diff --git a/serde/src/de/impls.rs b/serde/src/de/impls.rs
index f79b9550..b13800dc 100644
--- a/serde/src/de/impls.rs
+++ b/serde/src/de/impls.rs
@@ -1474,6 +1474,44 @@ where
 
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 
+/// This impl requires the [`"rc"`] Cargo feature of Serde. The resulting
+/// `Weak<T>` has a reference count of 0 and cannot be upgraded.
+///
+/// [`"rc"`]: https://serde.rs/feature-flags.html#-features-rc
+#[cfg(all(feature = "rc", any(feature = "std", feature = "alloc")))]
+impl<'de, T: ?Sized> Deserialize<'de> for RcWeak<T>
+where
+    T: Deserialize<'de>,
+{
+    fn deserialize<D>(deserializer: D) -> Result<Self, D::Error>
+    where
+        D: Deserializer<'de>,
+    {
+        try!(Option::<T>::deserialize(deserializer));
+        Ok(RcWeak::new())
+    }
+}
+
+/// This impl requires the [`"rc"`] Cargo feature of Serde. The resulting
+/// `Weak<T>` has a reference count of 0 and cannot be upgraded.
+///
+/// [`"rc"`]: https://serde.rs/feature-flags.html#-features-rc
+#[cfg(all(feature = "rc", any(feature = "std", feature = "alloc")))]
+impl<'de, T: ?Sized> Deserialize<'de> for ArcWeak<T>
+where
+    T: Deserialize<'de>,
+{
+    fn deserialize<D>(deserializer: D) -> Result<Self, D::Error>
+    where
+        D: Deserializer<'de>,
+    {
+        try!(Option::<T>::deserialize(deserializer));
+        Ok(ArcWeak::new())
+    }
+}
+
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+
 #[cfg(all(feature = "unstable", feature = "rc", any(feature = "std", feature = "alloc")))]
 macro_rules! box_forwarded_impl {
     (
diff --git a/serde/src/lib.rs b/serde/src/lib.rs
index 923b7596..ce0c3326 100644
--- a/serde/src/lib.rs
+++ b/serde/src/lib.rs
@@ -179,14 +179,14 @@ mod lib {
     pub use std::boxed::Box;
 
     #[cfg(all(feature = "rc", feature = "alloc", not(feature = "std")))]
-    pub use alloc::rc::Rc;
+    pub use alloc::rc::{Rc, Weak as RcWeak};
     #[cfg(all(feature = "rc", feature = "std"))]
-    pub use std::rc::Rc;
+    pub use std::rc::{Rc, Weak as RcWeak};
 
     #[cfg(all(feature = "rc", feature = "alloc", not(feature = "std")))]
-    pub use alloc::arc::Arc;
+    pub use alloc::arc::{Arc, Weak as ArcWeak};
     #[cfg(all(feature = "rc", feature = "std"))]
-    pub use std::sync::Arc;
+    pub use std::sync::{Arc, Weak as ArcWeak};
 
     #[cfg(all(feature = "alloc", not(feature = "std")))]
     pub use alloc::{BTreeMap, BTreeSet, BinaryHeap, LinkedList, VecDeque};
diff --git a/serde/src/ser/impls.rs b/serde/src/ser/impls.rs
index f2de2822..fbe057cd 100644
--- a/serde/src/ser/impls.rs
+++ b/serde/src/ser/impls.rs
@@ -374,6 +374,40 @@ deref_impl!(<'a, T: ?Sized> Serialize for Cow<'a, T> where T: Serialize + ToOwne
 
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 
+/// This impl requires the [`"rc"`] Cargo feature of Serde.
+///
+/// [`"rc"`]: https://serde.rs/feature-flags.html#-features-rc
+#[cfg(all(feature = "rc", any(feature = "std", feature = "alloc")))]
+impl<T: ?Sized> Serialize for RcWeak<T>
+where
+    T: Serialize,
+{
+    fn serialize<S>(&self, serializer: S) -> Result<S::Ok, S::Error>
+    where
+        S: Serializer,
+    {
+        self.upgrade().serialize(serializer)
+    }
+}
+
+/// This impl requires the [`"rc"`] Cargo feature of Serde.
+///
+/// [`"rc"`]: https://serde.rs/feature-flags.html#-features-rc
+#[cfg(all(feature = "rc", any(feature = "std", feature = "alloc")))]
+impl<T: ?Sized> Serialize for ArcWeak<T>
+where
+    T: Serialize,
+{
+    fn serialize<S>(&self, serializer: S) -> Result<S::Ok, S::Error>
+    where
+        S: Serializer,
+    {
+        self.upgrade().serialize(serializer)
+    }
+}
+
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+
 #[cfg(feature = "unstable")]
 #[allow(deprecated)]
 impl<T> Serialize for NonZero<T>
diff --git a/test_suite/tests/test_de.rs b/test_suite/tests/test_de.rs
index 3a8fcc44..a7eedba3 100644
--- a/test_suite/tests/test_de.rs
+++ b/test_suite/tests/test_de.rs
@@ -17,15 +17,15 @@ use std::ffi::{CString, OsString};
 use std::net;
 use std::num::Wrapping;
 use std::path::{Path, PathBuf};
-use std::rc::Rc;
-use std::sync::Arc;
+use std::rc::{Rc, Weak as RcWeak};
+use std::sync::{Arc, Weak as ArcWeak};
 use std::time::{Duration, UNIX_EPOCH};
 
