diff --git a/serde/src/de/mod.rs b/serde/src/de/mod.rs
index b2cc64c8..15e32cca 100644
--- a/serde/src/de/mod.rs
+++ b/serde/src/de/mod.rs
@@ -1226,11 +1226,7 @@ pub trait Deserializer<'de>: Sized {
     // Not public API.
     #[cfg(all(not(no_serde_derive), any(feature = "std", feature = "alloc")))]
     #[doc(hidden)]
-    fn __deserialize_content<V>(
-        self,
-        _: crate::actually_private::T,
-        visitor: V,
-    ) -> Result<crate::__private::de::Content<'de>, Self::Error>
+    fn __deserialize_content<V>(self, visitor: V) -> Result<V::Value, Self::Error>
     where
         V: Visitor<'de, Value = crate::__private::de::Content<'de>>,
     {
diff --git a/serde/src/lib.rs b/serde/src/lib.rs
index 5054263c..03b4fabc 100644
--- a/serde/src/lib.rs
+++ b/serde/src/lib.rs
@@ -340,8 +340,3 @@ extern crate serde_derive;
 #[cfg(feature = "serde_derive")]
 #[cfg_attr(docsrs, doc(cfg(feature = "derive")))]
 pub use serde_derive::{Deserialize, Serialize};
-
-#[cfg(all(not(no_serde_derive), any(feature = "std", feature = "alloc")))]
-mod actually_private {
-    pub struct T;
-}
diff --git a/serde/src/private/de.rs b/serde/src/private/de.rs
index af5878bb..34bfcb66 100644
--- a/serde/src/private/de.rs
+++ b/serde/src/private/de.rs
@@ -208,7 +208,6 @@ mod content {
 
     use crate::lib::*;
 
-    use crate::actually_private;
     use crate::de::value::{MapDeserializer, SeqDeserializer};
     use crate::de::{
         self, size_hint, Deserialize, DeserializeSeed, Deserializer, EnumAccess, Expected,
@@ -298,7 +297,7 @@ mod content {
             // Untagged and internally tagged enums are only supported in
             // self-describing formats.
             let visitor = ContentVisitor { value: PhantomData };
-            deserializer.__deserialize_content(actually_private::T, visitor)
+            deserializer.__deserialize_content(visitor)
         }
     }
 
@@ -1498,11 +1497,7 @@ mod content {
             visitor.visit_unit()
         }
 
-        fn __deserialize_content<V>(
-            self,
-            _: actually_private::T,
-            visitor: V,
-        ) -> Result<Content<'de>, Self::Error>
+        fn __deserialize_content<V>(self, visitor: V) -> Result<V::Value, Self::Error>
         where
             V: Visitor<'de, Value = Content<'de>>,
         {
@@ -2091,11 +2086,7 @@ mod content {
             visitor.visit_unit()
         }
 
-        fn __deserialize_content<V>(
-            self,
-            _: actually_private::T,
-            visitor: V,
-        ) -> Result<Content<'de>, Self::Error>
+        fn __deserialize_content<V>(self, visitor: V) -> Result<V::Value, Self::Error>
         where
             V: Visitor<'de, Value = Content<'de>>,
         {