diff -u b/core/modules/field/field.module b/core/modules/field/field.module
--- b/core/modules/field/field.module
+++ b/core/modules/field/field.module
@@ -870,20 +870,16 @@
   $variables['attributes'] = isset($variables['attributes']) ? new Attribute($variables['attributes']) : clone $default_attributes;
   $variables['title_attributes'] = isset($variables['title_attributes']) ? new Attribute($variables['title_attributes']) : clone($default_attributes);
   $variables['content_attributes'] = isset($variables['content_attributes']) ? new Attribute($variables['content_attributes']) : clone($default_attributes);
-  foreach ($variables['items'] as $delta => $item) {
-    $variables['item_attributes'][$delta] = isset($variables['item_attributes'][$delta]) ? new Attribute($variables['item_attributes'][$delta]) : clone($default_attributes);
-  }
 
-  // Field formatters get the HTML attributes as part of each field item
-  // in case they want to inject these attributes in their HTML output.
-  // If the field formatter did not include these attributes in its HTML and
-  // left them in the item, add these attributes to the field template.
-  // @todo should we use $variables['items'] here instead of $element['#items']?
-  foreach ($element['#items'] as $delta => $item) {
-    if (!empty($item['_attributes'])) {
-      // Merge HTML data attributes with item_attributes.
-      $variables['item_attributes'][$delta] = new Attribute($item['_attributes']);
-    }
+  // Modules (e.g., rdf.module) can add field item attributes (to
+  // $item->_attributes) within hook_entity_prepare_view(). Some field
+  // formatters move those attributes into some nested formatter-specific
+  // element in order have them rendered on the desired HTML element (e.g., on
+  // the <a> element of a field item being rendered as a link). Other field
+  // formatters leave them within $element['#items'][$delta]['_attributes'] to
+  // be rendered on the item wrappers provided by theme_field().
+  foreach ($variables['items'] as $delta => $item) {
+    $variables['item_attributes'][$delta] = !empty($element['#items'][$delta]['_attributes']) ? new Attribute($element['#items'][$delta]['_attributes']) : clone($default_attributes);
   }
 }