diff --git a/.travis.yml b/.travis.yml
index b67e3bf..23b588e 100644
--- a/.travis.yml
+++ b/.travis.yml
@@ -24,4 +24,6 @@ install:
 script:
     - multirust default $CHANNEL
     - cargo build
+    - cargo build --no-default-features --features "rustc-serialize"
+    - cargo build --no-default-features --features "serde"
     - if [ $CHANNEL = 'nightly' ] ; then cargo test ; fi
diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index 87ad675..8851bda 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -11,10 +11,13 @@ license = "MIT"
 description = "A binary serialization / deserialization strategy and implementation."
 
 [dependencies]
-rustc-serialize = "0.3.*"
+rustc-serialize = { version = "0.3.*", optional = true }
 byteorder = "0.5.*"
 num = "0.1.*"
-serde = "0.7.*"
+serde = { version = "0.7.*", optional = true }
 
 [dev-dependencies]
 serde_macros = "0.7.*"
+
+[features]
+default = ["rustc-serialize", "serde"]
diff --git a/src/lib.rs b/src/lib.rs
index 4a0f78e..3285231 100644
--- a/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/lib.rs
@@ -37,16 +37,20 @@
 
 #![doc(html_logo_url = "./icon.png")]
 
+#[cfg(feature = "rustc-serialize")]
 extern crate rustc_serialize as rustc_serialize_crate;
 extern crate byteorder;
 extern crate num;
+#[cfg(feature = "serde")]
 extern crate serde as serde_crate;
 
 
 pub use refbox::{RefBox, StrBox, SliceBox};
 
 mod refbox;
+#[cfg(feature = "rustc-serialize")]
 pub mod rustc_serialize;
+#[cfg(feature = "serde")]
 pub mod serde;
 
 /// A limit on the amount of bytes that can be read or written.
diff --git a/src/refbox.rs b/src/refbox.rs
index b115357..c158b8d 100644
--- a/src/refbox.rs
+++ b/src/refbox.rs
@@ -1,8 +1,10 @@
 use std::boxed::Box;
 use std::ops::Deref;
 
+#[cfg(feature = "rustc-serialize")]
 use rustc_serialize_crate::{Encodable, Encoder, Decodable, Decoder};
 
+#[cfg(feature = "serde")]
 use serde_crate as serde;
 
 /// A struct for encoding nested reference types.
@@ -139,13 +141,14 @@ impl <T> RefBox<'static, T>  {
     }
 }
 
-
+#[cfg(feature = "rustc-serialize")]
 impl <'a, T: Encodable> Encodable for RefBox<'a, T> {
     fn encode<S: Encoder>(&self, s: &mut S) -> Result<(), S::Error> {
         self.inner.encode(s)
     }
 }
 
+#[cfg(feature = "rustc-serialize")]
 impl <T: Decodable> Decodable for RefBox<'static, T> {
     fn decode<D: Decoder>(d: &mut D) -> Result<RefBox<'static, T>, D::Error> {
         let inner = try!(Decodable::decode(d));
@@ -153,6 +156,7 @@ impl <T: Decodable> Decodable for RefBox<'static, T> {
     }
 }
 
+#[cfg(feature = "serde")]
 impl<'a, T> serde::Serialize for RefBox<'a, T>
     where T: serde::Serialize,
 {
@@ -163,6 +167,7 @@ impl<'a, T> serde::Serialize for RefBox<'a, T>
     }
 }
 
+#[cfg(feature = "serde")]
 impl<T: serde::Deserialize> serde::Deserialize for RefBox<'static, T> {
     fn deserialize<D>(deserializer: &mut D) -> Result<Self, D::Error>
         where D: serde::Deserializer
@@ -234,12 +239,14 @@ impl StrBox<'static>  {
     }
 }
 
+#[cfg(feature = "rustc-serialize")]
 impl <'a> Encodable for StrBox<'a> {
     fn encode<S: Encoder>(&self, s: &mut S) -> Result<(), S::Error> {
         self.inner.encode(s)
     }
 }
 
