diff --git a/serde/src/de/value.rs b/serde/src/de/value.rs
index d0a185da2..23758c0c5 100644
--- a/serde/src/de/value.rs
+++ b/serde/src/de/value.rs
@@ -665,6 +665,51 @@ where
 
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 
+/// A deserializer holding a `&[u8]`.
+#[derive(Debug)]
+pub struct BytesDeserializer<'a, E> {
+    value: &'a [u8],
+    marker: PhantomData<E>,
+}
+
+impl_copy_clone!(BytesDeserializer<'de>);
+
+impl<'de, 'a, E> IntoDeserializer<'de, E> for &'a [u8]
+where
+    E: de::Error,
+{
+    type Deserializer = BytesDeserializer<'a, E>;
+
+    fn into_deserializer(self) -> BytesDeserializer<'a, E> {
+        BytesDeserializer {
+            value: self,
+            marker: PhantomData,
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+impl<'de, 'a, E> de::Deserializer<'de> for BytesDeserializer<'a, E>
+where
+    E: de::Error,
+{
+    type Error = E;
+
+    fn deserialize_any<V>(self, visitor: V) -> Result<V::Value, Self::Error>
+    where
+        V: de::Visitor<'de>,
+    {
+        visitor.visit_bytes(self.value)
+    }
+
+    forward_to_deserialize_any! {
+        bool i8 i16 i32 i64 i128 u8 u16 u32 u64 u128 f32 f64 char str
+        string bytes byte_buf option unit unit_struct newtype_struct seq
+        tuple tuple_struct map struct enum identifier ignored_any
+    }
+}
+
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+
 /// A deserializer holding a `&[u8]` with a lifetime tied to another
 /// deserializer.
 #[derive(Debug)]
@@ -707,6 +752,65 @@ where
 
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 
+/// A deserializer holding a `Cow<[u8]>`.
+#[cfg(any(feature = "std", feature = "alloc"))]
+#[derive(Debug)]
+pub struct CowBytesDeserializer<'a, E> {
+    value: Cow<'a, [u8]>,
+    marker: PhantomData<E>,
+}
+
+#[cfg(any(feature = "std", feature = "alloc"))]
+impl<'a, E> Clone for CowBytesDeserializer<'a, E> {
+    fn clone(&self) -> Self {
+        CowBytesDeserializer {
+            value: self.value.clone(),
+            marker: PhantomData,
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+#[cfg(any(feature = "std", feature = "alloc"))]
+impl<'de, 'a, E> IntoDeserializer<'de, E> for Cow<'a, [u8]>
+where
+    E: de::Error,
+{
+    type Deserializer = CowBytesDeserializer<'a, E>;
+
+    fn into_deserializer(self) -> CowBytesDeserializer<'a, E> {
+        CowBytesDeserializer {
+            value: self,
+            marker: PhantomData,
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+#[cfg(any(feature = "std", feature = "alloc"))]
+impl<'de, 'a, E> de::Deserializer<'de> for CowBytesDeserializer<'a, E>
+where
+    E: de::Error,
+{
+    type Error = E;
+
+    fn deserialize_any<V>(self, visitor: V) -> Result<V::Value, Self::Error>
+    where
+        V: de::Visitor<'de>,
+    {
+        match self.value {
+            Cow::Borrowed(bytes) => visitor.visit_bytes(bytes),
+            Cow::Owned(bytes) => visitor.visit_byte_buf(bytes),
+        }
+    }
+
+    forward_to_deserialize_any! {
+        bool i8 i16 i32 i64 i128 u8 u16 u32 u64 u128 f32 f64 char str string
+        bytes byte_buf option unit unit_struct newtype_struct seq tuple
+        tuple_struct map struct identifier ignored_any enum
+    }
+}
+
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+
 /// A deserializer that iterates over a sequence.
 #[derive(Clone, Debug)]
 pub struct SeqDeserializer<I, E> {
diff --git a/serde/src/private/de.rs b/serde/src/private/de.rs
index bcb964a9c..a9e7cfe50 100644
--- a/serde/src/private/de.rs
+++ b/serde/src/private/de.rs
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 use lib::*;
 
 use de::{Deserialize, DeserializeSeed, Deserializer, Error, IntoDeserializer, Visitor};
+use de::value::BytesDeserializer;
 
 #[cfg(any(feature = "std", feature = "alloc"))]
 use de::{MapAccess, Unexpected};
@@ -2592,11 +2593,6 @@ where
     }
 }
 
-pub struct BytesDeserializer<'a, E> {
-    value: &'a [u8],
-    marker: PhantomData<E>,
-}
-
 impl<'a, E> IdentifierDeserializer<'a, E> for &'a [u8]
 where
     E: Error,
@@ -2604,30 +2600,7 @@ where
     type Deserializer = BytesDeserializer<'a, E>;
 
     fn from(self) -> Self::Deserializer {
-        BytesDeserializer {
-            value: self,
-            marker: PhantomData,
-        }
-    }
-}
-
-impl<'de, 'a, E> Deserializer<'de> for BytesDeserializer<'a, E>
-where
-    E: Error,
-{
-    type Error = E;
-
-    fn deserialize_any<V>(self, visitor: V) -> Result<V::Value, Self::Error>
-    where
-        V: Visitor<'de>,
-    {
-        visitor.visit_bytes(self.value)
-    }
-
-    forward_to_deserialize_any! {
-        bool i8 i16 i32 i64 i128 u8 u16 u32 u64 u128 f32 f64 char str string
-        bytes byte_buf option unit unit_struct newtype_struct seq tuple
-        tuple_struct map struct enum identifier ignored_any
+        self.into_deserializer()
     }
 }