diff --git a/core/lib/Drupal.php b/core/lib/Drupal.php
index 9efc0a1..cd11ce5 100644
--- a/core/lib/Drupal.php
+++ b/core/lib/Drupal.php
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
  * Contains Drupal.
  */
 
+use Drupal\Core\DependencyInjection\ContainerNotInitializedException;
 use Drupal\Core\DependencyInjection\PlaceholderContainer;
 use Symfony\Component\DependencyInjection\ContainerInterface;
 use Drupal\Core\Url;
@@ -28,7 +29,7 @@
  * Note: PHP does not care whether this is called before or after the class
  * declaration. It is called before only for better visibility.
  */
-\Drupal::initStaticProperties(NULL);
+\Drupal::initStaticProperties();
 
 /**
  * Static Service Container wrapper.
@@ -135,11 +136,10 @@ public static function setContainer(ContainerInterface $container) {
    * Unsets the global container.
    *
    * @param string|null $message
+   *   The message to pass to the placeholder container.
    */
   public static function unsetContainer($message = NULL) {
-    if (!isset($message)) {
-      $message = '\Drupal::$container was unset with \Drupal::unsetContainer().';
-    }
+    $message = $message ?: '\Drupal::$container was unset with \Drupal::unsetContainer().';
     static::setContainer(new PlaceholderContainer($message));
   }
 
@@ -161,11 +161,13 @@ public static function initStaticProperties() {
    */
   public static function getContainer() {
     if (static::$container instanceof PlaceholderContainer) {
-      // Currently, some components depend on this method returning NULL if not
-      // initialized.
-      // @todo Throw an exception instead, and change all code that expects
-      //   NULL.
-      return NULL;
+      // @todo Currently drush depends on this method returning NULL if not
+      //   initialized. Once drush is fixed, remove this workaround.
+      if (PHP_SAPI === 'cli') {
+        return NULL;
+      }
+      // Trigger the exception from the placeholder container.
+      static::$container->throwException();
     }
     return static::$container;
   }
diff --git a/core/lib/Drupal/Core/DependencyInjection/ContainerNotInitializedException.php b/core/lib/Drupal/Core/DependencyInjection/ContainerNotInitializedException.php
index 6de8116..e593243 100644
--- a/core/lib/Drupal/Core/DependencyInjection/ContainerNotInitializedException.php
+++ b/core/lib/Drupal/Core/DependencyInjection/ContainerNotInitializedException.php
@@ -1,5 +1,9 @@
 <?php
 
+/**
+ * @file
+ * Contains \Drupal\Core\DependencyInjection\ContainerNotInitializedException.
+ */
 
 namespace Drupal\Core\DependencyInjection;
 
@@ -10,6 +14,6 @@
  * @see \Drupal
  * @see \Drupal\Core\DependencyInjection\PlaceholderContainer
  */
-class ContainerNotInitializedException extends \Exception {
+class ContainerNotInitializedException extends \RuntimeException {
 
 }
diff --git a/core/lib/Drupal/Core/DependencyInjection/PlaceholderContainer.php b/core/lib/Drupal/Core/DependencyInjection/PlaceholderContainer.php
index d8a5beb..c039b7a 100644
--- a/core/lib/Drupal/Core/DependencyInjection/PlaceholderContainer.php
+++ b/core/lib/Drupal/Core/DependencyInjection/PlaceholderContainer.php
@@ -1,16 +1,18 @@
 <?php
 
+/**
+ * @file
+ * Contains \Drupal\Core\DependencyInjection\PlaceholderContainer.
+ */
 
 namespace Drupal\Core\DependencyInjection;
 
-
 use Symfony\Component\DependencyInjection\ContainerInterface;
 use Symfony\Component\DependencyInjection\ScopeInterface;
 
 /**
  * A placeholder container that throws an exception whenever it does anything.
  *
- * Used in
  * @see \Drupal
  */
 class PlaceholderContainer implements ContainerInterface {
@@ -29,15 +31,22 @@ class PlaceholderContainer implements ContainerInterface {
    *   Message for ContainerNotInitializedException.
    */
   public function __construct($exception_message = NULL) {
-    $this->message = isset($exception_message)
-      ? $exception_message
-      : 'Container not initialized.';
+    $this->message = $exception_message ?: 'Container not initialized.';
   }
 
   /**
    * {@inheritdoc}
    */
   public function set($id, $service, $scope = self::SCOPE_CONTAINER) {
+    $this->throwException();
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Throws an exception.
+   *
+   * @throws \Drupal\Core\DependencyInjection\ContainerNotInitializedException
+   */
+  public function throwException() {
     throw new ContainerNotInitializedException($this->message);
   }
 
@@ -45,7 +54,7 @@ public function set($id, $service, $scope = self::SCOPE_CONTAINER) {
    * {@inheritdoc}
    */
   public function get($id, $invalidBehavior = self::EXCEPTION_ON_INVALID_REFERENCE) {
-    throw new ContainerNotInitializedException($this->message);
+    $this->throwException();
   }
 
   /**
@@ -59,55 +68,56 @@ public function has($id) {
    * {@inheritdoc}
    */
   public function getParameter($name) {
-    throw new ContainerNotInitializedException($this->message);
+    $this->throwException();
   }
 
   /**
    * {@inheritdoc}
    */
   public function hasParameter($name) {
-    throw new ContainerNotInitializedException($this->message);
+    $this->throwException();
   }
 
   /**
    * {@inheritdoc}
    */
   public function setParameter($name, $value) {
-    throw new ContainerNotInitializedException($this->message);
+    $this->throwException();
   }
 
   /**
    * {@inheritdoc}
    */
   public function enterScope($name) {
-    throw new ContainerNotInitializedException($this->message);
+    $this->throwException();
   }
 
   /**
    * {@inheritdoc}
    */
   public function leaveScope($name) {
-    throw new ContainerNotInitializedException($this->message);
+    $this->throwException();
   }
 
   /**
    * {@inheritdoc}
    */
   public function addScope(ScopeInterface $scope) {
-    throw new ContainerNotInitializedException($this->message);
+    $this->throwException();
   }
 
   /**
    * {@inheritdoc}
    */
   public function hasScope($name) {
-    throw new ContainerNotInitializedException($this->message);
+    $this->throwException();
   }
 
   /**
    * {@inheritdoc}
    */
   public function isScopeActive($name) {
-    throw new ContainerNotInitializedException($this->message);
+    $this->throwException();
   }
+
 }