diff --git a/core/modules/block/block.install b/core/modules/block/block.install
index 01c5779..114ba90 100644
--- a/core/modules/block/block.install
+++ b/core/modules/block/block.install
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ function block_update_dependencies() {
   );
   // Migrate users.data after User module prepared the tables.
   $dependencies['block'][8005] = array(
-    'user' => 8016,
+    'user' => 8014,
   );
   return $dependencies;
 }
diff --git a/core/modules/field/field.install b/core/modules/field/field.install
index dcf2b38..13d88ee 100644
--- a/core/modules/field/field.install
+++ b/core/modules/field/field.install
@@ -9,13 +9,17 @@
 use Drupal\field\Plugin\Core\Entity\Field;
 
 /**
- * Creates a field by writing directly to the database.
+ * Creates a field by writing directly to configuration.
  *
  * @ingroup update_api
  */
 function _update_7000_field_create_field(&$field) {
-  // Merge in default values.`
+  $uuid = new Uuid();
+
+  // Merge in default values.
   $field += array(
+    'id' => $field['field_name'],
+    'uuid' => $uuid->generate(),
     'entity_types' => array(),
     'cardinality' => 1,
     'translatable' => FALSE,
@@ -24,62 +28,28 @@ function _update_7000_field_create_field(&$field) {
     'indexes' => array(),
     'deleted' => FALSE,
     'active' => TRUE,
+    'status' => 1,
+    'langcode' => 'und',
   );
 
-  // Set storage.
+  // Set the storage.
   $field['storage'] = array(
     'type' => 'field_sql_storage',
-    'settings' => array(),
     'module' => 'field_sql_storage',
     'active' => TRUE,
+    'settings' => array(),
   );
 
-  // Fetch the field schema to initialize columns and indexes. The field module
-  // is not guaranteed to be loaded at this point.
-  module_load_install($field['module']);
-  $schema = (array) module_invoke($field['module'], 'field_schema', $field);
-  $schema += array('columns' => array(), 'indexes' => array());
-  // 'columns' are hardcoded in the field type.
-  $field['columns'] = $schema['columns'];
-  // 'indexes' can be both hardcoded in the field type, and specified in the
-  // incoming $field definition.
-  $field['indexes'] += $schema['indexes'];
-
-  // The serialized 'data' column contains everything from $field that does not
-  // have its own column and is not automatically populated when the field is
-  // read.
-  $data = $field;
-  unset($data['columns'], $data['field_name'], $data['type'], $data['active'], $data['module'], $data['storage_type'], $data['storage_active'], $data['storage_module'], $data['locked'], $data['cardinality'], $data['deleted']);
-  // Additionally, do not save the 'bundles' property populated by
-  // field_info_field().
-  unset($data['bundles']);
-
-  // Write the field to the database.
-  $record = array(
-    'field_name' => $field['field_name'],
-    'type' => $field['type'],
-    'module' => $field['module'],
-    'active' => (int) $field['active'],
-    'storage_type' => $field['storage']['type'],
-    'storage_module' => $field['storage']['module'],
-    'storage_active' => (int) $field['storage']['active'],
-    'locked' => (int) $field['locked'],
-    'data' => serialize($data),
-    'cardinality' => $field['cardinality'],
-    'translatable' => (int) $field['translatable'],
-    'deleted' => (int) $field['deleted'],
-  );
-  // We don't use drupal_write_record() here because it depends on the schema.
-  $field_id = db_insert('field_config')
-    ->fields($record)
-    ->execute();
+  // Save in config.
+  Drupal::config('field.field.' . $field['id'])
+    ->setData($field)
+    ->save();
+  update_config_manifest_add('field.field', array($field['id']));
 
   // Create storage for the field. This requires a field entity, but cannot use
   // the regular entity_create() function here.
   $field_entity = new Field($field);
   field_sql_storage_field_storage_create_field($field_entity);
-
-  $field['id'] = $field_id;
 }
 
 /**
@@ -189,37 +159,34 @@ function _update_7000_field_read_fields(array $conditions = array(), $key = 'id'
 }
 
 /**
- * Writes a field instance directly to the database.
+ * Writes a field instance directly to configuration.
  *
  * @ingroup update_api
  */
 function _update_7000_field_create_instance($field, &$instance) {
+  $uuid = new Uuid();
+
   // Merge in defaults.
   $instance += array(
-    'field_id' => $field['id'],
-    'field_name' => $field['field_name'],
-    'deleted' => FALSE,
     'description' => '',
     'required' => FALSE,
+    'id' => $instance['entity_type'] . '.' . $instance['bundle'] . '.' . $instance['field_name'],
+    'uuid' => $uuid->generate(),
+    'field_uuid' => $field['uuid'],
+    'field_type' => $field['type'],
+    'default_value' => array(),
+    'default_value_function' => '',
+    'settings' => array(),
+    'widget' => array(),
+    'status' => 1,
+    'langcode' => 'und',
   );
 
