diff --git a/baby-bear/Cargo.toml b/baby-bear/Cargo.toml
index b9b665fa..658b4889 100644
--- a/baby-bear/Cargo.toml
+++ b/baby-bear/Cargo.toml
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ serde = { version = "1.0", default-features = false, features = ["derive"] }
 p3-field-testing = { path = "../field-testing" }
 criterion = "0.5.1"
 rand_chacha = "0.3.1"
+serde_json = "1.0.113"
 
 [[bench]]
 name = "inverse"
diff --git a/baby-bear/src/baby_bear.rs b/baby-bear/src/baby_bear.rs
index 9b9e71ed..0e73288f 100644
--- a/baby-bear/src/baby_bear.rs
+++ b/baby-bear/src/baby_bear.rs
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ use p3_field::{
 };
 use rand::distributions::{Distribution, Standard};
 use rand::Rng;
-use serde::{Deserialize, Serialize};
+use serde::{Deserialize, Deserializer, Serialize};
 
 /// The Baby Bear prime
 const P: u32 = 0x78000001;
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ const MONTY_MU: u32 = if cfg!(all(target_arch = "aarch64", target_feature = "neo
 const MONTY_MASK: u32 = ((1u64 << MONTY_BITS) - 1) as u32;
 
 /// The prime field `2^31 - 2^27 + 1`, a.k.a. the Baby Bear field.
-#[derive(Copy, Clone, Default, Eq, Hash, PartialEq, Serialize, Deserialize)]
+#[derive(Copy, Clone, Default, Eq, Hash, PartialEq)]
 #[repr(transparent)] // `PackedBabyBearNeon` relies on this!
 pub struct BabyBear {
     // This is `pub(crate)` just for tests. If you're accessing `value` outside of those, you're
@@ -89,6 +89,19 @@ impl Distribution<BabyBear> for Standard {
     }
 }
 
+impl Serialize for BabyBear {
+    fn serialize<S: serde::Serializer>(&self, serializer: S) -> Result<S::Ok, S::Error> {
+        serializer.serialize_u32(self.as_canonical_u32())
+    }
+}
+
+impl<'de> Deserialize<'de> for BabyBear {
+    fn deserialize<D: Deserializer<'de>>(d: D) -> Result<Self, D::Error> {
+        let val = u32::deserialize(d)?;
+        Ok(BabyBear::from_canonical_u32(val))
+    }
+}
+
 const MONTY_ZERO: u32 = to_monty(0);
 const MONTY_ONE: u32 = to_monty(1);
 const MONTY_TWO: u32 = to_monty(2);
@@ -493,6 +506,37 @@ mod tests {
         assert_eq!(m1.exp_u64(1725656503).exp_const_u64::<7>(), m1);
         assert_eq!(m2.exp_u64(1725656503).exp_const_u64::<7>(), m2);
         assert_eq!(f_2.exp_u64(1725656503).exp_const_u64::<7>(), f_2);
+
+        let f_serialized = serde_json::to_string(&f).unwrap();
+        let f_deserialized: F = serde_json::from_str(&f_serialized).unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(f, f_deserialized);
+
+        let f_1_serialized = serde_json::to_string(&f_1).unwrap();
+        let f_1_deserialized: F = serde_json::from_str(&f_1_serialized).unwrap();
+        let f_1_serialized_again = serde_json::to_string(&f_1_deserialized).unwrap();
+        let f_1_deserialized_again: F = serde_json::from_str(&f_1_serialized_again).unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(f_1, f_1_deserialized);
+        assert_eq!(f_1, f_1_deserialized_again);
+
+        let f_2_serialized = serde_json::to_string(&f_2).unwrap();
+        let f_2_deserialized: F = serde_json::from_str(&f_2_serialized).unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(f_2, f_2_deserialized);
+
+        let f_p_minus_1_serialized = serde_json::to_string(&f_p_minus_1).unwrap();
+        let f_p_minus_1_deserialized: F = serde_json::from_str(&f_p_minus_1_serialized).unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(f_p_minus_1, f_p_minus_1_deserialized);
+
+        let f_p_minus_2_serialized = serde_json::to_string(&f_p_minus_2).unwrap();
+        let f_p_minus_2_deserialized: F = serde_json::from_str(&f_p_minus_2_serialized).unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(f_p_minus_2, f_p_minus_2_deserialized);
+
+        let m1_serialized = serde_json::to_string(&m1).unwrap();
+        let m1_deserialized: F = serde_json::from_str(&m1_serialized).unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(m1, m1_deserialized);
+
+        let m2_serialized = serde_json::to_string(&m2).unwrap();
+        let m2_deserialized: F = serde_json::from_str(&m2_serialized).unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(m2, m2_deserialized);
     }
 
     test_field!(crate::BabyBear);