diff --git a/serde/src/lib.rs b/serde/src/lib.rs
index 54b0d408..6f53ed11 100644
--- a/serde/src/lib.rs
+++ b/serde/src/lib.rs
@@ -256,3 +256,9 @@ extern crate serde_derive;
 #[cfg(feature = "serde_derive")]
 #[cfg_attr(docsrs, doc(cfg(feature = "derive")))]
 pub use serde_derive::{Deserialize, Serialize};
+
+#[macro_export]
+#[doc(hidden)]
+macro_rules! __require_serde_not_serde_core {
+    () => {};
+}
diff --git a/serde_core/src/lib.rs b/serde_core/src/lib.rs
index a409d286..e566bb50 100644
--- a/serde_core/src/lib.rs
+++ b/serde_core/src/lib.rs
@@ -266,3 +266,13 @@ mod seed;
 
 #[cfg(all(not(feature = "std"), no_core_error))]
 mod std_error;
+
+#[macro_export]
+#[doc(hidden)]
+macro_rules! __require_serde_not_serde_core {
+    () => {
+        ::core::compile_error!(
+            "Serde derive requires a dependency on the serde crate, not serde_core"
+        );
+    };
+}
diff --git a/serde_derive/src/dummy.rs b/serde_derive/src/dummy.rs
index 8fd5494b..e0bca647 100644
--- a/serde_derive/src/dummy.rs
+++ b/serde_derive/src/dummy.rs
@@ -22,6 +22,9 @@ pub fn wrap_in_const(serde_path: Option<&syn::Path>, code: TokenStream) -> Token
         )]
         const _: () = {
             #use_serde
+
+            _serde::__require_serde_not_serde_core!();
+
             #code
         };
     }