diff --git a/serde/src/de/impls.rs b/serde/src/de/impls.rs
index ea17afd2..a82fe018 100644
--- a/serde/src/de/impls.rs
+++ b/serde/src/de/impls.rs
@@ -1061,11 +1061,11 @@ impl Deserialize for Duration {
                 }
                 let secs = match secs {
                     Some(secs) => secs,
-                    None => try!(visitor.missing_field("secs")),
+                    None => return Err(<V::Error as Error>::missing_field("secs")),
                 };
                 let nanos = match nanos {
                     Some(nanos) => nanos,
-                    None => try!(visitor.missing_field("nanos")),
+                    None => return Err(<V::Error as Error>::missing_field("nanos")),
                 };
                 Ok(Duration::new(secs, nanos))
             }
diff --git a/serde/src/de/mod.rs b/serde/src/de/mod.rs
index c3bccea0..a89ff7ab 100644
--- a/serde/src/de/mod.rs
+++ b/serde/src/de/mod.rs
@@ -17,6 +17,10 @@ pub mod impls;
 pub mod value;
 mod from_primitive;
 
+// Helpers used by generated code. Not public API.
+#[doc(hidden)]
+pub mod private;
+
 ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 
 /// `Error` is a trait that allows a `Deserialize` to generically create a
@@ -926,31 +930,6 @@ pub trait MapVisitor {
     fn size_hint(&self) -> (usize, Option<usize>) {
         (0, None)
     }
-
-    /// Report that the struct has a field that wasn't deserialized. The
-    /// MapVisitor may consider this an error or it may return a default value
-    /// for the field.
-    ///
-    /// `Deserialize` implementations should typically use
-    /// `MapVisitor::missing_field` instead.
-    fn missing_field_seed<V>(&mut self, _seed: V, field: &'static str) -> Result<V::Value, Self::Error>
-        where V: DeserializeSeed
-    {
-        Err(Error::missing_field(field))
-    }
-
-    /// Report that the struct has a field that wasn't deserialized. The
-    /// MapVisitor may consider this an error or it may return a default value
-    /// for the field.
-    ///
-    /// This method exists as a convenience for `Deserialize` implementations.
-    /// `MapVisitor` implementations should not need to override the default
-    /// behavior.
-    fn missing_field<V>(&mut self, field: &'static str) -> Result<V, Self::Error>
-        where V: Deserialize,
-    {
-        self.missing_field_seed(PhantomData, field)
-    }
 }
 
 impl<'a, V_> MapVisitor for &'a mut V_ where V_: MapVisitor {
@@ -1004,20 +983,6 @@ impl<'a, V_> MapVisitor for &'a mut V_ where V_: MapVisitor {
     fn size_hint(&self) -> (usize, Option<usize>) {
         (**self).size_hint()
     }
-
-    #[inline]
-    fn missing_field_seed<V>(&mut self, seed: V, field: &'static str) -> Result<V::Value, Self::Error>
-        where V: DeserializeSeed
-    {
-        (**self).missing_field_seed(seed, field)
-    }
-
-    #[inline]
-    fn missing_field<V>(&mut self, field: &'static str) -> Result<V, Self::Error>
-        where V: Deserialize
-    {
-        (**self).missing_field(field)
-    }
 }
 
 ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
diff --git a/serde/src/de/private.rs b/serde/src/de/private.rs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..92e71cf8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/serde/src/de/private.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+use core::marker::PhantomData;
+
+use de::{Deserialize, Deserializer, Error, Visitor};
+
+/// If the missing field is of type `Option<T>` then treat is as `None`,
+/// otherwise it is an error.
+pub fn missing_field<V, E>(field: &'static str) -> Result<V, E>
+    where V: Deserialize,
+          E: Error
+{
+    struct MissingFieldDeserializer<E>(&'static str, PhantomData<E>);
+
+    impl<E> Deserializer for MissingFieldDeserializer<E>
+        where E: Error
+    {
+        type Error = E;
+
+        fn deserialize<V>(self, _visitor: V) -> Result<V::Value, E>
+            where V: Visitor
+        {
+            Err(Error::missing_field(self.0))
+        }
+
+        fn deserialize_option<V>(self, visitor: V) -> Result<V::Value, E>
+            where V: Visitor
+        {
+            visitor.visit_none()
+        }
+
+        forward_to_deserialize! {
+            bool usize u8 u16 u32 u64 isize i8 i16 i32 i64 f32 f64 char str
+            string unit seq seq_fixed_size bytes byte_buf map unit_struct
+            newtype_struct tuple_struct struct struct_field tuple enum
+            ignored_any
+        }
+    }
+
+    let deserializer = MissingFieldDeserializer(field, PhantomData);
+    Deserialize::deserialize(deserializer)
+}
diff --git a/serde_codegen/src/de.rs b/serde_codegen/src/de.rs
index 32f186ee..bd3d5f53 100644
--- a/serde_codegen/src/de.rs
+++ b/serde_codegen/src/de.rs
@@ -928,7 +928,7 @@ fn expr_is_missing(attrs: &attr::Field) -> Tokens {
     match attrs.deserialize_with() {
         None => {
             quote! {
-                try!(visitor.missing_field(#name))
+                try!(_serde::de::private::missing_field(#name))
             }
         }
         Some(_) => {