diff --git a/lib/active_resource.rb b/lib/active_resource.rb
index 8e4f34ecf4..be59253ce8 100644
--- a/lib/active_resource.rb
+++ b/lib/active_resource.rb
@@ -37,11 +37,13 @@ module ActiveResource
 
   autoload :Base
   autoload :Callbacks
+  autoload :Coder
   autoload :Connection
   autoload :CustomMethods
   autoload :Formats
   autoload :HttpMock
   autoload :Schema
+  autoload :Serialization
   autoload :Singleton
   autoload :InheritingHash
   autoload :Validations
diff --git a/lib/active_resource/base.rb b/lib/active_resource/base.rb
index 29376f081d..688f2bd6af 100644
--- a/lib/active_resource/base.rb
+++ b/lib/active_resource/base.rb
@@ -1721,7 +1721,7 @@ class Base
     extend ActiveModel::Naming
     extend ActiveResource::Associations
 
-    include Callbacks, CustomMethods, Validations
+    include Callbacks, CustomMethods, Validations, Serialization
     include ActiveModel::Conversion
     include ActiveModel::Serializers::JSON
     include ActiveModel::Serializers::Xml
diff --git a/lib/active_resource/coder.rb b/lib/active_resource/coder.rb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..565f506abd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/active_resource/coder.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,80 @@
+# frozen_string_literal: true
+
+module ActiveResource
+  # Integrates with Active Record's
+  # {serialize}[link:https://api.rubyonrails.org/classes/ActiveRecord/AttributeMethods/Serialization/ClassMethods.html#method-i-serialize]
+  # method as the <tt>:coder</tt> option.
+  #
+  # Encodes Active Resource instances into a value to be stored in the
+  # database. Decodes values read from the database into Active Resource
+  # instances.
+  #
+  #   class User < ActiveRecord::Base
+  #     serialize :person, coder: ActiveResource::Coder.new(Person)
+  #   end
+  #
+  #   class Person < ActiveResource::Base
+  #     schema do
+  #       attribute :name, :string
+  #     end
+  #   end
+  #
+  #   user = User.new
+  #   user.person = Person.new name: "Matz"
+  #   user.person.name # => "Matz"
+  #
+  # Values are loaded as persisted when decoded from data containing a
+  # primary key value, and new records when missing a primary key value:
+  #
+  #   user.person = Person.new
+  #   user.person.persisted? # => true
+  #
+  #   user.person = Person.find(1)
+  #   user.person.persisted? # => true
+  #
+  # By default, <tt>#dump</tt> serializes the instance to a string value by
+  # calling Base#encode:
+  #
+  #   user.person_before_type_cast # => "{\"name\":\"Matz\"}"
+  #
+  # To customize serialization, pass the method name or a block as the second
+  # argument:
+  #
+  #   person = Person.new name: "Matz"
+  #
+  #   coder = ActiveResource::Coder.new(Person, :serializable_hash)
+  #   coder.dump(person) # => {"name"=>"Matz"}
+  #
+  #   coder = ActiveResource::Coder.new(Person) { |person| person.serializable_hash }
+  #   coder.dump(person) # => {"name"=>"Matz"}
+  class Coder
+    attr_accessor :resource_class, :encoder
+
+    def initialize(resource_class, encoder_method = :encode, &block)
+      @resource_class = resource_class
+      @encoder = block || encoder_method
+    end
+
+    # Serializes a resource value to a value that will be stored in the database.
+    # Returns nil when passed nil
+    def dump(value)
+      return if value.nil?
+      raise ArgumentError, "expected value to be #{resource_class}, but was #{value.class}" unless value.is_a?(resource_class)
+
+      value.yield_self(&encoder)
+    end
+
+    # Deserializes a value from the database to a resource instance.
+    # Returns nil when passed nil
+    def load(value)
+      return if value.nil?
+
+      if value.is_a?(String)
+        load(resource_class.format.decode(value))
+      else
+        persisted = value[resource_class.primary_key.to_s]
+        resource_class.new(value, persisted)
+      end
+    end
+  end
+end
diff --git a/lib/active_resource/serialization.rb b/lib/active_resource/serialization.rb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..0f2dd46353
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/active_resource/serialization.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,81 @@
+# frozen_string_literal: true
+
+module ActiveResource
+  # Compatibilitiy with Active Record's
+  # {serialize}[link:https://api.rubyonrails.org/classes/ActiveRecord/AttributeMethods/Serialization/ClassMethods.html#method-i-serialize]
+  # method as the <tt>:coder</tt> option.
+  #
+  # === Writing to String columns
+  #
+  # Encodes Active Resource instances into a string to be stored in the
+  # database. Decodes strings read from the database into Active Resource
+  # instances.
