diff --git a/gson/src/main/java/com/google/gson/DefaultTypeAdapters.java b/gson/src/main/java/com/google/gson/DefaultTypeAdapters.java
index 8d9881a0..c2a26da4 100644
--- a/gson/src/main/java/com/google/gson/DefaultTypeAdapters.java
+++ b/gson/src/main/java/com/google/gson/DefaultTypeAdapters.java
@@ -47,7 +47,6 @@ final class DefaultTypeAdapters {
   private static final DefaultTimestampDeserializer TIMESTAMP_DESERIALIZER =
     new DefaultTimestampDeserializer();
 
-  private static final CharacterTypeAdapter CHARACTER_TYPE_ADAPTER = new CharacterTypeAdapter();
   private static final NumberTypeAdapter NUMBER_TYPE_ADAPTER = new NumberTypeAdapter();
 
   private static final GregorianCalendarTypeAdapter GREGORIAN_CALENDAR_TYPE_ADAPTER =
@@ -74,9 +73,6 @@ final class DefaultTypeAdapters {
     map.register(Calendar.class, GREGORIAN_CALENDAR_TYPE_ADAPTER, true);
     map.register(GregorianCalendar.class, GREGORIAN_CALENDAR_TYPE_ADAPTER, true);
 
-    // Add primitive serializers
-    map.register(char.class, CHARACTER_TYPE_ADAPTER, true);
-    map.register(Character.class, CHARACTER_TYPE_ADAPTER, true);
     map.register(Number.class, NUMBER_TYPE_ADAPTER, true);
 
     map.makeUnmodifiable();
@@ -93,9 +89,6 @@ final class DefaultTypeAdapters {
     map.register(Calendar.class, GREGORIAN_CALENDAR_TYPE_ADAPTER, true);
     map.register(GregorianCalendar.class, GREGORIAN_CALENDAR_TYPE_ADAPTER, true);
 
-    // Add primitive deserializers
-    map.register(char.class, wrapDeserializer(CHARACTER_TYPE_ADAPTER), true);
-    map.register(Character.class, wrapDeserializer(CHARACTER_TYPE_ADAPTER), true);
     map.register(Number.class, NUMBER_TYPE_ADAPTER, true);
 
     map.makeUnmodifiable();
@@ -331,21 +324,4 @@ final class DefaultTypeAdapters {
       return NumberTypeAdapter.class.getSimpleName();
     }
   }
-
-  private static final class CharacterTypeAdapter
-      implements JsonSerializer<Character>, JsonDeserializer<Character> {
-    public JsonElement serialize(Character src, Type typeOfSrc, JsonSerializationContext context) {
-      return new JsonPrimitive(src);
-    }
-
-    public Character deserialize(JsonElement json, Type typeOfT, JsonDeserializationContext context)
-        throws JsonParseException {
-      return json.getAsCharacter();
-    }
-
-    @Override
-    public String toString() {
-      return CharacterTypeAdapter.class.getSimpleName();
-    }
-  }
 }
diff --git a/gson/src/main/java/com/google/gson/Gson.java b/gson/src/main/java/com/google/gson/Gson.java
index b0c5c85d..b53f71a1 100644
--- a/gson/src/main/java/com/google/gson/Gson.java
+++ b/gson/src/main/java/com/google/gson/Gson.java
@@ -236,6 +236,7 @@ public final class Gson {
             floatAdapter(serializeSpecialFloatingPointValues)))
         .factory(new ExcludedTypeAdapterFactory(
             serializationExclusionStrategy, deserializationExclusionStrategy))
+        .factory(TypeAdapters.CHARACTER_FACTORY)
         .factory(TypeAdapters.STRING_FACTORY)
         .factory(TypeAdapters.STRING_BUILDER_FACTORY)
         .factory(TypeAdapters.STRING_BUFFER_FACTORY)
diff --git a/gson/src/main/java/com/google/gson/internal/bind/TypeAdapters.java b/gson/src/main/java/com/google/gson/internal/bind/TypeAdapters.java
index 90c1f85f..a883d767 100644
--- a/gson/src/main/java/com/google/gson/internal/bind/TypeAdapters.java
+++ b/gson/src/main/java/com/google/gson/internal/bind/TypeAdapters.java
@@ -231,6 +231,24 @@ public final class TypeAdapters {
   public static final TypeAdapter.Factory DOUBLE_FACTORY
       = newFactory(double.class, Double.class, DOUBLE);
 
+  public static final TypeAdapter<Character> CHARACTER = new TypeAdapter<Character>() {
+    @Override
+    public Character read(JsonReader reader) throws IOException {
+      if (reader.peek() == JsonToken.NULL) {
+        reader.nextNull(); // TODO: does this belong here?
+        return null;
+      }
+      return reader.nextString().charAt(0);
+    }
+    @Override
+    public void write(JsonWriter writer, Character value) throws IOException {
+      writer.value(String.valueOf(value));
+    }
+  };
+
+  public static final TypeAdapter.Factory CHARACTER_FACTORY
+      = newFactory(char.class, Character.class, CHARACTER);
+
   public static final TypeAdapter<String> STRING = new TypeAdapter<String>() {
     @Override
     public String read(JsonReader reader) throws IOException {