diff -u b/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Entity/Sql/SqlContentEntityStorage.php b/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Entity/Sql/SqlContentEntityStorage.php
--- b/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Entity/Sql/SqlContentEntityStorage.php
+++ b/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Entity/Sql/SqlContentEntityStorage.php
@@ -105,11 +105,11 @@
   protected $entityManager;
 
   /**
-   * The entity schema handler.
+   * The entity type's storage schema object.
    *
    * @var \Drupal\Core\Entity\Schema\EntityStorageSchemaInterface
    */
-  protected $schemaHandler;
+  protected $storageSchema;
 
   /**
    * Cache backend.
@@ -233,17 +233,17 @@
   }
 
   /**
-   * Gets the schema handler for this entity storage.
+   * Returns the entity type's storage schema object.
    *
    * @return \Drupal\Core\Entity\Sql\SqlContentEntityStorageSchema
-   *   The schema handler.
+   *   The schema object.
    */
-  protected function schemaHandler() {
-    if (!isset($this->schemaHandler)) {
-      $schema_handler_class = $this->entityType->getHandlerClass('storage_schema') ?: 'Drupal\Core\Entity\Sql\SqlContentEntityStorageSchema';
-      $this->schemaHandler = new $schema_handler_class($this->entityManager, $this->entityType, $this, $this->database);
+  protected function getStorageSchema() {
+    if (!isset($this->storageSchema)) {
+      $class = $this->entityType->getHandlerClass('storage_schema') ?: 'Drupal\Core\Entity\Sql\SqlContentEntityStorageSchema';
+      $this->storageSchema = new $class($this->entityManager, $this->entityType, $this, $this->database);
     }
-    return $this->schemaHandler;
+    return $this->storageSchema;
   }
 
   /**
@@ -273,9 +273,8 @@
 
     // If we are using our internal storage definitions, which is our main use
     // case, we can statically cache the computed table mapping. If a new set
-    // of field storage definitions is passed,for instance when comparing old
-    // and new storage schema, we just compute the table mapping but skip any
-    // caching.
+    // of field storage definitions is passed, for instance when comparing old
+    // and new storage schema, we compute the table mapping without caching.
     // @todo Clean-up this in https://www.drupal.org/node/2274017 so we can
     //   easily instantiate a new table mapping whenever needed.
     if (!isset($this->tableMapping) || $storage_definitions) {
@@ -1420,35 +1419,35 @@
    * {@inheritdoc}
    */
   public function requiresEntityStorageSchemaChanges(EntityTypeInterface $entity_type, EntityTypeInterface $original) {
-    return $this->schemaHandler()->requiresEntityStorageSchemaChanges($entity_type, $original);
+    return $this->getStorageSchema()->requiresEntityStorageSchemaChanges($entity_type, $original);
   }
 
   /**
    * {@inheritdoc}
    */
   public function requiresFieldStorageSchemaChanges(FieldStorageDefinitionInterface $storage_definition, FieldStorageDefinitionInterface $original) {
-    return $this->schemaHandler()->requiresFieldStorageSchemaChanges($storage_definition, $original);
+    return $this->getStorageSchema()->requiresFieldStorageSchemaChanges($storage_definition, $original);
   }
 
   /**
    * {@inheritdoc}
    */
   public function requiresEntityDataMigration(EntityTypeInterface $entity_type, EntityTypeInterface $original) {
-    return $this->schemaHandler()->requiresEntityDataMigration($entity_type, $original);
+    return $this->getStorageSchema()->requiresEntityDataMigration($entity_type, $original);
   }
 
   /**
    * {@inheritdoc}
    */
   public function requiresFieldDataMigration(FieldStorageDefinitionInterface $storage_definition, FieldStorageDefinitionInterface $original) {
-    return $this->schemaHandler()->requiresFieldDataMigration($storage_definition, $original);
+    return $this->getStorageSchema()->requiresFieldDataMigration($storage_definition, $original);
   }
 
   /**
    * {@inheritdoc}
    */
   public function onEntityTypeCreate(EntityTypeInterface $entity_type) {
-    $this->schemaHandler()->onEntityTypeCreate($entity_type);
+    $this->getStorageSchema()->onEntityTypeCreate($entity_type);
   }
 
