diff --git a/compiler/rustc_macros/src/serialize.rs b/compiler/rustc_macros/src/serialize.rs
index dbeb3c75504..72bd4804e98 100644
--- a/compiler/rustc_macros/src/serialize.rs
+++ b/compiler/rustc_macros/src/serialize.rs
@@ -203,7 +203,7 @@ fn encodable_body(
                                 #field_name,
                                 #field_idx,
                                 |__encoder|
-                                ::rustc_serialize::Encodable::encode(#bind_ident, __encoder),
+                                ::rustc_serialize::Encodable::<#encoder_ty>::encode(#bind_ident, __encoder),
                             ) {
                                 ::std::result::Result::Ok(()) => (),
                                 ::std::result::Result::Err(__err)
@@ -237,7 +237,7 @@ fn encodable_body(
                                 __encoder,
                                 #field_idx,
                                 |__encoder|
-                                ::rustc_serialize::Encodable::encode(#bind_ident, __encoder),
+                                ::rustc_serialize::Encodable::<#encoder_ty>::encode(#bind_ident, __encoder),
                             ) {
                                 ::std::result::Result::Ok(()) => (),
                                 ::std::result::Result::Err(__err)
diff --git a/compiler/rustc_middle/src/ty/query/on_disk_cache.rs b/compiler/rustc_middle/src/ty/query/on_disk_cache.rs
index 8a1165bbd64..4aa4ff72eb2 100644
--- a/compiler/rustc_middle/src/ty/query/on_disk_cache.rs
+++ b/compiler/rustc_middle/src/ty/query/on_disk_cache.rs
@@ -1149,6 +1149,16 @@ where
     }
 }
 
+// This ensures that the `Encodable<opaque::Encoder>::encode` specialization for byte slices
+// is used when a `CacheEncoder` having an `opaque::Encoder` is passed to `Encodable::encode`.
+// Unfortunately, we have to manually opt into specializations this way, given how `CacheEncoder`
+// and the encoding traits currently work.
+impl<'a, 'tcx> Encodable<CacheEncoder<'a, 'tcx, opaque::Encoder>> for [u8] {
+    fn encode(&self, e: &mut CacheEncoder<'a, 'tcx, opaque::Encoder>) -> opaque::EncodeResult {
+        self.encode(e.encoder)
+    }
+}
+
 // An integer that will always encode to 8 bytes.
 struct IntEncodedWithFixedSize(u64);
 
diff --git a/compiler/rustc_serialize/src/collection_impls.rs b/compiler/rustc_serialize/src/collection_impls.rs
index 3d274cb0150..57082da29f2 100644
--- a/compiler/rustc_serialize/src/collection_impls.rs
+++ b/compiler/rustc_serialize/src/collection_impls.rs
@@ -11,12 +11,8 @@ use smallvec::{Array, SmallVec};
 
 impl<S: Encoder, A: Array<Item: Encodable<S>>> Encodable<S> for SmallVec<A> {
     fn encode(&self, s: &mut S) -> Result<(), S::Error> {
-        s.emit_seq(self.len(), |s| {
-            for (i, e) in self.iter().enumerate() {
-                s.emit_seq_elt(i, |s| e.encode(s))?;
-            }
-            Ok(())
-        })
+        let slice: &[A::Item] = self;
+        slice.encode(s)
     }
 }
 
@@ -292,12 +288,8 @@ where
 
 impl<E: Encoder, T: Encodable<E>> Encodable<E> for Rc<[T]> {
     fn encode(&self, s: &mut E) -> Result<(), E::Error> {
-        s.emit_seq(self.len(), |s| {
-            for (index, e) in self.iter().enumerate() {
-                s.emit_seq_elt(index, |s| e.encode(s))?;
-            }
-            Ok(())
-        })
+        let slice: &[T] = self;
+        slice.encode(s)
     }
 }
 
@@ -315,12 +307,8 @@ impl<D: Decoder, T: Decodable<D>> Decodable<D> for Rc<[T]> {
 
 impl<E: Encoder, T: Encodable<E>> Encodable<E> for Arc<[T]> {
     fn encode(&self, s: &mut E) -> Result<(), E::Error> {
-        s.emit_seq(self.len(), |s| {
-            for (index, e) in self.iter().enumerate() {
-                s.emit_seq_elt(index, |s| e.encode(s))?;
-            }
-            Ok(())
-        })
+        let slice: &[T] = self;
+        slice.encode(s)
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/compiler/rustc_serialize/src/lib.rs b/compiler/rustc_serialize/src/lib.rs
index ac1cdc6ad45..0e7974afff3 100644
--- a/compiler/rustc_serialize/src/lib.rs
+++ b/compiler/rustc_serialize/src/lib.rs
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ Core encoding and decoding interfaces.
 #![feature(nll)]
 #![feature(associated_type_bounds)]
 #![cfg_attr(bootstrap, feature(min_const_generics))]
+#![feature(min_specialization)]
 #![cfg_attr(test, feature(test))]
 #![allow(rustc::internal)]
 
diff --git a/compiler/rustc_serialize/src/opaque.rs b/compiler/rustc_serialize/src/opaque.rs
index 8b79c93e760..a41b01f453e 100644
--- a/compiler/rustc_serialize/src/opaque.rs
+++ b/compiler/rustc_serialize/src/opaque.rs
@@ -316,3 +316,15 @@ impl<'a> serialize::Decoder for Decoder<'a> {
         err.to_string()
     }
 }
+
+// Specialize encoding byte slices. The default implementation for slices encodes and emits each
+// element individually. This isn't necessary for `u8` slices encoded with an `opaque::Encoder`,
+// because each `u8` is emitted as-is. Therefore, we can use a more efficient implementation. This
+// specialization applies to encoding `Vec<u8>`s, etc., since they call `encode` on their slices.
+impl serialize::Encodable<Encoder> for [u8] {
+    fn encode(&self, e: &mut Encoder) -> EncodeResult {
+        serialize::Encoder::emit_usize(e, self.len())?;
+        e.emit_raw_bytes(self);
+        Ok(())
+    }
+}
diff --git a/compiler/rustc_serialize/src/serialize.rs b/compiler/rustc_serialize/src/serialize.rs
index aa305f3c7fc..ee8ab0e9e40 100644
--- a/compiler/rustc_serialize/src/serialize.rs
+++ b/compiler/rustc_serialize/src/serialize.rs
@@ -527,7 +527,7 @@ impl<D: Decoder, T: Decodable<D>> Decodable<D> for Rc<T> {
 }
 
 impl<S: Encoder, T: Encodable<S>> Encodable<S> for [T] {
-    fn encode(&self, s: &mut S) -> Result<(), S::Error> {
+    default fn encode(&self, s: &mut S) -> Result<(), S::Error> {
         s.emit_seq(self.len(), |s| {
             for (i, e) in self.iter().enumerate() {
                 s.emit_seq_elt(i, |s| e.encode(s))?