diff --git a/serde/src/de/impls.rs b/serde/src/de/impls.rs
index 3999f3e3..c955498b 100644
--- a/serde/src/de/impls.rs
+++ b/serde/src/de/impls.rs
@@ -16,6 +16,9 @@ use de::MapAccess;
 
 use de::from_primitive::FromPrimitive;
 
+#[cfg(any(feature = "std", feature = "collections"))]
+use private::de::size_hint;
+
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 
 struct UnitVisitor;
@@ -344,7 +347,7 @@ impl<'de> Visitor<'de> for CStringVisitor {
     where
         A: SeqAccess<'de>,
     {
-        let len = cmp::min(seq.size_hint().0, 4096);
+        let len = size_hint::cautious(seq.size_hint());
         let mut values = Vec::with_capacity(len);
 
         while let Some(value) = try!(seq.next_element()) {
@@ -557,16 +560,16 @@ macro_rules! seq_impl {
 seq_impl!(
     BinaryHeap<T>,
     BinaryHeapVisitor<T: Ord>,
-    visitor,
+    seq,
     BinaryHeap::new(),
-    BinaryHeap::with_capacity(cmp::min(visitor.size_hint().0, 4096)),
+    BinaryHeap::with_capacity(size_hint::cautious(seq.size_hint())),
     BinaryHeap::push);
 
 #[cfg(any(feature = "std", feature = "collections"))]
 seq_impl!(
     BTreeSet<T>,
     BTreeSetVisitor<T: Eq + Ord>,
-    visitor,
+    seq,
     BTreeSet::new(),
     BTreeSet::new(),
     BTreeSet::insert);
@@ -575,7 +578,7 @@ seq_impl!(
 seq_impl!(
     LinkedList<T>,
     LinkedListVisitor,
-    visitor,
+    seq,
     LinkedList::new(),
     LinkedList::new(),
     LinkedList::push_back);
@@ -585,27 +588,27 @@ seq_impl!(
     HashSet<T, S>,
     HashSetVisitor<T: Eq + Hash,
                    S: BuildHasher + Default>,
-    visitor,
+    seq,
     HashSet::with_hasher(S::default()),
-    HashSet::with_capacity_and_hasher(cmp::min(visitor.size_hint().0, 4096), S::default()),
+    HashSet::with_capacity_and_hasher(size_hint::cautious(seq.size_hint()), S::default()),
     HashSet::insert);
 
 #[cfg(any(feature = "std", feature = "collections"))]
 seq_impl!(
     Vec<T>,
     VecVisitor,
-    visitor,
+    seq,
     Vec::new(),
-    Vec::with_capacity(cmp::min(visitor.size_hint().0, 4096)),
+    Vec::with_capacity(size_hint::cautious(seq.size_hint())),
     Vec::push);
 
 #[cfg(any(feature = "std", feature = "collections"))]
 seq_impl!(
     VecDeque<T>,
     VecDequeVisitor,
-    visitor,
+    seq,
     VecDeque::new(),
-    VecDeque::with_capacity(cmp::min(visitor.size_hint().0, 4096)),
+    VecDeque::with_capacity(size_hint::cautious(seq.size_hint())),
     VecDeque::push_back);
 
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
@@ -865,7 +868,7 @@ macro_rules! map_impl {
 map_impl!(
     BTreeMap<K, V>,
     BTreeMapVisitor<K: Ord>,
-    visitor,
+    map,
     BTreeMap::new(),
     BTreeMap::new());
 
@@ -874,9 +877,9 @@ map_impl!(
     HashMap<K, V, S>,
     HashMapVisitor<K: Eq + Hash,
                    S: BuildHasher + Default>,
-    visitor,
+    map,
     HashMap::with_hasher(S::default()),
-    HashMap::with_capacity_and_hasher(cmp::min(visitor.size_hint().0, 4096), S::default()));
+    HashMap::with_capacity_and_hasher(size_hint::cautious(map.size_hint()), S::default()));
 
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 
diff --git a/serde/src/de/mod.rs b/serde/src/de/mod.rs
index dc67021b..af45dbb3 100644
--- a/serde/src/de/mod.rs
+++ b/serde/src/de/mod.rs
@@ -1376,10 +1376,10 @@ pub trait SeqAccess<'de> {
         self.next_element_seed(PhantomData)
     }
 
