diff --git a/gson/src/main/java/com/google/gson/TypeInfoFactory.java b/gson/src/main/java/com/google/gson/TypeInfoFactory.java
index ae5b6972..3085e8a8 100644
--- a/gson/src/main/java/com/google/gson/TypeInfoFactory.java
+++ b/gson/src/main/java/com/google/gson/TypeInfoFactory.java
@@ -90,9 +90,20 @@ final class TypeInfoFactory {
         int indexOfActualTypeArgument = getIndex(classTypeVariables, fieldTypeVariable);
         Type[] actualTypeArguments = objParameterizedType.getActualTypeArguments();
         return actualTypeArguments[indexOfActualTypeArgument];
+      } else if (typeToEvaluate instanceof TypeVariable<?>) {
+        Type theSearchedType = null;
+
+        do {
+          theSearchedType = extractTypeForHierarchy(parentType, (TypeVariable<?>) typeToEvaluate);
+        } while ((theSearchedType != null) && (theSearchedType instanceof TypeVariable<?>));
+
+        if (theSearchedType != null) {
+          return theSearchedType;
+        }
       }
+
       throw new UnsupportedOperationException("Expecting parameterized type, got " + parentType
-          + ".\n Are you missing the use of TypeToken idiom?\n See " 
+          + ".\n Are you missing the use of TypeToken idiom?\n See "
           + "http://sites.google.com/site/gson/gson-user-guide#TOC-Serializing-and-Deserializing-Gener");
     } else if (typeToEvaluate instanceof WildcardType) {
       WildcardType castedType = (WildcardType) typeToEvaluate;
@@ -103,6 +114,44 @@ final class TypeInfoFactory {
     }
   }
 
+  private static Type extractTypeForHierarchy(Type parentType, TypeVariable<?> typeToEvaluate) {
+    Class<?> rawParentType = null;
+    if (parentType instanceof Class<?>) {
+      rawParentType = (Class<?>) parentType;
+    } else if (parentType instanceof ParameterizedType) {
+      ParameterizedType parentTypeAsPT = (ParameterizedType) parentType;
+      rawParentType = (Class<?>) parentTypeAsPT.getRawType();
+    } else {
+      return null;
+    }
+
+    Type superClass = rawParentType.getGenericSuperclass();
+    if (superClass instanceof ParameterizedType
+        && ((ParameterizedType) superClass).getRawType() == typeToEvaluate.getGenericDeclaration()) {
+      // Evaluate type on this type
+      TypeVariable<?>[] classTypeVariables =
+          ((Class<?>) ((ParameterizedType) superClass).getRawType()).getTypeParameters();
+      int indexOfActualTypeArgument = getIndex(classTypeVariables, typeToEvaluate);
+
+      Type[] actualTypeArguments = null;
+      if (parentType instanceof Class<?>) {
+        actualTypeArguments = ((ParameterizedType) superClass).getActualTypeArguments();
+      } else if (parentType instanceof ParameterizedType) {
+        actualTypeArguments = ((ParameterizedType) parentType).getActualTypeArguments();
+      } else {
+        return null;
+      }
+
+      return actualTypeArguments[indexOfActualTypeArgument];
+    }
+
+    Type searchedType = null;
+    if (superClass != null) {
+      searchedType = extractTypeForHierarchy(superClass, typeToEvaluate);
+    }
+    return searchedType;
+  }
+
   private static Type[] extractRealTypes(
       Type[] actualTypeArguments, Type parentType, Class<?> rawParentClass) {
     Preconditions.checkNotNull(actualTypeArguments);
diff --git a/gson/src/test/java/com/google/gson/functional/TypeVariableTest.java b/gson/src/test/java/com/google/gson/functional/TypeVariableTest.java
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..9f0cc319
--- /dev/null
+++ b/gson/src/test/java/com/google/gson/functional/TypeVariableTest.java
@@ -0,0 +1,80 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright (C) 2010 Google Inc.
+ *
+ * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+ * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+ * You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ * http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+ * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+ * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+ * limitations under the License.
+ */
+package com.google.gson.functional;
+
+import com.google.gson.Gson;
+
+import junit.framework.TestCase;
+
+import java.util.ArrayList;
+import java.util.HashMap;
+import java.util.List;
+import java.util.Map;
+
+/**
+ * Functional test for Gson serialization and deserialization of
+ * @author Joel Leitch
+ */
+public class TypeVariableTest extends TestCase {
+
+  public void testSingle() throws Exception {
+    Gson gson = new Gson();
+    Bar bar1 = new Bar("someString", 1);
+    ArrayList<Integer> arrayList = new ArrayList<Integer>();
+    arrayList.add(1);
+    arrayList.add(2);
+    bar1.map.put("key1", arrayList);
+    bar1.map.put("key2", new ArrayList<Integer>());
+    String json = gson.toJson(bar1);
+    System.out.println(json);
+
+    Bar bar2 = gson.fromJson(json, Bar.class);
+    assertEquals(bar1, bar2);
+  }
+
+  public static class Foo<S, T> {
+    private final S someSField;
+    private final T someTField;
+    public final Map<S, List<T>> map = new HashMap<S, List<T>>();
+
+    public Foo(S sValue, T tValue) {
+      this.someSField = sValue;
+      this.someTField = tValue;
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public boolean equals(Object o) {
+      if (!(o instanceof Foo)) {
+        return false;
+      } else {
+        Foo<S, T> realFoo = (Foo<S, T>) o;
+        return someTField.equals(realFoo.someTField)
+          && someSField.equals(realFoo.someSField)
+          && map.equals(realFoo.map);
+      }
+    }
+  }
+
+  public static class Bar extends Foo<String, Integer> {
+    public Bar() {
+      this("", 0);
+    }
+
+    public Bar(String s, Integer i) {
+      super(s, i);
+    }
+  }
+}