diff --git a/src/bootstrap/cache.rs b/src/bootstrap/cache.rs
index cc84bf074571a..c27493158826c 100644
--- a/src/bootstrap/cache.rs
+++ b/src/bootstrap/cache.rs
@@ -8,9 +8,6 @@
 // option. This file may not be copied, modified, or distributed
 // except according to those terms.
 
-use serde::Deserialize;
-use serde::de::{self, Deserializer, Visitor};
-
 use std::any::{Any, TypeId};
 use std::borrow::Borrow;
 use std::cell::RefCell;
@@ -29,29 +26,6 @@ use builder::Step;
 
 pub struct Interned<T>(usize, PhantomData<*const T>);
 
-impl<'de> Deserialize<'de> for Interned<String> {
-    fn deserialize<D>(deserializer: D) -> Result<Self, D::Error>
-        where D: Deserializer<'de>
-    {
-        struct StrVisitor;
-
-        impl<'de> Visitor<'de> for StrVisitor {
-            type Value = &'de str;
-
-            fn expecting(&self, formatter: &mut fmt::Formatter) -> fmt::Result {
-                formatter.write_str("a str")
-            }
-
-            fn visit_borrowed_str<E>(self, value: &'de str) -> Result<&'de str, E>
-                where E: de::Error
-            {
-                Ok(value)
-            }
-        }
-
-        Ok(INTERNER.intern_str(deserializer.deserialize_str(StrVisitor)?))
-    }
-}
 impl Default for Interned<String> {
     fn default() -> Self {
         INTERNER.intern_string(String::default())
diff --git a/src/bootstrap/metadata.rs b/src/bootstrap/metadata.rs
index 2b641cd8484bb..ad555be877ae4 100644
--- a/src/bootstrap/metadata.rs
+++ b/src/bootstrap/metadata.rs
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ use build_helper::output;
 use serde_json;
 
 use {Build, Crate};
-use cache::Interned;
+use cache::INTERNER;
 
 #[derive(Deserialize)]
 struct Output {
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ struct Output {
 #[derive(Deserialize)]
 struct Package {
     id: String,
-    name: Interned<String>,
+    name: String,
     version: String,
     source: Option<String>,
     manifest_path: String,
@@ -66,15 +66,16 @@ fn build_krate(build: &mut Build, krate: &str) {
     let mut id2name = HashMap::new();
     for package in output.packages {
         if package.source.is_none() {
-            id2name.insert(package.id, package.name);
+            let name = INTERNER.intern_string(package.name);
+            id2name.insert(package.id, name);
             let mut path = PathBuf::from(package.manifest_path);
             path.pop();
-            build.crates.insert(package.name, Crate {
-                build_step: format!("build-crate-{}", package.name),
-                doc_step: format!("doc-crate-{}", package.name),
-                test_step: format!("test-crate-{}", package.name),
-                bench_step: format!("bench-crate-{}", package.name),
-                name: package.name,
+            build.crates.insert(name, Crate {
+                build_step: format!("build-crate-{}", name),
+                doc_step: format!("doc-crate-{}", name),
+                test_step: format!("test-crate-{}", name),
+                bench_step: format!("bench-crate-{}", name),
+                name: name,
                 version: package.version,
                 deps: Vec::new(),
                 path: path,