-  // The serialized 'data' column contains everything from $instance that does
-  // not have its own column and is not automatically populated when the
-  // instance is read.
-  $data = $instance;
-  unset($data['id'], $data['field_id'], $data['field_name'], $data['entity_type'], $data['bundle'], $data['deleted']);
-
-  $record = array(
-    'field_id' => $instance['field_id'],
-    'field_name' => $instance['field_name'],
-    'entity_type' => $instance['entity_type'],
-    'bundle' => $instance['bundle'],
-    'data' => serialize($data),
-    'deleted' => (int) $instance['deleted'],
-  );
-  $instance['id'] = db_insert('field_config_instance')
-    ->fields($record)
-    ->execute();
+  // Save in config.
+  Drupal::config('field.instance.' . $instance['id'])
+    ->setData($instance)
+    ->save();
+  update_config_manifest_add('field.instance', array($instance['id']));
 }
 
 /**
@@ -228,22 +195,6 @@ function _update_7000_field_create_instance($field, &$instance) {
  */
 
 /**
- * Implements hook_update_dependencies().
- */
-function field_update_dependencies() {
-  // Convert Field API to ConfigEntities after:
-  $dependencies['field'][8003] = array(
-    // - Custom block bodies have been turned to fields.
-    'block' => 8008,
-    // - User pictures have been turned to fields.
-    'user' => 8011,
-    // - The {file_usage}.id column has moved to varchar.
-    'file' => 8001,
-  );
-  return $dependencies;
-}
-
-/**
  * Empty update - moved into field_update_8003().
  */
 function field_update_8001() {
diff --git a/core/modules/field_sql_storage/field_sql_storage.install b/core/modules/field_sql_storage/field_sql_storage.install
index 03390a6..f8dd684 100644
--- a/core/modules/field_sql_storage/field_sql_storage.install
+++ b/core/modules/field_sql_storage/field_sql_storage.install
@@ -62,18 +62,6 @@ function _update_8000_field_sql_storage_write($entity_type, $bundle, $entity_id,
 }
 
 /**
- * Implements hook_update_dependencies().
- */
-function field_sql_storage_update_dependencies() {
-  // Convert storage tables after field definitions have moved to
-  // ConfigEntities.
-  $dependencies['field_sql_storage'][8000] = array(
-    'field' => 8003,
-  );
-  return $dependencies;
-}
-
-/**
  * Renames the 'language' column to 'langcode' in field data tables.
  */
 function field_sql_storage_update_8000(&$sandbox) {
diff --git a/core/modules/overlay/overlay.install b/core/modules/overlay/overlay.install
index 588f871..062f20b 100644
--- a/core/modules/overlay/overlay.install
+++ b/core/modules/overlay/overlay.install
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ function overlay_enable() {
 function overlay_update_dependencies() {
   // Migrate users.data after User module prepared the tables.
   $dependencies['overlay'][8000] = array(
-    'user' => 8011,
+    'user' => 8014,
   );
   return $dependencies;
 }
diff --git a/core/modules/user/user.install b/core/modules/user/user.install
index dca417c..2bc4b19 100644
--- a/core/modules/user/user.install
+++ b/core/modules/user/user.install
@@ -373,6 +373,18 @@ function user_install_picture_field() {
 }
 
 /**
+ * Implements hook_update_dependencies().
+ */
+function user_update_dependencies() {
+  // Convert user picture to field after the {file_usage}.id column
+  // has moved to varchar.
+  $dependencies['user'][8011] = array(
+    'file' => 8001,
+  );
+  return $dependencies;
+}
+
+/**
  * @addtogroup updates-7.x-to-8.x
  * @{
  */
@@ -707,10 +719,6 @@ function user_update_8011() {
       'uri_scheme' => 'public',
       'default_image' => FALSE,
     ),
-    'storage' => array(
-      'type' => 'field_sql_storage',
-      'settings' => array(),
-    ),
   );
   _update_7000_field_create_field($field);
 
@@ -787,7 +795,7 @@ function user_update_8011() {
         'fid' => $default_image_fid,
         'module' => 'image',
         'type' => 'default_image',
-        'id' => $field['id'],
+        'id' => $field['uuid'],
         'count' => 1,
       ))
       ->execute();