diff --git a/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Field/FieldConfigBase.php b/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Field/FieldConfigBase.php
index 957e5a8..1830bb7 100644
--- a/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Field/FieldConfigBase.php
+++ b/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Field/FieldConfigBase.php
@@ -352,7 +352,7 @@ public function getDescription() {
    * {@inheritdoc}
    */
   public function getUntranslatedDescription() {
-    return $this->description;
+    return $this->getDescription();
   }
 
   /**
diff --git a/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Field/Plugin/Field/FieldType/EntityReferenceItem.php b/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Field/Plugin/Field/FieldType/EntityReferenceItem.php
index c980321..53bb86a 100644
--- a/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Field/Plugin/Field/FieldType/EntityReferenceItem.php
+++ b/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Field/Plugin/Field/FieldType/EntityReferenceItem.php
@@ -76,7 +76,8 @@ public static function propertyDefinitions(FieldStorageDefinitionInterface $fiel
     }
     $properties['target_id'] = $target_id_definition;
     $properties['entity'] = DataReferenceDefinition::create('entity')
-      ->setLabel($target_type_info->getLabel())
+      // Set the arguments to NULL so that the label is not translated twice.
+      ->setLabel($target_type_info->getLabel(), NULL)
       ->setDescription(nt('The referenced entity'))
       // The entity object is computed out of the entity ID.
       ->setComputed(TRUE)
diff --git a/core/lib/Drupal/Core/TypedData/DataDefinition.php b/core/lib/Drupal/Core/TypedData/DataDefinition.php
index 5fa1c4b..fe5da9d 100644
--- a/core/lib/Drupal/Core/TypedData/DataDefinition.php
+++ b/core/lib/Drupal/Core/TypedData/DataDefinition.php
@@ -86,19 +86,26 @@ public function setDataType($type) {
    * {@inheritdoc}
    */
   public function getLabel() {
+    // If label_arguments is an array (by default, it is an empty array),
+    // translate the label.
     if (isset($this->definition['label_arguments'])) {
       return $this->t($this->definition['label'], $this->definition['label_arguments']);
     }
-    return isset($this->definition['label']) ? $this->t($this->definition['label']) : NULL;
+    // If it was explicitly set to NULL, assume the label is already translated.
+    return isset($this->definition['label']) ? $this->definition['label'] : NULL;
   }
 
   /**
    * {@inheritdoc}
    */
   public function getUntranslatedLabel() {
+    // If description_arguments is an array (by default, it is an empty array),
+    // translate the label.
     if (isset($this->definition['label_arguments'])) {
       return String::format($this->definition['label'], $this->definition['label_arguments']);
     }
+    // If it was explicitly set to NULL, assume the description is already
+    // translated.
     return isset($this->definition['label']) ? $this->definition['label'] : NULL;
   }
 
@@ -107,10 +114,11 @@ public function getUntranslatedLabel() {
    *
    * @param string $label
    *   The label to set.
-   * @param array $arguments
+   * @param array|null $arguments
    *   An associative array of replacements to make after translation. Based on
    *   the first character of the key, the value is escaped and/or themed.
-   *   See \Drupal\Component\Utility\String::format() for details.
+   *   See \Drupal\Component\Utility\String::format() for details. NULL means
+   *   that the label is already translated.
    *
    * @return static
    *   The object itself for chaining.
@@ -146,10 +154,11 @@ public function getUntranslatedDescription() {
    *
    * @param string $description
    *   The description to set.
-   * @param array $arguments
+   * @param array|null $arguments
    *   An associative array of replacements to make after translation. Based
    *   on the first character of the key, the value is escaped and/or themed.
-   *   See \Drupal\Component\Utility\String::format() for details.
+   *   See \Drupal\Component\Utility\String::format() for details. NULL means
+   *   that the label is already translated.
    *
    * @return static
    *   The object itself for chaining.
diff --git a/core/modules/locale/src/Tests/LocaleTranslatedSchemaDefinitionTest.php b/core/modules/locale/src/Tests/LocaleTranslatedSchemaDefinitionTest.php
index 9b60891..fbead5a 100644
--- a/core/modules/locale/src/Tests/LocaleTranslatedSchemaDefinitionTest.php
+++ b/core/modules/locale/src/Tests/LocaleTranslatedSchemaDefinitionTest.php
@@ -50,6 +50,9 @@ function testTranslatedSchemaDefinition() {
       'translation' => 'Translated node ID',
     ))->save();
 
+    // Ensure that the field is translated when access through the API.
+    $this->assertEqual('Translated node ID', \Drupal::entityManager()->getBaseFieldDefinitions('node')['nid']->getDescription());
+
     // Assert there are no updates.
     $this->assertFalse(\Drupal::service('entity.definition_update_manager')->needsUpdates());
   }
diff --git a/core/tests/Drupal/Tests/Core/Entity/Sql/SqlContentEntityStorageSchemaTest.php b/core/tests/Drupal/Tests/Core/Entity/Sql/SqlContentEntityStorageSchemaTest.php
index a3a7013..107c3b0 100644
--- a/core/tests/Drupal/Tests/Core/Entity/Sql/SqlContentEntityStorageSchemaTest.php
+++ b/core/tests/Drupal/Tests/Core/Entity/Sql/SqlContentEntityStorageSchemaTest.php
@@ -1220,7 +1220,7 @@ public function setUpStorageDefinition($field_name, array $schema) {
       ->will($this->returnValue($field_name));
     // getDescription() is called once for each table.
     $this->storageDefinitions[$field_name]->expects($this->any())
-      ->method('getDescription')
+      ->method('getUntranslatedDescription')
       ->will($this->returnValue("The $field_name field."));
     // getSchema() is called once for each table.
     $this->storageDefinitions[$field_name]->expects($this->any())