Index: modules/field/field.crud.inc
===================================================================
RCS file: /cvs/drupal/drupal/modules/field/field.crud.inc,v
retrieving revision 1.71
diff -u -p -r1.71 field.crud.inc
--- modules/field/field.crud.inc	29 Sep 2010 01:37:02 -0000	1.71
+++ modules/field/field.crud.inc	15 Oct 2010 00:14:46 -0000
@@ -459,23 +459,28 @@ function field_update_field($field) {
   $storage_type = field_info_storage_types($field['storage']['type']);
   module_invoke($storage_type['module'], 'field_storage_update_field', $field, $prior_field, $has_data);
 
-  // Save the new field definition. @todo: refactor with
-  // field_create_field.
+  // Save the new field definition.
+  // Only $field['settings'] gets special treatment. All other field
+  // configuration data has to exist in $field['data'] already.
+  $field['data']['settings'] = $field['settings'];
+  $field['data'] = serialize($field['data']);
 
-  // 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['locked'], $data['module'], $data['cardinality'], $data['active'], $data['deleted']);
-  // Additionally, do not save the 'bundles' property populated by
-  // field_info_field().
-  unset($data['bundles']);
-
-  $field['data'] = $data;
-
-  // Store the field and create the id.
-  $primary_key = array('id');
-  drupal_write_record('field_config', $field, $primary_key);
+  db_update('field_config')
+    ->fields(array(
+      'field_name' => $field['field_name'],
+      'type' => $field['type'],
+      'module' => $field['module'],
+      'active' => $field['active'],
+      'storage_type' => $field['storage']['type'],
+      'storage_module' => $field['storage']['module'],
+      'storage_active' => $field['storage']['active'],
+      'locked' => $field['locked'],
+      'cardinality' => $field['cardinality'],
+      'translatable' => $field['translatable'],
+      'data' => serialize($field['data']),
+    ))
+    ->condition('id', $field['id'])
+    ->execute();
 
   // Clear caches
   field_cache_clear(TRUE);
@@ -544,19 +549,16 @@ function field_read_fields($params = arr
   $fields = array();
   $results = $query->execute();
   foreach ($results as $record) {
-    $field = unserialize($record['data']);
-    $field['id'] = $record['id'];
-    $field['field_name'] = $record['field_name'];
-    $field['type'] = $record['type'];
-    $field['module'] = $record['module'];
-    $field['active'] = $record['active'];
+    $field = $record;
+    // Note that only $field['data'] and $field['settings'] is serialized back
+    // into 'data' upon save/update.
+    $field['data'] = unserialize($record['data']);
+    $field += $field['data'];
+
     $field['storage']['type'] = $record['storage_type'];
     $field['storage']['module'] = $record['storage_module'];
     $field['storage']['active'] = $record['storage_active'];
-    $field['locked'] = $record['locked'];
-    $field['cardinality'] = $record['cardinality'];
-    $field['translatable'] = $record['translatable'];
-    $field['deleted'] = $record['deleted'];
+    unset($field['storage_type'], $field['storage_module'], $field['storage_active']);
 
     module_invoke_all('field_read_field', $field);
 
Index: modules/field/field.info.inc
===================================================================
RCS file: /cvs/drupal/drupal/modules/field/field.info.inc,v
retrieving revision 1.53
diff -u -p -r1.53 field.info.inc
--- modules/field/field.info.inc	11 Sep 2010 00:03:42 -0000	1.53
+++ modules/field/field.info.inc	14 Oct 2010 23:38:34 -0000
@@ -255,7 +255,9 @@ function _field_info_collate_fields($res
  */
 function _field_info_prepare_field($field) {
   // Make sure all expected field settings are present.
+  $field += array('settings' => array());
   $field['settings'] += field_info_field_settings($field['type']);
+  $field['storage'] += array('settings' => array());
   $field['storage']['settings'] += field_info_storage_settings($field['storage']['type']);
 
   // Add storage details.