diff --git a/gson/src/main/java/com/google/gson/GsonBuilder.java b/gson/src/main/java/com/google/gson/GsonBuilder.java
index a3cf3d79..e6533e4d 100644
--- a/gson/src/main/java/com/google/gson/GsonBuilder.java
+++ b/gson/src/main/java/com/google/gson/GsonBuilder.java
@@ -70,11 +70,9 @@ public final class GsonBuilder {
   private FieldNamingStrategy fieldNamingPolicy = FieldNamingPolicy.IDENTITY;
   private final Map<Type, InstanceCreator<?>> instanceCreators
       = new HashMap<Type, InstanceCreator<?>>();
-  private final List<TypeAdapter.Factory> factories
-      = new ArrayList<TypeAdapter.Factory>();
+  private final List<TypeAdapter.Factory> factories = new ArrayList<TypeAdapter.Factory>();
   /** tree-style hierarchy factories. These come after factories for backwards compatibility. */
-  private final List<TypeAdapter.Factory> hierarchyFactories
-      = new ArrayList<TypeAdapter.Factory>();
+  private final List<TypeAdapter.Factory> hierarchyFactories = new ArrayList<TypeAdapter.Factory>();
   private boolean serializeNulls;
   private String datePattern;
   private int dateStyle = DateFormat.DEFAULT;
@@ -452,11 +450,11 @@ public final class GsonBuilder {
           "Cannot register type adapters for " + type);
     }
     if (typeAdapter instanceof InstanceCreator<?>) {
-      registerInstanceCreator(type, (InstanceCreator<?>) typeAdapter);
+      instanceCreators.put(type, (InstanceCreator) typeAdapter);
     }
     if (typeAdapter instanceof JsonSerializer<?> || typeAdapter instanceof JsonDeserializer<?>) {
       TypeToken<?> typeToken = TypeToken.get(type);
-      factories.add(TreeTypeAdapter.newFactory(typeToken, typeAdapter));
+      factories.add(TreeTypeAdapter.newFactoryWithMatchRawType(typeToken, typeAdapter));
     }
     if (typeAdapter instanceof TypeAdapter<?>) {
       factories.add(TypeAdapters.newFactory(TypeToken.get(type), (TypeAdapter)typeAdapter));
@@ -475,37 +473,19 @@ public final class GsonBuilder {
     return this;
   }
 