 #[cfg(feature = "unstable")]
 use std::ffi::CStr;
 
 extern crate serde;
-use serde::Deserialize;
+use serde::{Deserialize, Deserializer};
 
 extern crate fnv;
 use self::fnv::FnvHasher;
@@ -182,6 +182,27 @@ macro_rules! declare_error_tests {
     }
 }
 
+#[derive(Debug)]
+struct SkipPartialEq<T>(T);
+
+impl<'de, T> Deserialize<'de> for SkipPartialEq<T>
+where
+    T: Deserialize<'de>,
+{
+    fn deserialize<D>(deserializer: D) -> Result<Self, D::Error>
+    where
+        D: Deserializer<'de>,
+    {
+        T::deserialize(deserializer).map(SkipPartialEq)
+    }
+}
+
+impl<T> PartialEq for SkipPartialEq<T> {
+    fn eq(&self, _other: &Self) -> bool {
+        true
+    }
+}
+
 fn assert_de_tokens_ignore(ignorable_tokens: &[Token]) {
     #[derive(PartialEq, Debug, Deserialize)]
     struct IgnoreBase {
@@ -788,11 +809,33 @@ declare_tests! {
             Token::Bool(true),
         ],
     }
+    test_rc_weak_some {
+        SkipPartialEq(RcWeak::<bool>::new()) => &[
+            Token::Some,
+            Token::Bool(true),
+        ],
+    }
+    test_rc_weak_none {
+        SkipPartialEq(RcWeak::<bool>::new()) => &[
+            Token::None,
+        ],
+    }
     test_arc {
         Arc::new(true) => &[
             Token::Bool(true),
         ],
     }
+    test_arc_weak_some {
+        SkipPartialEq(ArcWeak::<bool>::new()) => &[
+            Token::Some,
+            Token::Bool(true),
+        ],
+    }
+    test_arc_weak_none {
+        SkipPartialEq(ArcWeak::<bool>::new()) => &[
+            Token::None,
+        ],
+    }
     test_wrapping {
         Wrapping(1usize) => &[
             Token::U32(1),
diff --git a/test_suite/tests/test_ser.rs b/test_suite/tests/test_ser.rs
index dbc42da6..d677fe35 100644
--- a/test_suite/tests/test_ser.rs
+++ b/test_suite/tests/test_ser.rs
@@ -11,11 +11,12 @@ extern crate serde_derive;
 
 use std::collections::{BTreeMap, BTreeSet, HashMap, HashSet};
 use std::ffi::CString;
+use std::mem;
 use std::net;
 use std::num::Wrapping;
 use std::path::{Path, PathBuf};
-use std::rc::Rc;
-use std::sync::Arc;
+use std::rc::{Rc, Weak as RcWeak};
+use std::sync::{Arc, Weak as ArcWeak};
 use std::time::{Duration, UNIX_EPOCH};
 
 #[cfg(unix)]
@@ -398,11 +399,41 @@ declare_tests! {
             Token::Bool(true),
         ],
     }
+    test_rc_weak_some {
+        {
+            let rc = Rc::new(true);
+            mem::forget(rc.clone());
+            Rc::downgrade(&rc)
+        } => &[
+            Token::Some,
+            Token::Bool(true),
+        ],
+    }
+    test_rc_weak_none {
+        RcWeak::<bool>::new() => &[
+            Token::None,
+        ],
+    }
     test_arc {
         Arc::new(true) => &[
             Token::Bool(true),
         ],
     }
+    test_arc_weak_some {
+        {
+            let arc = Arc::new(true);
+            mem::forget(arc.clone());
+            Arc::downgrade(&arc)
+        } => &[
+            Token::Some,
+            Token::Bool(true),
+        ],
+    }
+    test_arc_weak_none {
+        ArcWeak::<bool>::new() => &[
+            Token::None,
+        ],
+    }
     test_wrapping {
         Wrapping(1usize) => &[
             Token::U64(1),