diff --git a/core/modules/field/lib/Drupal/field/Plugin/Core/Entity/Field.php b/core/modules/field/lib/Drupal/field/Plugin/Core/Entity/Field.php
index fe6886a..47cd14b 100644
--- a/core/modules/field/lib/Drupal/field/Plugin/Core/Entity/Field.php
+++ b/core/modules/field/lib/Drupal/field/Plugin/Core/Entity/Field.php
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
 use Drupal\Core\Annotation\Translation;
 use Drupal\Core\Config\Entity\ConfigEntityBase;
 use Drupal\field\FieldException;
+use Drupal\Component\Utility\NestedArray;
 
 /**
  * Defines the Field entity.
@@ -542,6 +543,32 @@ public function getBundles() {
   }
 
   /**
+   * Returns a field definition array.
+   *
+   * @return array
+   *   An array with the following keys:
+   *   - cache_id
+   *   - field_name
+   *   - type
+   *   - label
+   *   - translatable
+   *   - settings
+   *
+   * @todo Figure out which additional keys are needed.
+   */
+  public function getFieldDefinition(FieldInstance $instance = NULL) {
+    $field_definition = array(
+      'cache_id' => $instance ? $instance->uuid() : $this->uuid(),
+      'field_name' => $this->id,
+      'type' => $this->type,
+      'label' => $instance ? $instance->label() : $this->label(),
+      'translatable' => $this->translatable,
+      'settings' => $instance ? NestedArray::mergeDeep($this->settings, $instance->settings) : $this->settings,
+    );
+    return $field_definition;
+  }
+
+  /**
    * {@inheritdoc}
    */
   public function offsetExists($offset) {
diff --git a/core/modules/field/lib/Drupal/field/Plugin/Type/Formatter/FormatterBase.php b/core/modules/field/lib/Drupal/field/Plugin/Type/Formatter/FormatterBase.php
index a46b465..02b0a19 100644
--- a/core/modules/field/lib/Drupal/field/Plugin/Type/Formatter/FormatterBase.php
+++ b/core/modules/field/lib/Drupal/field/Plugin/Type/Formatter/FormatterBase.php
@@ -58,8 +58,8 @@
    *   The plugin_id for the formatter.
    * @param array $plugin_definition
    *   The plugin implementation definition.
-   * @param \Drupal\field\Plugin\Core\Entity\FieldInstance $instance
-   *   The field instance to which the formatter is associated.
+   * @param array $field_definition
+   *   The definition of the field to which the formatter is associated.
    * @param array $settings
    *   The formatter settings.
    * @param string $label
@@ -67,11 +67,10 @@
    * @param string $view_mode
    *   The view mode.
    */
-  public function __construct($plugin_id, array $plugin_definition, $instance, array $settings, $label, $view_mode) {
+  public function __construct($plugin_id, array $plugin_definition, $field_definition, array $settings, $label, $view_mode) {
     parent::__construct(array(), $plugin_id, $plugin_definition);
 
-    $this->instance = $instance;
-    $this->field = field_info_field($instance['field_name']);
+    $this->field_definition = $field_definition;
     $this->settings = $settings;
     $this->label = $label;
     $this->viewMode = $view_mode;
diff --git a/core/modules/field/lib/Drupal/field/Plugin/Type/Formatter/FormatterFactory.php b/core/modules/field/lib/Drupal/field/Plugin/Type/Formatter/FormatterFactory.php
index 0df5b97..c503e3c 100644
--- a/core/modules/field/lib/Drupal/field/Plugin/Type/Formatter/FormatterFactory.php
+++ b/core/modules/field/lib/Drupal/field/Plugin/Type/Formatter/FormatterFactory.php
@@ -20,6 +20,9 @@ class FormatterFactory extends DefaultFactory {
   public function createInstance($plugin_id, array $configuration) {
     $plugin_definition = $this->discovery->getDefinition($plugin_id);
     $plugin_class = static::getPluginClass($plugin_id, $plugin_definition);
-    return new $plugin_class($plugin_id, $plugin_definition, $configuration['instance'], $configuration['settings'], $configuration['label'], $configuration['view_mode']);
+    $instance = $configuration['instance'];
+    $field = field_info_field($instance['field_name']);
+    $field_definition = $field->getFieldDefinition($instance);
+    return new $plugin_class($plugin_id, $plugin_definition, $field_definition, $configuration['settings'], $configuration['label'], $configuration['view_mode']);
   }
 }