-    /// Return the lower and upper bound of items remaining in the sequence.
+    /// Returns the number of elements remaining in the sequence, if known.
     #[inline]
-    fn size_hint(&self) -> (usize, Option<usize>) {
-        (0, None)
+    fn size_hint(&self) -> Option<usize> {
+        None
     }
 }
 
@@ -1406,7 +1406,7 @@ where
     }
 
     #[inline]
-    fn size_hint(&self) -> (usize, Option<usize>) {
+    fn size_hint(&self) -> Option<usize> {
         (**self).size_hint()
     }
 }
@@ -1504,10 +1504,10 @@ pub trait MapAccess<'de> {
         self.next_entry_seed(PhantomData, PhantomData)
     }
 
-    /// Return the lower and upper bound of items remaining in the sequence.
+    /// Returns the number of entries remaining in the map, if known.
     #[inline]
-    fn size_hint(&self) -> (usize, Option<usize>) {
-        (0, None)
+    fn size_hint(&self) -> Option<usize> {
+        None
     }
 }
 
@@ -1572,7 +1572,7 @@ where
     }
 
     #[inline]
-    fn size_hint(&self) -> (usize, Option<usize>) {
+    fn size_hint(&self) -> Option<usize> {
         (**self).size_hint()
     }
 }
diff --git a/serde/src/de/value.rs b/serde/src/de/value.rs
index a521c9a6..921a4ac5 100644
--- a/serde/src/de/value.rs
+++ b/serde/src/de/value.rs
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
 use lib::*;
 
 use de::{self, IntoDeserializer, Expected, SeqAccess};
+use private::de::size_hint;
 use self::private::{First, Second};
 
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
@@ -545,8 +546,8 @@ where
         }
     }
 
-    fn size_hint(&self) -> (usize, Option<usize>) {
-        self.iter.size_hint()
+    fn size_hint(&self) -> Option<usize> {
+        size_hint::from_bounds(&self.iter)
     }
 }
 
@@ -799,8 +800,8 @@ where
         }
     }
 
-    fn size_hint(&self) -> (usize, Option<usize>) {
-        self.iter.size_hint()
+    fn size_hint(&self) -> Option<usize> {
+        size_hint::from_bounds(&self.iter)
     }
 }
 
@@ -827,8 +828,8 @@ where
         }
     }
 
-    fn size_hint(&self) -> (usize, Option<usize>) {
-        self.iter.size_hint()
+    fn size_hint(&self) -> Option<usize> {
+        size_hint::from_bounds(&self.iter)
     }
 }
 
@@ -910,7 +911,7 @@ where
         if pair_visitor.1.is_none() {
             Ok(pair)
         } else {
-            let remaining = pair_visitor.size_hint().0;
+            let remaining = pair_visitor.size_hint().unwrap();
             // First argument is the number of elements in the data, second
             // argument is the number of elements expected by the Deserialize.
             Err(de::Error::invalid_length(2, &ExpectedInSeq(2 - remaining)))
@@ -954,15 +955,14 @@ where
         }
     }
 
-    fn size_hint(&self) -> (usize, Option<usize>) {
-        let len = if self.0.is_some() {
-            2
+    fn size_hint(&self) -> Option<usize> {
+        if self.0.is_some() {
+            Some(2)
         } else if self.1.is_some() {
-            1
+            Some(1)
         } else {
-            0
-        };
-        (len, Some(len))
+            Some(0)
+        }
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/serde/src/private/de.rs b/serde/src/private/de.rs
index 7ad86def..957052a3 100644
--- a/serde/src/private/de.rs
+++ b/serde/src/private/de.rs
@@ -187,6 +187,29 @@ where
     deserializer.deserialize_str(CowBytesVisitor)
 }
 
