diff --git a/core/modules/taxonomy/src/Entity/Term.php b/core/modules/taxonomy/src/Entity/Term.php
index 7ca9dd7..d04e855 100644
--- a/core/modules/taxonomy/src/Entity/Term.php
+++ b/core/modules/taxonomy/src/Entity/Term.php
@@ -148,21 +148,24 @@ public static function baseFieldDefinitions(EntityTypeInterface $entity_type) {
       ))
       ->setDisplayConfigurable('form', TRUE);
 
-    $fields['description'] = BaseFieldDefinition::create('text_long')
-      ->setLabel(t('Description'))
-      ->setDescription(t('A description of the term.'))
-      ->setTranslatable(TRUE)
-      ->setDisplayOptions('view', array(
-        'label' => 'hidden',
-        'type' => 'text_default',
-        'weight' => 0,
-      ))
-      ->setDisplayConfigurable('view', TRUE)
-      ->setDisplayOptions('form', array(
-        'type' => 'text_textfield',
-        'weight' => 0,
-      ))
-      ->setDisplayConfigurable('form', TRUE);
+    $storage_definitions = \Drupal::entityManager()->getLastInstalledFieldStorageDefinitions('taxonomy_term');
+    if (isset($storage_definitions['description'])) {
+      $fields['description'] = BaseFieldDefinition::create('text_long')
+        ->setLabel(t('Description'))
+        ->setDescription(t('A description of the term.'))
+        ->setTranslatable(TRUE)
+        ->setDisplayOptions('view', array(
+          'label' => 'hidden',
+          'type' => 'text_default',
+          'weight' => 0,
+        ))
+        ->setDisplayConfigurable('view', TRUE)
+        ->setDisplayOptions('form', array(
+          'type' => 'text_textfield',
+          'weight' => 0,
+        ))
+        ->setDisplayConfigurable('form', TRUE);
+    }
 
     $fields['weight'] = BaseFieldDefinition::create('integer')
       ->setLabel(t('Weight'))