+#[cfg(feature = "rustc-serialize")]
 impl Decodable for StrBox<'static> {
     fn decode<D: Decoder>(d: &mut D) -> Result<StrBox<'static>, D::Error> {
         let inner: RefBoxInner<'static, str, String> = try!(Decodable::decode(d));
@@ -247,6 +254,7 @@ impl Decodable for StrBox<'static> {
     }
 }
 
+#[cfg(feature = "serde")]
 impl<'a> serde::Serialize for StrBox<'a> {
     fn serialize<S>(&self, serializer: &mut S) -> Result<(), S::Error>
         where S: serde::Serializer
@@ -255,6 +263,7 @@ impl<'a> serde::Serialize for StrBox<'a> {
     }
 }
 
+#[cfg(feature = "serde")]
 impl serde::Deserialize for StrBox<'static> {
     fn deserialize<D>(deserializer: &mut D) -> Result<Self, D::Error>
         where D: serde::Deserializer
@@ -321,12 +330,14 @@ impl <T> SliceBox<'static, T>  {
     }
 }
 
+#[cfg(feature = "rustc-serialize")]
 impl <'a, T: Encodable> Encodable for SliceBox<'a, T> {
     fn encode<S: Encoder>(&self, s: &mut S) -> Result<(), S::Error> {
         self.inner.encode(s)
     }
 }
 
+#[cfg(feature = "rustc-serialize")]
 impl <T: Decodable> Decodable for SliceBox<'static, T> {
     fn decode<D: Decoder>(d: &mut D) -> Result<SliceBox<'static, T>, D::Error> {
         let inner: RefBoxInner<'static, [T], Vec<T>> = try!(Decodable::decode(d));
@@ -334,6 +345,7 @@ impl <T: Decodable> Decodable for SliceBox<'static, T> {
     }
 }
 
+#[cfg(feature = "serde")]
 impl<'a, T> serde::Serialize for SliceBox<'a, T>
     where T: serde::Serialize,
 {
@@ -344,6 +356,7 @@ impl<'a, T> serde::Serialize for SliceBox<'a, T>
     }
 }
 
+#[cfg(feature = "serde")]
 impl<T: serde::Deserialize> serde::Deserialize for SliceBox<'static, T> {
     fn deserialize<D>(deserializer: &mut D) -> Result<Self, D::Error>
         where D: serde::Deserializer
@@ -353,6 +366,7 @@ impl<T: serde::Deserialize> serde::Deserialize for SliceBox<'static, T> {
     }
 }
 
+#[cfg(feature = "rustc-serialize")]
 impl <'a, A: Encodable + ?Sized, B: Encodable> Encodable for RefBoxInner<'a, A, B> {
     fn encode<S: Encoder>(&self, s: &mut S) -> Result<(), S::Error> {
         match self {
@@ -362,6 +376,7 @@ impl <'a, A: Encodable + ?Sized, B: Encodable> Encodable for RefBoxInner<'a, A,
     }
 }
 
+#[cfg(feature = "serde")]
 impl<'a, A: ?Sized, B> serde::Serialize for RefBoxInner<'a, A, B>
     where A: serde::Serialize,
           B: serde::Serialize,
@@ -376,7 +391,7 @@ impl<'a, A: ?Sized, B> serde::Serialize for RefBoxInner<'a, A, B>
     }
 }
 
-
+#[cfg(feature = "rustc-serialize")]
 impl <A: ?Sized, B: Decodable> Decodable for RefBoxInner<'static, A, B> {
     fn decode<D: Decoder>(d: &mut D) -> Result<RefBoxInner<'static, A, B>, D::Error> {
         let decoded = try!(Decodable::decode(d));
@@ -384,6 +399,7 @@ impl <A: ?Sized, B: Decodable> Decodable for RefBoxInner<'static, A, B> {
     }
 }
 
+#[cfg(feature = "serde")]
 impl<A: ?Sized, B> serde::Deserialize for RefBoxInner<'static, A, B>
     where B: serde::Deserialize,
 {