diff --git a/serde_derive/src/de.rs b/serde_derive/src/de.rs
index 7e94ef25..7243b53c 100644
--- a/serde_derive/src/de.rs
+++ b/serde_derive/src/de.rs
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ pub fn expand_derive_deserialize(input: &syn::DeriveInput) -> Result<TokenStream
         }
     };
 
-    Ok(dummy::wrap_in_const(cont.attrs.serde_path(), "DESERIALIZE", ident, impl_block))
+    Ok(dummy::wrap_in_const(cont.attrs.custom_serde_path(), "DESERIALIZE", ident, impl_block))
 }
 
 fn precondition(cx: &Ctxt, cont: &Container) {
diff --git a/serde_derive/src/internals/attr.rs b/serde_derive/src/internals/attr.rs
index 8bc91bbb..0b96118d 100644
--- a/serde_derive/src/internals/attr.rs
+++ b/serde_derive/src/internals/attr.rs
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 use internals::Ctxt;
 use proc_macro2::{Group, Span, TokenStream, TokenTree};
 use quote::ToTokens;
+use std::borrow::Cow;
 use std::collections::BTreeSet;
 use std::str::FromStr;
 use syn;
@@ -299,7 +300,7 @@ impl Container {
         let mut remote = Attr::none(cx, "remote");
         let mut field_identifier = BoolAttr::none(cx, "field_identifier");
         let mut variant_identifier = BoolAttr::none(cx, "variant_identifier");
-        let mut serde_path = Attr::none(cx, "serde_path");
+        let mut serde_path = Attr::none(cx, "crate");
 
         for meta_items in item.attrs.iter().filter_map(get_serde_meta_items) {
             for meta_item in meta_items {
@@ -584,8 +585,8 @@ impl Container {
                         variant_identifier.set_true(word);
                     }
 
-                    // Parse `#[serde(serde_path = "foo")]`
-                    Meta(NameValue(ref m)) if m.ident == "serde_path" => {
+                    // Parse `#[serde(crate = "foo")]`
+                    Meta(NameValue(ref m)) if m.ident == "crate" => {
                         if let Ok(path) = parse_lit_into_path(cx, &m.ident, &m.lit) {
                             serde_path.set(&m.ident, path)
                         }
@@ -682,9 +683,15 @@ impl Container {
         self.has_flatten = true;
     }
 
-    pub fn serde_path(&self) -> Option<&syn::Path> {
+    pub fn custom_serde_path(&self) -> Option<&syn::Path> {
         self.serde_path.as_ref()
     }
+
+    pub fn serde_path<'a>(&'a self) -> Cow<'a, syn::Path> {
+        self.custom_serde_path()
+            .map(Cow::Borrowed)
+            .unwrap_or_else(|| Cow::Owned(parse_quote!(_serde)))
+    }
 }
 
 fn decide_tag(
diff --git a/serde_derive/src/ser.rs b/serde_derive/src/ser.rs
index 8f3e357c..d5c83bc6 100644
--- a/serde_derive/src/ser.rs
+++ b/serde_derive/src/ser.rs
@@ -22,15 +22,16 @@ pub fn expand_derive_serialize(input: &syn::DeriveInput) -> Result<TokenStream,
     let params = Parameters::new(&cont);
     let (impl_generics, ty_generics, where_clause) = params.generics.split_for_impl();
     let body = Stmts(serialize_body(&cont, &params));
+    let serde = cont.attrs.serde_path();
 
     let impl_block = if let Some(remote) = cont.attrs.remote() {
         let vis = &input.vis;
         let used = pretend::pretend_used(&cont);
         quote! {
             impl #impl_generics #ident #ty_generics #where_clause {
-                #vis fn serialize<__S>(__self: &#remote #ty_generics, __serializer: __S) -> _serde::export::Result<__S::Ok, __S::Error>
+                #vis fn serialize<__S>(__self: &#remote #ty_generics, __serializer: __S) -> #serde::export::Result<__S::Ok, __S::Error>
                 where
-                    __S: _serde::Serializer,
+                    __S: #serde::Serializer,
                 {
                     #used
                     #body
@@ -40,10 +41,10 @@ pub fn expand_derive_serialize(input: &syn::DeriveInput) -> Result<TokenStream,
     } else {
         quote! {
             #[automatically_derived]
-            impl #impl_generics _serde::Serialize for #ident #ty_generics #where_clause {
-                fn serialize<__S>(&self, __serializer: __S) -> _serde::export::Result<__S::Ok, __S::Error>
+            impl #impl_generics #serde::Serialize for #ident #ty_generics #where_clause {
+                fn serialize<__S>(&self, __serializer: __S) -> #serde::export::Result<__S::Ok, __S::Error>
                 where
-                    __S: _serde::Serializer,
+                    __S: #serde::Serializer,
                 {
                     #body
                 }
@@ -51,7 +52,7 @@ pub fn expand_derive_serialize(input: &syn::DeriveInput) -> Result<TokenStream,
         }
     };
 
-    Ok(dummy::wrap_in_const(cont.attrs.serde_path(), "SERIALIZE", ident, impl_block))
+    Ok(dummy::wrap_in_const(cont.attrs.custom_serde_path(), "SERIALIZE", ident, impl_block))
 }
 
 fn precondition(cx: &Ctxt, cont: &Container) {
diff --git a/test_suite/tests/test_serde_path.rs b/test_suite/tests/test_serde_path.rs
index cf8e7d0f..4de43673 100644
--- a/test_suite/tests/test_serde_path.rs
+++ b/test_suite/tests/test_serde_path.rs
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 #[test]
 fn test_gen_custom_serde() {
     #[derive(serde::Serialize, serde::Deserialize)]
-    #[serde(serde_path = "fake_serde")]
+    #[serde(crate = "fake_serde")]
     struct Foo;
 
     // Would be overlapping if serde::Serialize were implemented