diff --git a/serde/src/de/impls.rs b/serde/src/de/impls.rs
index c30400da..cefe46ef 100644
--- a/serde/src/de/impls.rs
+++ b/serde/src/de/impls.rs
@@ -315,6 +315,33 @@ impl<T> Deserialize for Option<T> where T: Deserialize {
 
 ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 
+/// A visitor that produces a `PhantomData`.
+pub struct PhantomDataVisitor<T> {
+    marker: PhantomData<T>,
+}
+
+impl<T> Visitor for PhantomDataVisitor<T> where T: Deserialize {
+    type Value = PhantomData<T>;
+
+    #[inline]
+    fn visit_unit<E>(&mut self) -> Result<PhantomData<T>, E>
+        where E: Error,
+    {
+        Ok(PhantomData)
+    }
+}
+
+impl<T> Deserialize for PhantomData<T> where T: Deserialize {
+    fn deserialize<D>(deserializer: &mut D) -> Result<PhantomData<T>, D::Error>
+        where D: Deserializer,
+    {
+        let visitor = PhantomDataVisitor { marker: PhantomData };
+        deserializer.deserialize_unit_struct("PhantomData", visitor)
+    }
+}
+
+///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+
 macro_rules! seq_impl {
     (
         $ty:ty,
diff --git a/serde/src/ser/impls.rs b/serde/src/ser/impls.rs
index a2441e42..fec942d7 100644
--- a/serde/src/ser/impls.rs
+++ b/serde/src/ser/impls.rs
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ use std::ops;
 use std::path;
 use std::rc::Rc;
 use std::sync::Arc;
+use std::marker::PhantomData;
 
 #[cfg(feature = "nightly")]
 use core::nonzero::{NonZero, Zeroable};
@@ -121,6 +122,17 @@ impl<T> SeqVisitor for Option<T> where T: Serialize {
 
 ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 
+impl<T> Serialize for PhantomData<T> {
+    #[inline]
+    fn serialize<S>(&self, serializer: &mut S) -> Result<(), S::Error>
+        where S: Serializer,
+    {
+        serializer.serialize_unit_struct("PhantomData")
+    }
+}
+
+///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+
 /// A `serde::Visitor` for sequence iterators.
 ///
 /// # Examples