diff --git a/src/librustc_ast/ast.rs b/src/librustc_ast/ast.rs
index 518e906f6ea30..14181e440e96a 100644
--- a/src/librustc_ast/ast.rs
+++ b/src/librustc_ast/ast.rs
@@ -2211,14 +2211,14 @@ rustc_index::newtype_index! {
 }
 
 impl rustc_serialize::Encodable for AttrId {
-    fn encode<S: Encoder>(&self, _: &mut S) -> Result<(), S::Error> {
-        Ok(())
+    fn encode<S: Encoder>(&self, s: &mut S) -> Result<(), S::Error> {
+        s.emit_unit()
     }
 }
 
 impl rustc_serialize::Decodable for AttrId {
-    fn decode<D: Decoder>(_: &mut D) -> Result<AttrId, D::Error> {
-        Ok(crate::attr::mk_attr_id())
+    fn decode<D: Decoder>(d: &mut D) -> Result<AttrId, D::Error> {
+        d.read_nil().map(|_| crate::attr::mk_attr_id())
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/src/test/ui/ast-json/ast-json-noexpand-output.rs b/src/test/ui/ast-json/ast-json-noexpand-output.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..cba539f006539
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/test/ui/ast-json/ast-json-noexpand-output.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+// Check that AST json printing works.
+#![crate_type = "lib"]
+
+// check-pass
+// compile-flags: -Zast-json-noexpand
+// normalize-stdout-test ":\d+" -> ":0"
+
+// Only include a single item to reduce how often the test output needs
+// updating.
+extern crate core;
diff --git a/src/test/ui/ast-json/ast-json-noexpand-output.stdout b/src/test/ui/ast-json/ast-json-noexpand-output.stdout
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..1a07968bdf162
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/test/ui/ast-json/ast-json-noexpand-output.stdout
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+{"module":{"inner":{"lo":0,"hi":0},"items":[{"attrs":[],"id":0,"span":{"lo":0,"hi":0},"vis":{"node":"Inherited","span":{"lo":0,"hi":0}},"ident":{"name":"core","span":{"lo":0,"hi":0}},"kind":{"variant":"ExternCrate","fields":[null]},"tokens":{"_field0":[[{"variant":"Token","fields":[{"kind":{"variant":"Ident","fields":["extern",false]},"span":{"lo":0,"hi":0}}]},"NonJoint"],[{"variant":"Token","fields":[{"kind":{"variant":"Ident","fields":["crate",false]},"span":{"lo":0,"hi":0}}]},"NonJoint"],[{"variant":"Token","fields":[{"kind":{"variant":"Ident","fields":["core",false]},"span":{"lo":0,"hi":0}}]},"NonJoint"],[{"variant":"Token","fields":[{"kind":"Semi","span":{"lo":0,"hi":0}}]},"NonJoint"]]}}],"inline":true},"attrs":[{"kind":{"variant":"Normal","fields":[{"path":{"span":{"lo":0,"hi":0},"segments":[{"ident":{"name":"crate_type","span":{"lo":0,"hi":0}},"id":0,"args":null}]},"args":{"variant":"Eq","fields":[{"lo":0,"hi":0},{"_field0":[[{"variant":"Token","fields":[{"kind":{"variant":"Literal","fields":[{"kind":"Str","symbol":"lib","suffix":null}]},"span":{"lo":0,"hi":0}}]},"NonJoint"]]}]}}]},"id":null,"style":"Inner","span":{"lo":0,"hi":0}}],"span":{"lo":0,"hi":0},"proc_macros":[]}
diff --git a/src/test/ui/ast-json/ast-json-output.rs b/src/test/ui/ast-json/ast-json-output.rs
index e444a07460248..2e009149ed68d 100644
--- a/src/test/ui/ast-json/ast-json-output.rs
+++ b/src/test/ui/ast-json/ast-json-output.rs
@@ -1,7 +1,8 @@
 // Check that AST json printing works.
+#![crate_type = "lib"]
 
 // check-pass
-// compile-flags: -Zast-json-noexpand
+// compile-flags: -Zast-json
 // normalize-stdout-test ":\d+" -> ":0"
 
