diff --git a/core/modules/system/system.install b/core/modules/system/system.install
index d0deae1..83aa7b9 100644
--- a/core/modules/system/system.install
+++ b/core/modules/system/system.install
@@ -2188,6 +2188,18 @@ function system_update_8030() {
 }
 
 /**
+ * Enables file.module.
+ */
+function system_update_8031() {
+  // The {file_managed} table has been moved to file.module, so it needs to be
+  // enabled as manually trying to enable it would fail with a "{file_managed}
+  // exists already" error.
+  if (!module_exists('file')) {
+    update_module_enable(array('file'));
+  }
+}
+
+/**
  * @} End of "defgroup updates-7.x-to-8.x".
  * The next series of updates should start at 9000.
  */
diff --git a/core/modules/user/user.install b/core/modules/user/user.install
index 96373bf..ce4f309 100644
--- a/core/modules/user/user.install
+++ b/core/modules/user/user.install
@@ -342,6 +342,18 @@ function user_install() {
  */
 
 /**
+ * Implements hook_update_dependencies().
+ */
+function user_update_dependencies() {
+  // Make sure that file.module is enabled before converting the user picture
+  // to a field.
+  $dependencies['user'][8010] = array(
+    'system' => 8031,
+  );
+  return $dependencies;
+}
+
+/**
  * The 'Member for' extra field has moved one level up in the array.
  */
 function user_update_8000() {
@@ -595,16 +607,10 @@ function user_update_8009(&$sandbox) {
  * Create user picture field.
  */
 function user_update_8010() {
-// User pictures can only be migrated to the new user picture image field
-// if Image module is installed.
+  // User pictures can only be migrated to the new user picture image field
+  // if Image module is installed.
   if (!module_exists('image')) {
-    $modules = array(
-      'image',
-    );
-    if (!module_exists('file')) {
-      $modules[] = 'file';
-    }
-    update_module_enable($modules);
+    module_enable(array('image'));
   }
 
   if ($default_image = variable_get('user_picture_default', '')) {