+  #
+  #   class User < ActiveRecord::Base
+  #     serialize :person, coder: Person
+  #   end
+  #
+  #   class Person < ActiveResource::Base
+  #     schema do
+  #       attribute :name, :string
+  #     end
+  #   end
+  #
+  #   user = User.new
+  #   user.person = Person.new name: "Matz"
+  #
+  # Writing string values incorporates the Base.format:
+  #
+  #   Person.format = :json
+  #
+  #   user.person = Person.new name: "Matz"
+  #   user.person_before_type_cast # => "{\"name\":\"Matz\"}"
+  #
+  #   Person.format = :xml
+  #
+  #   user.person = Person.new name: "Matz"
+  #   user.person_before_type_cast # => "<?xml version=\"1.0\" encoding=\"UTF-8\"?><person><name>Matz</name></person>"
+  #
+  # Instances are loaded as persisted when decoded from data containing a
+  # primary key value, and new records when missing a primary key value:
+  #
+  #   user.person = Person.new
+  #   user.person.persisted? # => false
+  #
+  #   user.person = Person.find(1)
+  #   user.person.persisted? # => true
+  #
+  # === Writing to JSON and JSONB columns
+  #
+  #   class User < ActiveRecord::Base
+  #     serialize :person, coder: ActiveResource::Coder.new(Person, :serializable_hash)
+  #   end
+  #
+  #   class Person < ActiveResource::Base
+  #     schema do
+  #       attribute :name, :string
+  #     end
+  #   end
+  #
+  #   user = User.new
+  #   user.person = Person.new name: "Matz"
+  #   user.person.name # => "Matz"
+  #
+  #   user.person_before_type_cast # => {"name"=>"Matz"}
+  module Serialization
+    extend ActiveSupport::Concern
+
+    included do
+      class_attribute :coder, instance_accessor: false, instance_predicate: false
+    end
+
+    module ClassMethods
+      delegate :dump, :load, to: :coder
+
+      def inherited(subclass) # :nodoc:
+        super
+        subclass.coder = Coder.new(subclass)
+      end
+    end
+  end
+end
diff --git a/test/cases/base/serialization_test.rb b/test/cases/base/serialization_test.rb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..126712bb99
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/cases/base/serialization_test.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,154 @@
+# frozen_string_literal: true
+
+require "abstract_unit"
+require "fixtures/person"
+
+class SerializationTest < ActiveSupport::TestCase
+  setup do
+    @matz = { id: 1, name: "Matz" }
+  end
+
+  test ".load delegates to the .coder" do
+    resource = Person.new(@matz)
+
+    encoded = Person.load(resource.encode)
+
+    assert_equal resource, encoded
+  end
+
+  test ".dump delegates to the default .coder" do
+    resource = Person.new(@matz)
+
+    encoded = Person.dump(resource)
+
+    assert_equal resource.encode, encoded
+  end
+
+  test ".dump delegates to a configured .coder method name" do
+    Person.coder = ActiveResource::Coder.new(Person, :serializable_hash)
+    resource = Person.new(@matz)
+
+    encoded = Person.dump(resource)
+
+    assert_equal resource.serializable_hash, encoded
+  ensure
+    Person.coder = ActiveResource::Coder.new(Person)
+  end
+
+  test ".dump delegates to a configured .coder callable" do
+    Person.coder = ActiveResource::Coder.new(Person) { |value| value.serializable_hash }
+    resource = Person.new(@matz)
+
+    encoded = Person.dump(resource)
+
+    assert_equal resource.serializable_hash, encoded
+  ensure
+    Person.coder = ActiveResource::Coder.new(Person)
+  end
+
+  test "#load returns nil when the encoded value is nil" do
+    assert_nil Person.coder.load(nil)
+  end
+
+  test "#load decodes a String into an instance" do
+    resource = Person.new(@matz)
+
+    decoded = Person.coder.load(resource.encode)
+
+    assert_equal resource, decoded
+  end
+
+  test "#load decodes a Hash into an instance" do
+    resource = Person.new(@matz)
+
+    decoded = Person.coder.load(resource.serializable_hash)
+
+    assert_equal resource, decoded
+  end
+
+  test "#load builds the instance as persisted when the default primary key is present" do
+    resource = Person.new(@matz)
+
+    decoded = Person.coder.load(resource.encode)
+
+    assert_predicate decoded, :persisted?
+    assert_not_predicate decoded, :new_record?
+  end
+
+  test "#load builds the instance as persisted when the configured primary key is present" do
+    Person.primary_key = "pk"
+    resource = Person.new(@matz.merge!(pk: @matz.delete(:id)))
+
+    decoded = Person.coder.load(resource.encode)
+
+    assert_predicate decoded, :persisted?
+    assert_not_predicate decoded, :new_record?
+  ensure
+    Person.primary_key = "id"
+  end
+
+  test "#load builds the instance as a new record when the default primary key is absent" do
+    resource = Person.new(@matz)
+    resource.id = nil
+
+    decoded = Person.coder.load(resource.encode)
+
+    assert_not_predicate decoded, :persisted?
+    assert_predicate decoded, :new_record?
+  end
+
+  test "#load builds the instance as a new record when the configured primary key is absent" do
+    Person.primary_key = "pk"
+    resource = Person.new(@matz)
+    resource.id = nil
+
+    decoded = Person.coder.load(resource.encode)
+
+    assert_not_predicate decoded, :persisted?
+    assert_predicate decoded, :new_record?
+
+    Person.primary_key = "id"
+  end
+
+  test "#dump encodes resources" do
+    resource = Person.new(@matz)
+
+    encoded = Person.coder.dump(resource)
+
+    assert_equal resource.encode, encoded
+  end
+
+  test "#dump raises an ArgumentError is passed anything but an ActiveResource::Base" do
+    assert_raises ArgumentError, match: "expected value to be Person, but was Integer" do
+      Person.coder.dump(1)
+    end
+  end
+
+  test "#dump returns nil when the resource is nil" do
+    assert_nil Person.coder.dump(nil)
+  end
+
+  test "#dump with an encoder method name returns nil when the resource is nil" do
+    coder = ActiveResource::Coder.new(Person, :serializable_hash)
+
+    assert_nil coder.dump(nil)
+  end
+
+  test "#dump with an encoder method name encodes resources" do
+    coder = ActiveResource::Coder.new(Person, :serializable_hash)
+    resource = Person.new(@matz)
+
+    encoded = coder.dump(resource)
+
+    assert_equal resource.serializable_hash, encoded
+  end
+
+  test "#dump with an encoder block encodes resources" do
+    coder = ActiveResource::Coder.new(Person) { |value| value.serializable_hash }
+    resource = Person.new(@matz)
+
+    encoded = coder.dump(resource)
+
+    assert_equal resource.serializable_hash, encoded
+  end
+end