diff --git a/lib/active_model/serializer.rb b/lib/active_model/serializer.rb
index 7badb04a6..5d5af059f 100644
--- a/lib/active_model/serializer.rb
+++ b/lib/active_model/serializer.rb
@@ -6,10 +6,11 @@ class Serializer
     autoload :Configuration
     autoload :ArraySerializer
     autoload :Adapter
+    autoload :AttributeMethods
     include Configuration
+    include Serializer::AttributeMethods
 
     class << self
-      attr_accessor :_attributes
       attr_accessor :_associations
       attr_accessor :_urls
       attr_accessor :_cache
@@ -18,27 +19,9 @@ class << self
     end
 
     def self.inherited(base)
-      base._attributes = []
       base._associations = {}
       base._urls = []
-    end
-
-    def self.attributes(*attrs)
-      @_attributes.concat attrs
-
-      attrs.each do |attr|
-        define_method attr do
-          object && object.read_attribute_for_serialization(attr)
-        end unless method_defined?(attr)
-      end
-    end
-
-    def self.attribute(attr, options = {})
-      key = options.fetch(:key, attr)
-      @_attributes.concat [key]
-      define_method key do
-        object.read_attribute_for_serialization(attr)
-      end unless method_defined?(key)
+      super
     end
 
     # Enables a serializer to be automatically cached
diff --git a/lib/active_model/serializer/attribute_methods.rb b/lib/active_model/serializer/attribute_methods.rb
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..f2299203e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/active_model/serializer/attribute_methods.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,86 @@
+module ActiveModel
+  class Serializer
+    module AttributeMethods
+      extend ActiveSupport::Concern
+
+      class Cache
+        def initialize
+          @module = Module.new
+          @method_cache = ThreadSafe::Cache.new
+        end
+
+        def [](name)
+          @method_cache.compute_if_absent(name) do
+            safe_name = name.to_s.unpack('h*').first
+            temp_method = "__temp__#{safe_name}"
+            ActiveModel::Serializer::AttributeMethods::AttrNames.set_name_cache safe_name, name
+            @module.module_eval method_body(temp_method, safe_name), __FILE__, __LINE__
+            @module.instance_method temp_method
+          end
+        end
+
+        private
+
+        def method_body(method_name, const_name)
+          <<-EOMETHOD
+          def #{method_name}
+            name = ::ActiveModel::Serializer::AttributeMethods::AttrNames::ATTR_#{const_name}
+            object && object.read_attribute_for_serialization(name)
+          end
+          EOMETHOD
+        end
+      end
+
+      MethodCache = Cache.new
+
+      module AttrNames
+        def self.set_name_cache(name, value)
+          const_name = "ATTR_#{name}"
+          unless const_defined? const_name
+            const_set const_name, value.duplicable? ? value.dup.freeze : value
+          end
+        end
+      end
+
+      module ClassMethods
+        attr_accessor :_attributes
+
+        def inherited(base)
+          base._attributes = []
+        end
+
+        def attributes(*attrs)
+          @_attributes.concat attrs
+
+          attrs.each do |attr|
+            unless generated_attribute_methods.method_defined?(attr)
+              generated_attribute_methods.module_exec do
+                define_method(attr, MethodCache[attr])
+              end
+            end
+          end
+        end
+
+        def attribute(attr, options = {})
+          key = options.fetch(:key, attr)
+          @_attributes << key
+          unless generated_attribute_methods.method_defined?(key)
+            generated_attribute_methods.module_exec do
+              define_method(key, MethodCache[attr])
+            end
+          end
+        end
+
+        protected
+
+        private
+
+        def generated_attribute_methods #:nodoc:
+          @generated_attribute_methods ||= Module.new {
+            extend Mutex_m
+          }.tap { |mod| include mod }
+        end
+      end
+    end
+  end
+end