diff --git a/serde/src/private/de.rs b/serde/src/private/de.rs
index c54f1307..4b96f628 100644
--- a/serde/src/private/de.rs
+++ b/serde/src/private/de.rs
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ pub use self::content::{
     TagOrContentField, TagOrContentFieldVisitor, TaggedContentVisitor, UntaggedUnitVisitor,
 };
 
-pub use serde_core::de::InPlaceSeed;
+pub use serde_core::__private::InPlaceSeed;
 
 /// If the missing field is of type `Option<T>` then treat is as `None`,
 /// otherwise it is an error.
diff --git a/serde_core/src/de/impls.rs b/serde_core/src/de/impls.rs
index 90b1bf6e..ab1a893c 100644
--- a/serde_core/src/de/impls.rs
+++ b/serde_core/src/de/impls.rs
@@ -4,8 +4,7 @@ use crate::de::{
     Deserialize, Deserializer, EnumAccess, Error, MapAccess, SeqAccess, Unexpected, VariantAccess,
     Visitor,
 };
-use crate::private;
-use crate::seed::InPlaceSeed;
+use crate::private::{self, InPlaceSeed};
 
 #[cfg(any(feature = "std", feature = "alloc"))]
 use crate::private::size_hint;
diff --git a/serde_core/src/de/mod.rs b/serde_core/src/de/mod.rs
index dc5c4495..b036f478 100644
--- a/serde_core/src/de/mod.rs
+++ b/serde_core/src/de/mod.rs
@@ -122,7 +122,7 @@ mod ignored_any;
 mod impls;
 
 pub use self::ignored_any::IgnoredAny;
-pub use crate::seed::InPlaceSeed;
+pub use crate::private::InPlaceSeed;
 #[cfg(all(not(feature = "std"), no_core_error))]
 #[doc(no_inline)]
 pub use crate::std_error::Error as StdError;
diff --git a/serde_core/src/lib.rs b/serde_core/src/lib.rs
index 8956e763..f5aa51fb 100644
--- a/serde_core/src/lib.rs
+++ b/serde_core/src/lib.rs
@@ -243,9 +243,6 @@ pub use crate::ser::{Serialize, Serializer};
 pub mod __private;
 use self::__private as private;
 
-#[path = "de/seed.rs"]
-mod seed;
-
 #[cfg(all(not(feature = "std"), no_core_error))]
 mod std_error;
 
diff --git a/serde_core/src/private/mod.rs b/serde_core/src/private/mod.rs
index a8016f48..cbfcdd5c 100644
--- a/serde_core/src/private/mod.rs
+++ b/serde_core/src/private/mod.rs
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 #[cfg(all(not(no_serde_derive), any(feature = "std", feature = "alloc")))]
 mod content;
+mod seed;
 
 #[doc(hidden)]
 pub mod size_hint;
@@ -10,3 +11,5 @@ pub mod string;
 #[cfg(all(not(no_serde_derive), any(feature = "std", feature = "alloc")))]
 #[doc(hidden)]
 pub use self::content::{Content, ContentVisitor};
+#[doc(hidden)]
+pub use self::seed::InPlaceSeed;
diff --git a/serde_core/src/de/seed.rs b/serde_core/src/private/seed.rs
similarity index 100%
rename from serde_core/src/de/seed.rs
rename to serde_core/src/private/seed.rs