diff --git a/serde/build.rs b/serde/build.rs
index 9d0d3a97..1c195f98 100644
--- a/serde/build.rs
+++ b/serde/build.rs
@@ -1,13 +1,29 @@
 use std::env;
+use std::fs;
+use std::path::PathBuf;
 use std::process::Command;
 use std::str;
 
+const PRIVATE: &str = "\
+#[doc(hidden)]
+pub mod __private$$ {
+    #[doc(hidden)]
+    pub use crate::private::*;
+}
+use serde_core::__private$$ as serde_core_private;
+";
+
 // The rustc-cfg strings below are *not* public API. Please let us know by
 // opening a GitHub issue if your build environment requires some way to enable
 // these cfgs other than by executing our build script.
 fn main() {
     println!("cargo:rerun-if-changed=build.rs");
 
+    let out_dir = PathBuf::from(env::var_os("OUT_DIR").unwrap());
+    let patch_version = env::var("CARGO_PKG_VERSION_PATCH").unwrap();
+    let module = PRIVATE.replace("$$", &patch_version);
+    fs::write(out_dir.join("private.rs"), module).unwrap();
+
     let minor = match rustc_minor_version() {
         Some(minor) => minor,
         None => return,
diff --git a/serde/src/lib.rs b/serde/src/lib.rs
index b8898438..64f36f96 100644
--- a/serde/src/lib.rs
+++ b/serde/src/lib.rs
@@ -239,8 +239,9 @@ mod integer128;
 
 // Used by generated code and doc tests. Not public API.
 #[doc(hidden)]
-#[path = "private/mod.rs"]
-pub mod __private;
+mod private;
+
+include!(concat!(env!("OUT_DIR"), "/private.rs"));
 
 // Re-export #[derive(Serialize, Deserialize)].
 //
diff --git a/serde/src/private/de.rs b/serde/src/private/de.rs
index 924d2d79..6f657f50 100644
--- a/serde/src/private/de.rs
+++ b/serde/src/private/de.rs
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ pub use self::content::{
     UntaggedUnitVisitor,
 };
 
-pub use serde_core::__private::InPlaceSeed;
+pub use crate::serde_core_private::InPlaceSeed;
 
 /// If the missing field is of type `Option<T>` then treat is as `None`,
 /// otherwise it is an error.
@@ -216,8 +216,8 @@ mod content {
         self, Deserialize, DeserializeSeed, Deserializer, EnumAccess, Expected, IgnoredAny,
         MapAccess, SeqAccess, Unexpected, Visitor,
     };
-    use serde_core::__private::size_hint;
-    pub use serde_core::__private::Content;
+    use crate::serde_core_private::size_hint;
+    pub use crate::serde_core_private::Content;
 
     pub fn content_as_str<'a, 'de>(content: &'a Content<'de>) -> Option<&'a str> {
         match *content {
diff --git a/serde/src/private/mod.rs b/serde/src/private/mod.rs
index 0098f16b..20bfa4eb 100644
--- a/serde/src/private/mod.rs
+++ b/serde/src/private/mod.rs
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ pub use crate::lib::option::Option::{self, None, Some};
 pub use crate::lib::ptr;
 pub use crate::lib::result::Result::{self, Err, Ok};
 
-pub use serde_core::__private::string::from_utf8_lossy;
+pub use crate::serde_core_private::string::from_utf8_lossy;
 
 #[cfg(any(feature = "alloc", feature = "std"))]
 pub use crate::lib::{ToString, Vec};
diff --git a/serde_core/build.rs b/serde_core/build.rs
index fe9fd15c..0f0c88e8 100644
--- a/serde_core/build.rs
+++ b/serde_core/build.rs
@@ -1,13 +1,28 @@
 use std::env;
+use std::fs;
+use std::path::PathBuf;
 use std::process::Command;
 use std::str;
 
+const PRIVATE: &str = "\
+#[doc(hidden)]
+pub mod __private$$ {
+    #[doc(hidden)]
+    pub use crate::private::*;
+}
+";
+
 // The rustc-cfg strings below are *not* public API. Please let us know by
 // opening a GitHub issue if your build environment requires some way to enable
 // these cfgs other than by executing our build script.
 fn main() {
     println!("cargo:rerun-if-changed=build.rs");
 
+    let out_dir = PathBuf::from(env::var_os("OUT_DIR").unwrap());
+    let patch_version = env::var("CARGO_PKG_VERSION_PATCH").unwrap();
+    let module = PRIVATE.replace("$$", &patch_version);
+    fs::write(out_dir.join("private.rs"), module).unwrap();
+
     let minor = match rustc_minor_version() {
         Some(minor) => minor,
         None => return,
diff --git a/serde_core/src/lib.rs b/serde_core/src/lib.rs
index aefc808c..a3b022aa 100644
--- a/serde_core/src/lib.rs
+++ b/serde_core/src/lib.rs
@@ -252,9 +252,18 @@ pub use crate::ser::{Serialize, Serializer};
 
 // Used by generated code. Not public API.
 #[doc(hidden)]
-#[path = "private/mod.rs"]
-pub mod __private;
-use self::__private as private;
+mod private;
+
+// Used by declarative macro generated code. Not public API.
+#[doc(hidden)]
+pub mod __private {
+    #[doc(hidden)]
+    pub use crate::private::doc;
+    #[doc(hidden)]
+    pub use core::result::Result;
+}
+
+include!(concat!(env!("OUT_DIR"), "/private.rs"));
 
 #[cfg(all(not(feature = "std"), no_core_error))]
 mod std_error;
diff --git a/serde_derive/src/lib.rs b/serde_derive/src/lib.rs
index 69f1f43d..b0e1ad2f 100644
--- a/serde_derive/src/lib.rs
+++ b/serde_derive/src/lib.rs
@@ -96,7 +96,10 @@ struct private;
 
 impl private {
     fn ident(&self) -> Ident {
-        Ident::new("__private", Span::call_site())
+        Ident::new(
+            concat!("__private", env!("CARGO_PKG_VERSION_PATCH")),
+            Span::call_site(),
+        )
     }
 }