 // Only include a single item to reduce how often the test output needs
diff --git a/src/test/ui/ast-json/ast-json-output.stdout b/src/test/ui/ast-json/ast-json-output.stdout
index 35e418696f17c..0b3704e8e0045 100644
--- a/src/test/ui/ast-json/ast-json-output.stdout
+++ b/src/test/ui/ast-json/ast-json-output.stdout
@@ -1 +1 @@
-{"module":{"inner":{"lo":0,"hi":0},"items":[{"attrs":[],"id":0,"span":{"lo":0,"hi":0},"vis":{"node":"Inherited","span":{"lo":0,"hi":0}},"ident":{"name":"core","span":{"lo":0,"hi":0}},"kind":{"variant":"ExternCrate","fields":[null]},"tokens":{"_field0":[[{"variant":"Token","fields":[{"kind":{"variant":"Ident","fields":["extern",false]},"span":{"lo":0,"hi":0}}]},"NonJoint"],[{"variant":"Token","fields":[{"kind":{"variant":"Ident","fields":["crate",false]},"span":{"lo":0,"hi":0}}]},"NonJoint"],[{"variant":"Token","fields":[{"kind":{"variant":"Ident","fields":["core",false]},"span":{"lo":0,"hi":0}}]},"NonJoint"],[{"variant":"Token","fields":[{"kind":"Semi","span":{"lo":0,"hi":0}}]},"NonJoint"]]}}],"inline":true},"attrs":[],"span":{"lo":0,"hi":0},"proc_macros":[]}
+{"module":{"inner":{"lo":0,"hi":0},"items":[{"attrs":[{"kind":{"variant":"Normal","fields":[{"path":{"span":{"lo":0,"hi":0},"segments":[{"ident":{"name":"prelude_import","span":{"lo":0,"hi":0}},"id":0,"args":null}]},"args":"Empty"}]},"id":null,"style":"Outer","span":{"lo":0,"hi":0}}],"id":0,"span":{"lo":0,"hi":0},"vis":{"node":"Inherited","span":{"lo":0,"hi":0}},"ident":{"name":"","span":{"lo":0,"hi":0}},"kind":{"variant":"Use","fields":[{"prefix":{"span":{"lo":0,"hi":0},"segments":[{"ident":{"name":"{{root}}","span":{"lo":0,"hi":0}},"id":0,"args":null},{"ident":{"name":"std","span":{"lo":0,"hi":0}},"id":0,"args":null},{"ident":{"name":"prelude","span":{"lo":0,"hi":0}},"id":0,"args":null},{"ident":{"name":"v1","span":{"lo":0,"hi":0}},"id":0,"args":null}]},"kind":"Glob","span":{"lo":0,"hi":0}}]},"tokens":null},{"attrs":[{"kind":{"variant":"Normal","fields":[{"path":{"span":{"lo":0,"hi":0},"segments":[{"ident":{"name":"macro_use","span":{"lo":0,"hi":0}},"id":0,"args":null}]},"args":"Empty"}]},"id":null,"style":"Outer","span":{"lo":0,"hi":0}}],"id":0,"span":{"lo":0,"hi":0},"vis":{"node":"Inherited","span":{"lo":0,"hi":0}},"ident":{"name":"std","span":{"lo":0,"hi":0}},"kind":{"variant":"ExternCrate","fields":[null]},"tokens":null},{"attrs":[],"id":0,"span":{"lo":0,"hi":0},"vis":{"node":"Inherited","span":{"lo":0,"hi":0}},"ident":{"name":"core","span":{"lo":0,"hi":0}},"kind":{"variant":"ExternCrate","fields":[null]},"tokens":{"_field0":[[{"variant":"Token","fields":[{"kind":{"variant":"Ident","fields":["extern",false]},"span":{"lo":0,"hi":0}}]},"NonJoint"],[{"variant":"Token","fields":[{"kind":{"variant":"Ident","fields":["crate",false]},"span":{"lo":0,"hi":0}}]},"NonJoint"],[{"variant":"Token","fields":[{"kind":{"variant":"Ident","fields":["core",false]},"span":{"lo":0,"hi":0}}]},"NonJoint"],[{"variant":"Token","fields":[{"kind":"Semi","span":{"lo":0,"hi":0}}]},"NonJoint"]]}}],"inline":true},"attrs":[{"kind":{"variant":"Normal","fields":[{"path":{"span":{"lo":0,"hi":0},"segments":[{"ident":{"name":"crate_type","span":{"lo":0,"hi":0}},"id":0,"args":null}]},"args":{"variant":"Eq","fields":[{"lo":0,"hi":0},{"_field0":[[{"variant":"Token","fields":[{"kind":{"variant":"Literal","fields":[{"kind":"Str","symbol":"lib","suffix":null}]},"span":{"lo":0,"hi":0}}]},"NonJoint"]]}]}}]},"id":null,"style":"Inner","span":{"lo":0,"hi":0}}],"span":{"lo":0,"hi":0},"proc_macros":[]}