diff -u b/core/modules/node/node.install b/core/modules/node/node.install
--- b/core/modules/node/node.install
+++ b/core/modules/node/node.install
@@ -716,14 +716,10 @@
 /**
  * Moves node cron last run time from variable to state.
  *
- * @ingroup state_upgrade
+ * @ingroup config_upgrade
  */
 function node_update_8009() {
-  // Only migrate the variable if it exists and is not the default value.
-  if ($cron_last = update_variable_get('node_cron_last', 0)) {
-    state()->set('node.cron_last', $cron_last);
-  }
-  update_variable_del('node_cron_last');
+  update_variables_to_state(array('node_cron_last' =>'node.cron_last'));
 }
 
 /**
diff -u b/core/modules/system/system.install b/core/modules/system/system.install
--- b/core/modules/system/system.install
+++ b/core/modules/system/system.install
@@ -2202,6 +2202,15 @@
 }
 
 /**
+ * Moves cron last run time from variable to state.
+ *
+ * @ingroup config_upgrade
+ */
+function system_update_8033() {
+  update_variables_to_state(array('cron_last' => 'system.cron_last'));
+}
+
+/**
  * @} End of "defgroup updates-7.x-to-8.x".
  * The next series of updates should start at 9000.
  */
@@ -2215,19 +2224,6 @@
 }
 
 /**
- * Moves cron last run time from variable to state.
- *
- * @ingroup state_upgrade
- */
-function system_update_8033() {
-  // Only migrate the variable if it exists and is not the default value.
-  if ($cron_last = update_variable_get('cron_last', 0)) {
-    state()->set('system.cron_last', $cron_last);
-  }
-  update_variable_del('cron_last');
-}
-
-/**
  * @} End of "defgroup updates-7.x-to-8.x".
  * The next series of updates should start at 9000.
  */
only in patch2:
unchanged:
--- a/core/modules/system/lib/Drupal/system/Tests/Upgrade/StateSystemUpgradePathTest.php
+++ b/core/modules/system/lib/Drupal/system/Tests/Upgrade/StateSystemUpgradePathTest.php
@@ -35,6 +35,14 @@ public function testSystemVariableUpgrade() {
 
     $expected_state = array();
 
+    $expected_state['node.cron_last'] = array(
+      'value' => 1304208000,
+      'variable_name' => 'node_cron_last',
+    );
+    $expected_state['system.cron_last'] = array(
+      'value' => 1304208000,
+      'variable_name' => 'cron_last',
+    );
     $expected_state['update.last_check'] = array(
       'value' => 1304208000,
       'variable_name' => 'update_last_check',
only in patch2:
unchanged:
--- a/core/modules/system/tests/upgrade/drupal-7.state.system.database.php
+++ b/core/modules/system/tests/upgrade/drupal-7.state.system.database.php
@@ -19,3 +19,11 @@
   ->key(array('name' => 'update_last_email_notification'))
   ->fields(array('value' => serialize(1304208000)))
   ->execute();
+db_merge('variable')
+  ->key(array('name' => 'node_cron_last'))
+  ->fields(array('value' => serialize(1304208000)))
+  ->execute();
+db_merge('variable')
+  ->key(array('name' => 'cron_last'))
+  ->fields(array('value' => serialize(1304208000)))
+  ->execute();