drupal/comment/Plugin/Field/FieldFormatter/CommentDefaultFormatter.php
@@ -162,14 +162,20 @@ public function viewElements(FieldItemListInterface $items) {
           // All other users need a user-specific form, which would break the
           // render cache: hence use a #post_render_cache callback.
           else {
+            $callback = '\Drupal\comment\Plugin\Field\FieldFormatter\CommentDefaultFormatter::renderForm';
+            $context = array(
+              'entity_type' => $entity->getEntityTypeId(),
+              'entity_id' => $entity->id(),
+              'field_name' => $field_name,
+              'token' => \Drupal\Component\Utility\Crypt::randomBytesBase64(55),
+            );
             $output['comment_form'] = array(
-              '#type' => 'render_cache_placeholder',
-              '#callback' => '\Drupal\comment\Plugin\Field\FieldFormatter\CommentDefaultFormatter::renderForm',
-              '#context' => array(
-                'entity_type' => $entity->getEntityTypeId(),
-                'entity_id' => $entity->id(),
-                'field_name' => $field_name,
+              '#post_render_cache' => array(
+                $callback => array(
+                  $context,
+                ),
               ),
+              '#markup' => drupal_render_cache_generate_placeholder($callback, $context, $context['token']),
             );
           }
         }
@@ -199,9 +205,16 @@ public function viewElements(FieldItemListInterface $items) {
    * @return array
    *   A renderable array containing the comment form.
    */
-  public static function renderForm(array $context) {
+  public static function renderForm(array $element, array $context) {
+    $callback = '\Drupal\comment\Plugin\Field\FieldFormatter\CommentDefaultFormatter::renderForm';
+    $placeholder = drupal_render_cache_generate_placeholder($callback, $context, $context['token']);
     $entity = entity_load($context['entity_type'], $context['entity_id']);
-    return comment_add($entity, $context['field_name']);
+    $form = comment_add($entity, $context['field_name']);
+    // @todo: #attached.
+    $replace = drupal_render($form);
+    $element['#markup'] = str_replace($placeholder, $replace, $element['#markup']);
+
+    return $element;
   }
 
   /**
@@ -231,5 +244,4 @@ public function settingsSummary() {
     }
     return array();
   }
-
 }