   /**
@@ -1461,14 +1460,14 @@
     // definition.
     $this->initTableLayout();
     // Let the schema handler adapt to possible table layout changes.
-    $this->schemaHandler()->onEntityTypeUpdate($entity_type, $original);
+    $this->getStorageSchema()->onEntityTypeUpdate($entity_type, $original);
   }
 
   /**
    * {@inheritdoc}
    */
   public function onEntityTypeDelete(EntityTypeInterface $entity_type) {
-    $this->schemaHandler()->onEntityTypeDelete($entity_type);
+    $this->getStorageSchema()->onEntityTypeDelete($entity_type);
   }
 
   /**
@@ -1483,14 +1482,14 @@
     if ($this->getTableMapping()->allowsSharedTableStorage($storage_definition)) {
       $this->tableMapping = NULL;
     }
-    $this->schemaHandler()->onFieldStorageDefinitionCreate($storage_definition);
+    $this->getStorageSchema()->onFieldStorageDefinitionCreate($storage_definition);
   }
 
   /**
    * {@inheritdoc}
    */
   public function onFieldStorageDefinitionUpdate(FieldStorageDefinitionInterface $storage_definition, FieldStorageDefinitionInterface $original) {
-    $this->schemaHandler()->onFieldStorageDefinitionUpdate($storage_definition, $original);
+    $this->getStorageSchema()->onFieldStorageDefinitionUpdate($storage_definition, $original);
   }
 
   /**
@@ -1514,7 +1513,7 @@
     }
 
     // Update the field schema.
-    $this->schemaHandler()->onFieldStorageDefinitionDelete($storage_definition);
+    $this->getStorageSchema()->onFieldStorageDefinitionDelete($storage_definition);
   }
 
   /**
@@ -1658,7 +1657,7 @@
    * {@inheritdoc}
    */
   public function finalizePurge(FieldStorageDefinitionInterface $storage_definition) {
-    $this->schemaHandler()->finalizePurge($storage_definition);
+    $this->getStorageSchema()->finalizePurge($storage_definition);
   }
 
   /**
diff -u b/core/tests/Drupal/Tests/Core/Entity/Sql/SqlContentEntityStorageSchemaTest.php b/core/tests/Drupal/Tests/Core/Entity/Sql/SqlContentEntityStorageSchemaTest.php
--- b/core/tests/Drupal/Tests/Core/Entity/Sql/SqlContentEntityStorageSchemaTest.php
+++ b/core/tests/Drupal/Tests/Core/Entity/Sql/SqlContentEntityStorageSchemaTest.php
@@ -46,11 +46,11 @@
   protected $storageDefinitions;
 
   /**
-   * The content entity schema handler used in this test.
+   * The storage schema handler used in this test.
    *
    * @var \Drupal\Core\Entity\Sql\SqlContentEntityStorageSchema.
    */
-  protected $schemaHandler;
+  protected $storageSchema;
 
   /**
    * {@inheritdoc}
@@ -371,7 +371,7 @@
       ),
     );
 
-    $this->setUpEntitySchemaHandler($expected);
+    $this->setUpStorageSchema($expected);
 
     $table_mapping = new DefaultTableMapping($this->storageDefinitions, $this->storageDefinitions);
     $table_mapping->setFieldNames('entity_test', array_keys($this->storageDefinitions));
@@ -381,7 +381,7 @@
       ->method('getTableMapping')
       ->will($this->returnValue($table_mapping));
 
-    $this->schemaHandler->onEntityTypeCreate($this->entityType);
+    $this->storageSchema->onEntityTypeCreate($this->entityType);
   }
 
   /**
@@ -471,7 +471,7 @@
       ),
     );
 
-    $this->setUpEntitySchemaHandler($expected);
+    $this->setUpStorageSchema($expected);
 
     $table_mapping = new DefaultTableMapping($this->storageDefinitions, $this->storageDefinitions);
     $table_mapping->setFieldNames('entity_test', array_keys($this->storageDefinitions));
@@ -481,7 +481,7 @@
       ->method('getTableMapping')
       ->will($this->returnValue($table_mapping));
 
-    $this->schemaHandler->onEntityTypeCreate($this->entityType);
+    $this->storageSchema->onEntityTypeCreate($this->entityType);
   }
 
   /**
@@ -561,7 +561,7 @@
       ),
     );
 
-    $this->setUpEntitySchemaHandler($expected);
+    $this->setUpStorageSchema($expected);
 
