diff --git a/core/modules/history/history.install b/core/modules/history/history.install
index 086c8f7..d38b907 100644
--- a/core/modules/history/history.install
+++ b/core/modules/history/history.install
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ function history_schema() {
     'description' => 'A record of which {users} have read which {node}s.',
     'fields' => array(
       'uid' => array(
-        'description' => 'The {users}.uid that read the entity_id.',
+        'description' => 'The {users}.uid that read the {history}.entity_id entity.',
         'type' => 'int',
         'not null' => TRUE,
         'default' => 0,
@@ -21,15 +21,13 @@ function history_schema() {
       'entity_type' => array(
         'type' => 'varchar',
         'not null' => TRUE,
-        'default' => 'node',
         'length' => 255,
-        'description' => 'The entity_type of the entity was read.',
+        'description' => 'The type of the entity that was read.',
       ),
       'entity_id' => array(
-        'description' => 'The entity_id that was read.',
+        'description' => 'The ID of the entity that was read.',
         'type' => 'int',
         'not null' => TRUE,
-        'default' => 0,
       ),
       'timestamp' => array(
         'description' => 'The Unix timestamp at which the read occurred.',
diff --git a/core/modules/node/node.install b/core/modules/node/node.install
index fceaa3b..e269f5d 100644
--- a/core/modules/node/node.install
+++ b/core/modules/node/node.install
@@ -723,22 +723,30 @@ function node_update_8011() {
  * Convert {history} table to new format and enable History module.
  */
 function node_update_8012() {
+  // @todo replace with proper migrate implementation.
   // Drop all keys to properly rename constraints.
   db_drop_primary_key('history');
   db_drop_index('history', 'nid');
-  // Add new column.
+  // Add new column and fill with 'node' entity type.
   db_add_field('history', 'entity_type', array(
     'type' => 'varchar',
     'not null' => TRUE,
     'default' => 'node',
     'length' => 255,
-    'description' => 'The entity_type of the entity was read.',
+    'description' => 'The type of the entity that was read.',
   ));
+  // Remove default value.
+  db_change_field('history', 'entity_type', 'entity_type', array(
+    'type' => 'varchar',
+    'not null' => TRUE,
+    'length' => 255,
+    'description' => 'The type of the entity that was read.',
+  ));
+  // Rename the field.
   db_change_field('history', 'nid', 'entity_id', array(
-    'description' => 'The entity_id that was read.',
+    'description' => 'The ID of the entity that was read.',
     'type' => 'int',
     'not null' => TRUE,
-    'default' => 0,
   ));
   // Create new indexes.
   db_add_primary_key('history', array(