diff --git a/gson/src/main/java/com/google/gson/JsonArray.java b/gson/src/main/java/com/google/gson/JsonArray.java
index 66020839..efaea81d 100644
--- a/gson/src/main/java/com/google/gson/JsonArray.java
+++ b/gson/src/main/java/com/google/gson/JsonArray.java
@@ -40,7 +40,8 @@ public final class JsonArray extends JsonElement implements Iterable<JsonElement
     elements = new ArrayList<JsonElement>();
   }
 
-  @Override public JsonArray deepCopy() {
+  @Override
+  protected JsonArray deepCopy() {
     JsonArray result = new JsonArray();
     for (JsonElement element : elements) {
       result.add(element.deepCopy());
diff --git a/gson/src/main/java/com/google/gson/JsonElement.java b/gson/src/main/java/com/google/gson/JsonElement.java
index 3e09f934..79a046a9 100644
--- a/gson/src/main/java/com/google/gson/JsonElement.java
+++ b/gson/src/main/java/com/google/gson/JsonElement.java
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ public abstract class JsonElement {
    * Returns a deep copy of this element. Immutable elements like primitives
    * and nulls are not copied.
    */
-  public abstract JsonElement deepCopy();
+  protected abstract JsonElement deepCopy();
 
   /**
    * provides check for verifying if this element is an array or not.
diff --git a/gson/src/main/java/com/google/gson/JsonNull.java b/gson/src/main/java/com/google/gson/JsonNull.java
index e887c44b..9eb7cb8b 100755
--- a/gson/src/main/java/com/google/gson/JsonNull.java
+++ b/gson/src/main/java/com/google/gson/JsonNull.java
@@ -40,7 +40,8 @@ public final class JsonNull extends JsonElement {
     // Do nothing
   }
 
-  @Override public JsonNull deepCopy() {
+  @Override
+  protected JsonNull deepCopy() {
     return INSTANCE;
   }
 
diff --git a/gson/src/main/java/com/google/gson/JsonObject.java b/gson/src/main/java/com/google/gson/JsonObject.java
index 0c6e911f..b9fd8b12 100644
--- a/gson/src/main/java/com/google/gson/JsonObject.java
+++ b/gson/src/main/java/com/google/gson/JsonObject.java
@@ -42,7 +42,8 @@ public final class JsonObject extends JsonElement {
   public JsonObject() {
   }
 
-  @Override public JsonObject deepCopy() {
+  @Override
+  protected JsonObject deepCopy() {
     JsonObject result = new JsonObject();
     for (Map.Entry<String, JsonElement> entry : members.entrySet()) {
       result.add(entry.getKey(), entry.getValue().deepCopy());
diff --git a/gson/src/main/java/com/google/gson/JsonPrimitive.java b/gson/src/main/java/com/google/gson/JsonPrimitive.java
index f1ae2dc4..b0779ff2 100644
--- a/gson/src/main/java/com/google/gson/JsonPrimitive.java
+++ b/gson/src/main/java/com/google/gson/JsonPrimitive.java
@@ -16,12 +16,12 @@
 
 package com.google.gson;
 
-import com.google.gson.internal.$Gson$Preconditions;
-import com.google.gson.internal.LazilyParsedNumber;
-
 import java.math.BigDecimal;
 import java.math.BigInteger;
 
+import com.google.gson.internal.$Gson$Preconditions;
+import com.google.gson.internal.LazilyParsedNumber;
+
 /**
  * A class representing a Json primitive value. A primitive value
  * is either a String, a Java primitive, or a Java primitive
@@ -85,7 +85,8 @@ public final class JsonPrimitive extends JsonElement {
     setValue(primitive);
   }
 
-  @Override public JsonPrimitive deepCopy() {
+  @Override
+  protected JsonPrimitive deepCopy() {
     return this;
   }