     $table_mapping = new DefaultTableMapping($this->storageDefinitions, $this->storageDefinitions);
     $table_mapping->setFieldNames('entity_test', array_keys($this->storageDefinitions));
@@ -571,7 +571,7 @@
       ->method('getTableMapping')
       ->will($this->returnValue($table_mapping));
 
-    $this->schemaHandler->onEntityTypeCreate($this->entityType);
+    $this->storageSchema->onEntityTypeCreate($this->entityType);
   }
 
   /**
@@ -745,7 +745,7 @@
       ),
     );
 
-    $this->setUpEntitySchemaHandler($expected);
+    $this->setUpStorageSchema($expected);
 
     $table_mapping = new DefaultTableMapping($this->storageDefinitions, $this->storageDefinitions);
     $table_mapping->setFieldNames('entity_test', array_keys($this->storageDefinitions));
@@ -757,7 +757,7 @@
       ->method('getTableMapping')
       ->will($this->returnValue($table_mapping));
 
-    $this->schemaHandler->onEntityTypeCreate($this->entityType);
+    $this->storageSchema->onEntityTypeCreate($this->entityType);
   }
 
   /**
@@ -962,7 +962,7 @@
       ),
     );
 
-    $this->setUpEntitySchemaHandler($expected);
+    $this->setUpStorageSchema($expected);
 
     $table_mapping = new DefaultTableMapping($this->storageDefinitions, $this->storageDefinitions);
     $table_mapping->setFieldNames($entity_type_id, array_keys($this->storageDefinitions));
@@ -972,11 +972,11 @@
       ->method('getTableMapping')
       ->will($this->returnValue($table_mapping));
 
-    $this->schemaHandler->onFieldStorageDefinitionCreate($field_storage);
+    $this->storageSchema->onFieldStorageDefinitionCreate($field_storage);
   }
 
   /**
-   * Sets up the schema handler.
+   * Sets up the storage schema object to test.
    *
    * This uses the field definitions set in $this->storageDefinitions.
    *
@@ -984,7 +984,7 @@
    *   (optional) An associative array describing the expected entity schema to
    *   be created. Defaults to expecting nothing.
    */
-  protected function setUpEntitySchemaHandler(array $expected = array()) {
+  protected function setUpStorageSchema(array $expected = array()) {
     $this->entityManager->expects($this->any())
       ->method('getDefinition')
       ->with($this->entityType->id())
@@ -1027,11 +1027,11 @@
       ->will($this->returnValue($db_schema_handler));
 
     $state = $this->getMock('Drupal\Core\State\StateInterface');
-    $this->schemaHandler = $this->getMockBuilder('Drupal\Core\Entity\Sql\SqlContentEntityStorageSchema')
+    $this->storageSchema = $this->getMockBuilder('Drupal\Core\Entity\Sql\SqlContentEntityStorageSchema')
       ->setConstructorArgs(array($this->entityManager, $this->entityType, $this->storage, $connection))
       ->setMethods(array('state'))
       ->getMock();
-    $this->schemaHandler
+    $this->storageSchema
       ->expects($this->any())
       ->method('state')
       ->will($this->returnValue($state));
diff -u b/core/tests/Drupal/Tests/Core/Entity/Sql/SqlContentEntityStorageTest.php b/core/tests/Drupal/Tests/Core/Entity/Sql/SqlContentEntityStorageTest.php
--- b/core/tests/Drupal/Tests/Core/Entity/Sql/SqlContentEntityStorageTest.php
+++ b/core/tests/Drupal/Tests/Core/Entity/Sql/SqlContentEntityStorageTest.php
@@ -338,7 +338,7 @@
 
     $storage = $this->getMockBuilder('Drupal\Core\Entity\Sql\SqlContentEntityStorage')
       ->setConstructorArgs(array($this->entityType, $this->connection, $this->entityManager, $this->cache))
-      ->setMethods(array('schemaHandler'))
+      ->setMethods(array('getStorageSchema'))
       ->getMock();
 
     $state = $this->getMock('Drupal\Core\State\StateInterface');
@@ -353,7 +353,7 @@
 
     $storage
       ->expects($this->any())
-      ->method('schemaHandler')
+      ->method('getStorageSchema')
       ->will($this->returnValue($schema_handler));
 
     $storage->onEntityTypeCreate($this->entityType);