diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index 0ccbaaaabec..9550b2bfdfe 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -339,6 +339,7 @@ dependencies = [
  "rand 0.7.2 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)",
  "rustc-workspace-hack 1.0.0 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)",
  "rustc_version 0.2.3 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)",
+ "serde 1.0.103 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)",
  "shell-escape 0.1.4 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)",
  "vergen 3.0.4 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)",
 ]
diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index ac62d29eb8f..da9481cce52 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -46,9 +46,10 @@ rand = "0.7"
 # for more information.
 rustc-workspace-hack = "1.0.0"
 
-# Depend on num-traits with default features to avoid having to rebuild
+# Some extra dependency for better feature control to avoid having to rebuild
 # between "cargo build" and "cargo intall".
 num-traits = "*"
+serde = { version = "*", features = ["derive"] }
 
 [build-dependencies]
 vergen = "3"