diff --git a/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Field/FieldItemInterface.php b/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Field/FieldItemInterface.php
index 4b40668..e38fbed 100644
--- a/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Field/FieldItemInterface.php
+++ b/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Field/FieldItemInterface.php
@@ -36,13 +36,14 @@
    * @return array
    *   An associative array with the following key/value pairs:
    *   - columns: An array of Schema API column specifications, keyed by column
-   *     name. This specifies what comprises a value for a given field. For
-   *     example, a value for a number field is simply 'value', while a value
-   *     for a formatted text field is the combination of 'value' and 'format'.
-   *     It is recommended to avoid having the column definitions depend on
-   *     field settings when possible. No assumptions should be made on how
-   *     storage engines internally use the original column name to structure
-   *     their storage.
+   *     name. The columns need to be a subset of the properties defined in
+   *     getPropertyDefinitions(). This specifies what comprises a value for a
+   *     given field. For example, a value for a number field is simply 'value',
+   *     while a value for a formatted text field is the combination of 'value'
+   *     and 'format'. It is recommended to avoid having the column definitions
+   *     depend on field settings when possible. No assumptions should be made
+   *     on how storage engines internally use the original column name to
+   *     structure their storage.
    *   - indexes: (optional) An array of Schema API index definitions. Only
    *     columns that appear in the 'columns' array are allowed. Those indexes
    *     will be used as default indexes. Callers of field_create_field() can
diff --git a/core/modules/system/system.module b/core/modules/system/system.module
index 883faae..1bb6780 100644
--- a/core/modules/system/system.module
+++ b/core/modules/system/system.module
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 
 use Drupal\Core\Cache\CacheBackendInterface;
 use Drupal\Core\Cache\Cache;
+use Drupal\Core\Field\Plugin\Field\FieldType\EmailItem;
 use Drupal\Core\Language\Language;
 use Drupal\Core\Utility\ModuleInfo;
 use Drupal\user\UserInterface;
@@ -343,7 +344,7 @@ function system_element_info() {
     '#input' => TRUE,
     '#size' => 60,
     // user.module is not loaded in case of early bootstrap errors.
-    '#maxlength' => defined('EMAIL_MAX_LENGTH') ? EMAIL_MAX_LENGTH : 255,
+    '#maxlength' => EmailItem::EMAIL_MAX_LENGTH,
     '#autocomplete_route_name' => FALSE,
     '#process' => array('form_process_autocomplete', 'ajax_process_form', 'form_process_pattern'),
     '#element_validate' => array('form_validate_email'),
diff --git a/core/modules/user/lib/Drupal/user/Form/UserPasswordForm.php b/core/modules/user/lib/Drupal/user/Form/UserPasswordForm.php
index 2399a58..a547c02 100644
--- a/core/modules/user/lib/Drupal/user/Form/UserPasswordForm.php
+++ b/core/modules/user/lib/Drupal/user/Form/UserPasswordForm.php
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 
 namespace Drupal\user\Form;
 
+use Drupal\Core\Field\Plugin\Field\FieldType\EmailItem;
 use Drupal\Core\Form\FormBase;
 use Drupal\Core\Language\Language;
 use Drupal\Core\Language\LanguageManager;
@@ -74,7 +75,7 @@ public function buildForm(array $form, array &$form_state) {
       '#type' => 'textfield',
       '#title' => $this->t('Username or e-mail address'),
       '#size' => 60,
-      '#maxlength' => max(USERNAME_MAX_LENGTH, EMAIL_MAX_LENGTH),
+      '#maxlength' => max(USERNAME_MAX_LENGTH, EmailItem::EMAIL_MAX_LENGTH),
       '#required' => TRUE,
       '#attributes' => array(
         'autocorrect' => 'off',
diff --git a/core/modules/user/lib/Drupal/user/Tests/UserValidationTest.php b/core/modules/user/lib/Drupal/user/Tests/UserValidationTest.php
index 99aaecb..9725c1f 100644
--- a/core/modules/user/lib/Drupal/user/Tests/UserValidationTest.php
+++ b/core/modules/user/lib/Drupal/user/Tests/UserValidationTest.php
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
 namespace Drupal\user\Tests;
 
 use Drupal\Core\Entity\EntityInterface;
+use Drupal\Core\Field\Plugin\Field\FieldType\EmailItem;
 use Drupal\simpletest\DrupalUnitTestBase;
 
 /**
@@ -106,12 +107,12 @@ function testValidation() {
     $this->assertEqual($violations[0]->getPropertyPath(), 'mail.0.value');
     $this->assertEqual($violations[0]->getMessage(), t('This value is not a valid email address.'));
 
-    $mail = $this->randomName(EMAIL_MAX_LENGTH - 11) . '@example.com';
+    $mail = $this->randomName(EmailItem::EMAIL_MAX_LENGTH - 11) . '@example.com';
     $user->set('mail', $mail);
     $violations = $user->validate();
-    $this->assertEqual(count($violations), 1, 'Violation found when email is too long');
+    $this->assertEqual(count($violations), 2, 'Violation found when email is too long');
     $this->assertEqual($violations[0]->getPropertyPath(), 'mail.0.value');
-    $this->assertEqual($violations[0]->getMessage(), t('This value is not a valid email address.'));
+    $this->assertEqual($violations[0]->getMessage(), t('%name: the e-mail address can not be longer than @max characters.', array('%name' => $user->get('mail')->getFieldDefinition()->getFieldLabel(), '@max' => EmailItem::EMAIL_MAX_LENGTH)));
 
     // Provoke a e-mail collision with an exsiting user.
     $user->set('mail', 'existing@exmaple.com');
diff --git a/core/modules/user/user.module b/core/modules/user/user.module
index 5751f02..eb417af 100644
--- a/core/modules/user/user.module
+++ b/core/modules/user/user.module
@@ -24,11 +24,6 @@
 const USERNAME_MAX_LENGTH = 60;
 
 /**
- * Maximum length of user e-mail text field.
- */
-const EMAIL_MAX_LENGTH = 255;
-
-/**
  * Only administrators can create user accounts.
  */
 const USER_REGISTER_ADMINISTRATORS_ONLY = 'admin_only';