+pub mod size_hint {
+    use lib::*;
+
+    pub fn from_bounds<I>(iter: &I) -> Option<usize>
+        where I: Iterator
+    {
+        helper(iter.size_hint())
+    }
+
+    pub fn cautious(hint: Option<usize>) -> usize {
+        cmp::min(hint.unwrap_or(0), 4096)
+    }
+
+    fn helper(bounds: (usize, Option<usize>)) -> Option<usize> {
+        match bounds {
+            (lower, Some(upper)) if lower == upper => {
+                Some(upper)
+            }
+            _ => None,
+        }
+    }
+}
+
 #[cfg(any(feature = "std", feature = "collections"))]
 mod content {
     // This module is private and nothing here should be used outside of
@@ -203,6 +226,7 @@ mod content {
 
     use de::{self, Deserialize, DeserializeSeed, Deserializer, Visitor, SeqAccess, MapAccess,
              EnumAccess, Unexpected};
+    use super::size_hint;
 
     /// Used from generated code to buffer the contents of the Deserializer when
     /// deserializing untagged enums and internally tagged enums.
@@ -428,7 +452,7 @@ mod content {
         where
             V: SeqAccess<'de>,
         {
-            let mut vec = Vec::with_capacity(cmp::min(visitor.size_hint().0, 4096));
+            let mut vec = Vec::with_capacity(size_hint::cautious(visitor.size_hint()));
             while let Some(e) = try!(visitor.next_element()) {
                 vec.push(e);
             }
@@ -439,7 +463,7 @@ mod content {
         where
             V: MapAccess<'de>,
         {
-            let mut vec = Vec::with_capacity(cmp::min(visitor.size_hint().0, 4096));
+            let mut vec = Vec::with_capacity(size_hint::cautious(visitor.size_hint()));
             while let Some(kv) = try!(visitor.next_entry()) {
                 vec.push(kv);
             }
@@ -764,7 +788,7 @@ mod content {
             V: MapAccess<'de>,
         {
             let mut tag = None;
-            let mut vec = Vec::with_capacity(cmp::min(visitor.size_hint().0, 4096));
+            let mut vec = Vec::with_capacity(size_hint::cautious(visitor.size_hint()));
             while let Some(k) =
                 try!(visitor.next_key_seed(TagOrContentVisitor::new(self.tag_name))) {
                 match k {
@@ -1153,8 +1177,8 @@ mod content {
             }
         }
 
-        fn size_hint(&self) -> (usize, Option<usize>) {
-            self.iter.size_hint()
+        fn size_hint(&self) -> Option<usize> {
+            size_hint::from_bounds(&self.iter)
         }
     }
 
@@ -1209,8 +1233,8 @@ mod content {
             }
         }
 
-        fn size_hint(&self) -> (usize, Option<usize>) {
-            self.iter.size_hint()
+        fn size_hint(&self) -> Option<usize> {
+            size_hint::from_bounds(&self.iter)
         }
     }
 
@@ -1546,8 +1570,8 @@ mod content {
             }
         }
 
-        fn size_hint(&self) -> (usize, Option<usize>) {
-            self.iter.size_hint()
+        fn size_hint(&self) -> Option<usize> {
+            size_hint::from_bounds(&self.iter)
         }
     }
 
@@ -1603,8 +1627,8 @@ mod content {
             }
         }
 
-        fn size_hint(&self) -> (usize, Option<usize>) {
-            self.iter.size_hint()
+        fn size_hint(&self) -> Option<usize> {
+            size_hint::from_bounds(&self.iter)
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/serde_test/src/de.rs b/serde_test/src/de.rs
index cef4bcae..c826ee86 100644
--- a/serde_test/src/de.rs
+++ b/serde_test/src/de.rs
@@ -404,9 +404,8 @@ impl<'de, 'a> SeqAccess<'de> for DeserializerSeqVisitor<'a, 'de> {
         seed.deserialize(&mut *self.de).map(Some)
     }
 
-    fn size_hint(&self) -> (usize, Option<usize>) {
-        let len = self.len.unwrap_or(0);
-        (len, self.len)
+    fn size_hint(&self) -> Option<usize> {
+        self.len
     }
 }
 
@@ -439,9 +438,8 @@ impl<'de, 'a> MapAccess<'de> for DeserializerMapVisitor<'a, 'de> {
         seed.deserialize(&mut *self.de)
     }
 
-    fn size_hint(&self) -> (usize, Option<usize>) {
-        let len = self.len.unwrap_or(0);
-        (len, self.len)
+    fn size_hint(&self) -> Option<usize> {
+        self.len
     }
 }