diff -u b/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Extension/ModuleHandler.php b/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Extension/ModuleHandler.php
--- b/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Extension/ModuleHandler.php
+++ b/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Extension/ModuleHandler.php
@@ -845,7 +845,9 @@
         drupal_set_installed_schema_version($module, $version);
 
         // Notify the entity manager that this module's entity types are new,
-        // so that it can install its schemas or whatever else is needed.
+        // so that it can notify all interested handlers. For example, a
+        // SQL-based storage handler can use this as an opportunity to create
+        // the necessary database tables.
         $entity_manager = \Drupal::entityManager();
         foreach ($entity_manager->getDefinitions() as $entity_type) {
           if ($entity_type->getProvider() == $module) {
@@ -958,8 +960,9 @@
       \Drupal::service('config.manager')->uninstall('module', $module);
 
       // Notify the entity manager that this module's entity types are being
-      // deleted, so that it can uninstall its schemas or whatever else is
-      // needed.
+      // deleted, so that it can notify all interested handlers. For example,
+      // a SQL-based storage handler can use this as an opportunity to drop
+      // the corresponding database tables.
       foreach ($entity_manager->getDefinitions() as $entity_type) {
         if ($entity_type->getProvider() == $module) {
           $entity_manager->onEntityTypeDelete($entity_type);
diff -u b/core/modules/simpletest/src/KernelTestBase.php b/core/modules/simpletest/src/KernelTestBase.php
--- b/core/modules/simpletest/src/KernelTestBase.php
+++ b/core/modules/simpletest/src/KernelTestBase.php
@@ -378,13 +378,10 @@
 
 
   /**
-   * Installs the tables for a specific entity type.
+   * Installs the storage schema for a specific entity type.
    *
    * @param string $entity_type_id
    *   The ID of the entity type.
-   *
-   * @throws \RuntimeException
-   *   Thrown when the entity type does not support automatic schema installation.
    */
   protected function installEntitySchema($entity_type_id) {
     /** @var \Drupal\Core\Entity\EntityManagerInterface $entity_manager */
@@ -392,13 +389,28 @@
     $entity_type = $entity_manager->getDefinition($entity_type_id);
     $entity_manager->onEntityTypeCreate($entity_type);
 
+    // For test runs, the most common storage backend is a SQL database. For
+    // this case, ensure the tables got created.
     $storage = $entity_manager->getStorage($entity_type_id);
-    if ($storage instanceof SqlEntityStorageInterface && $storage instanceof EntityTypeListenerInterface) {
-      $table_mapping = $storage->getTableMapping();
-      $this->pass(String::format('Installed entity type tables for the %entity_type entity type: %tables', array(
-        '%entity_type' => $entity_type_id,
-        '%tables' => '{' . implode('}, {', $table_mapping->getTableNames()) . '}',
-      )));
+    if ($storage instanceof SqlEntityStorageInterface) {
+      $tables = $storage->getTableMapping()->getTableNames();
+      $db_schema = $this->container->get('database')->schema();
+      $all_tables_exist = TRUE;
+      foreach ($tables as $table) {
+        if (!$db_schema->tableExists($table)) {
+          $this->fail(String::format('Installed entity type table for the %entity_type entity type: %table', array(
+            '%entity_type' => $entity_type_id,
+            '%table' => $table,
+          )));
+          $all_tables_exist = FALSE;
+        }
+      }
+      if ($all_tables_exist) {
+        $this->pass(String::format('Installed entity type tables for the %entity_type entity type: %tables', array(
+          '%entity_type' => $entity_type_id,
+          '%tables' => '{' . implode('}, {', $tables) . '}',
+        )));
+      }
     }
   }