diff --git a/core/modules/statistics/lib/Drupal/statistics/Tests/StatisticsAdminTest.php b/core/modules/statistics/lib/Drupal/statistics/Tests/StatisticsAdminTest.php
index a7487f7f4d1f48871b3a71b28724d2570d1512fa..528611e95486d31f335e1272e49faf47b30755f8 100644
--- a/core/modules/statistics/lib/Drupal/statistics/Tests/StatisticsAdminTest.php
+++ b/core/modules/statistics/lib/Drupal/statistics/Tests/StatisticsAdminTest.php
@@ -172,7 +172,7 @@ function testExpiredLogs() {
       ->set('count_content_views', 1)
       ->set('access_log.max_lifetime', 1)
       ->save();
-    variable_set('statistics_day_timestamp', 8640000);
+    state()->set('statistics.day_timestamp', 8640000);
 
     $this->drupalGet('node/' . $this->test_node->nid);
     // Manually calling statistics.php, simulating ajax behavior.
diff --git a/core/modules/statistics/statistics.install b/core/modules/statistics/statistics.install
index c0d0a6fe80d3196d74e6c14466ef38a84b392fa1..5f2b7dda83113841db0c44f51ce33971713c4229 100644
--- a/core/modules/statistics/statistics.install
+++ b/core/modules/statistics/statistics.install
@@ -5,6 +5,15 @@
  * Install and update functions for the Statistics module.
  */
 
+/**
+ * Implements hook_uninstall().
+ */
+function statistics_uninstall() {
+  // Remove states.
+  state()->delete('statistics.node_counter_scale');
+  state()->delete('statistics.day_timestamp');
+}
+
 /**
  * Implements hook_schema().
  */
@@ -154,3 +163,13 @@ function statistics_update_8001() {
     array('primary key' => array('nid'))
   );
 }
+
+/**
+ * Convert variables to state.
+ */
+function statistics_update_8002() {
+  update_variables_to_state(array(
+    'node_cron_views_scale' => 'statistics.node_counter_scale',
+    'statistics_day_timestamp' => 'statistics.day_timestamp',
+  ));
+}
diff --git a/core/modules/statistics/statistics.module b/core/modules/statistics/statistics.module
index f11f3ed5fe0e7b5205f51ea1c9b9b5521efc8fc7..db45bee615383b46a25457ec97d91e462468e013 100644
--- a/core/modules/statistics/statistics.module
+++ b/core/modules/statistics/statistics.module
@@ -226,14 +226,14 @@ function statistics_user_predelete($account) {
  * Implements hook_cron().
  */
 function statistics_cron() {
-  $statistics_timestamp = variable_get('statistics_day_timestamp', '');
+  $statistics_timestamp = state()->get('statistics.day_timestamp') ?: 0;
 
   if ((REQUEST_TIME - $statistics_timestamp) >= 86400) {
     // Reset day counts.
     db_update('node_counter')
       ->fields(array('daycount' => 0))
       ->execute();
-    variable_set('statistics_day_timestamp', REQUEST_TIME);
+    state()->set('statistics.day_timestamp', REQUEST_TIME);
   }
 
   // Delete access logs (if applicable).
@@ -437,7 +437,7 @@ function statistics_ranking() {
         ),
         // Inverse law that maps the highest view count on the site to 1 and 0 to 0.
         'score' => '2.0 - 2.0 / (1.0 + node_counter.totalcount * CAST(:scale AS DECIMAL))',
-        'arguments' => array(':scale' => variable_get('node_cron_views_scale', 0)),
+        'arguments' => array(':scale' => state()->get('statistics.node_counter_scale') ?: 0),
       ),
     );
   }
@@ -447,7 +447,7 @@ function statistics_ranking() {
  * Implements hook_update_index().
  */
 function statistics_update_index() {
-  variable_set('node_cron_views_scale', 1.0 / max(1, db_query('SELECT MAX(totalcount) FROM {node_counter}')->fetchField()));
+  state()->set('statistics.node_counter_scale', 1.0 / max(1, db_query('SELECT MAX(totalcount) FROM {node_counter}')->fetchField()));
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/core/modules/system/lib/Drupal/system/Tests/Upgrade/StateSystemUpgradePathTest.php b/core/modules/system/lib/Drupal/system/Tests/Upgrade/StateSystemUpgradePathTest.php
index 5f1ffc7214ba5d90ac93c01e0c445e3a250b9821..9c99f0098cc5d35733192d7fb5dae3301b9e4030 100644
--- a/core/modules/system/lib/Drupal/system/Tests/Upgrade/StateSystemUpgradePathTest.php
+++ b/core/modules/system/lib/Drupal/system/Tests/Upgrade/StateSystemUpgradePathTest.php
@@ -43,6 +43,14 @@ public function testSystemVariableUpgrade() {
       'value' => 1304208001,
       'variable_name' => 'node_cron_last',
     );
+    $expected_state['statistics.day_timestamp'] = array(
+      'value' => 1352070595,
+      'variable_name' => 'statistics_day_timestamp',
+    );
+    $expected_state['statistics.node_counter_scale'] = array(
+      'value' => 1.0 / 2000,
+      'variable_name' => 'node_cron_views_scale',
+    );
     $expected_state['system.cron_last'] = array(
       'value' => 1304208002,
       'variable_name' => 'cron_last',
diff --git a/core/modules/system/tests/upgrade/drupal-7.state.system.database.php b/core/modules/system/tests/upgrade/drupal-7.state.system.database.php
index aaacc5b8caf0a93a3ad6b294eae2d66777d4aa27..96e18b739536cfeb8feb040f7ff90201c58c09ae 100644
--- a/core/modules/system/tests/upgrade/drupal-7.state.system.database.php
+++ b/core/modules/system/tests/upgrade/drupal-7.state.system.database.php
@@ -11,6 +11,14 @@
  */
 
 // Update system settings to known values.
+db_merge('variable')
+  ->key(array('name' => 'node_cron_views_scale'))
+  ->fields(array('value' => serialize(1.0 / 2000)))
+  ->execute();
+db_merge('variable')
+  ->key(array('name' => 'statistics_day_timestamp'))
+  ->fields(array('value' => serialize(1352070595)))
+  ->execute();
 db_merge('variable')
   ->key(array('name' => 'update_last_check'))
   ->fields(array('value' => serialize(1304208000)))