-  /**
-   * Configures Gson to use a custom {@link InstanceCreator} for the specified type. If an instance
-   * creator was previously registered for the specified class, it is overwritten. Since this method
-   * takes a type instead of a Class object, it can be used to register a specific handler for a
-   * generic type corresponding to a raw type.
-   *
-   *
-   * @param typeOfT The Type definition for T
-   * @param instanceCreator the instance creator for T
-   * @return a reference to this {@code GsonBuilder} object to fulfill the "Builder" pattern
-   */
-  private <T> GsonBuilder registerInstanceCreator(Type typeOfT,
-      InstanceCreator<? extends T> instanceCreator) {
-    instanceCreators.put(typeOfT, instanceCreator);
-    return this;
-  }
-
   /**
    * Configures Gson for custom serialization or deserialization for an inheritance type hierarchy.
-   * This method combines the registration of an {@link InstanceCreator}, {@link JsonSerializer},
-   * and a {@link JsonDeserializer}. It is best used when a single object {@code typeAdapter}
-   * implements all the required interfaces for custom serialization with Gson.
-   * If an instance creator, serializer or deserializer was previously registered for the specified
-   * type hierarchy, it is overwritten. If an instance creator, serializer or deserializer is
-   * registered for a specific type in the type hierarchy, it will be invoked instead of the one
-   * registered for the type hierarchy.
+   * This method combines the registration of a {@link JsonSerializer} and a {@link
+   * JsonDeserializer}. It is best used when a single object {@code typeAdapter} implements both of
+   * the required interfaces for custom serialization with Gson. If a serializer or deserializer was
+   * previously registered for the specified type hierarchy, it is overwritten. If a serializer or
+   * deserializer is registered for a specific type in the type hierarchy, it will be invoked
+   * instead of the one registered for the type hierarchy.
    *
    * @param baseType the class definition for the type adapter being registered for the base class
    *        or interface
-   * @param typeAdapter This object must implement at least one of the {@link InstanceCreator},
-   * {@link JsonSerializer}, and a {@link JsonDeserializer} interfaces.
+   * @param typeAdapter This object must implement at least one of {@link JsonSerializer} or {@link
+   *        JsonDeserializer} interfaces.
    * @return a reference to this {@code GsonBuilder} object to fulfill the "Builder" pattern
    * @since 1.7
    */
diff --git a/gson/src/main/java/com/google/gson/TreeTypeAdapter.java b/gson/src/main/java/com/google/gson/TreeTypeAdapter.java
index 0f895dec..36eb9afd 100644
--- a/gson/src/main/java/com/google/gson/TreeTypeAdapter.java
+++ b/gson/src/main/java/com/google/gson/TreeTypeAdapter.java
@@ -78,21 +78,40 @@ final class TreeTypeAdapter<T> extends TypeAdapter<T> {
         : (delegate = gson.getNextAdapter(skipPast, typeToken));
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Returns a new factory that will match each type against {@code exactType}.
+   */
   public static Factory newFactory(TypeToken<?> exactType, Object typeAdapter) {
-    return new SingleTypeFactory(typeAdapter, exactType, null);
+    return new SingleTypeFactory(typeAdapter, exactType, false, null);
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Returns a new factory that will match each type and its raw type against
+   * {@code exactType}.
+   */
+  public static Factory newFactoryWithMatchRawType(TypeToken<?> exactType, Object typeAdapter) {
+    // only bother matching raw types if exact type is a raw type
+    boolean matchRawType = exactType.getType() == exactType.getRawType();
+    return new SingleTypeFactory(typeAdapter, exactType, matchRawType, null);
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Returns a new factory that will match each type's raw type for assignability
+   * to {@code hierarchyType}.
+   */
   public static Factory newTypeHierarchyFactory(Class<?> hierarchyType, Object typeAdapter) {
-    return new SingleTypeFactory(typeAdapter, null, hierarchyType);
+    return new SingleTypeFactory(typeAdapter, null, false, hierarchyType);
   }
 
   private static class SingleTypeFactory implements TypeAdapter.Factory {
     private final TypeToken<?> exactType;
+    private final boolean matchRawType;
     private final Class<?> hierarchyType;
     private final JsonSerializer<?> serializer;
     private final JsonDeserializer<?> deserializer;
 
-    private SingleTypeFactory(Object typeAdapter, TypeToken<?> exactType, Class<?> hierarchyType) {
+    private SingleTypeFactory(Object typeAdapter, TypeToken<?> exactType, boolean matchRawType,
+        Class<?> hierarchyType) {
       serializer = typeAdapter instanceof JsonSerializer
           ? (JsonSerializer) typeAdapter
           : null;
@@ -101,13 +120,14 @@ final class TreeTypeAdapter<T> extends TypeAdapter<T> {
           : null;
       $Gson$Preconditions.checkArgument(serializer != null || deserializer != null);
       this.exactType = exactType;
+      this.matchRawType = matchRawType;
       this.hierarchyType = hierarchyType;
     }
 
     @SuppressWarnings("unchecked") // guarded by typeToken.equals() call
     public <T> TypeAdapter<T> create(Gson context, TypeToken<T> type) {
       boolean matches = exactType != null
-          ? exactType.equals(type)
+          ? exactType.equals(type) || matchRawType && exactType.getType() == type.getRawType()
           : hierarchyType.isAssignableFrom(type.getRawType());
       return matches
           ? new TreeTypeAdapter<T>((JsonSerializer<T>) serializer,