diff --git a/gson/src/main/java/com/google/gson/JsonArray.java b/gson/src/main/java/com/google/gson/JsonArray.java
index b3eb3598..a79f5df4 100644
--- a/gson/src/main/java/com/google/gson/JsonArray.java
+++ b/gson/src/main/java/com/google/gson/JsonArray.java
@@ -63,6 +63,18 @@ public final class JsonArray extends JsonElement implements Iterable<JsonElement
     elements.addAll(array.elements);
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Returns a deep copy of this array.
+   */
+  @Override public JsonArray deepCopy() {
+    JsonArray result = new JsonArray();
+    result.elements.addAll(elements);
+    for (int i = 0; i < result.elements.size(); i++) {
+      result.elements.set(i, result.elements.get(i).deepCopy());
+    }
+    return result;
+  }
+
   /**
    * Reverses the elements of the array.
    */
diff --git a/gson/src/main/java/com/google/gson/JsonElement.java b/gson/src/main/java/com/google/gson/JsonElement.java
index b1ab94ad..df0e0fdf 100644
--- a/gson/src/main/java/com/google/gson/JsonElement.java
+++ b/gson/src/main/java/com/google/gson/JsonElement.java
@@ -235,7 +235,7 @@ public abstract class JsonElement {
   public int getAsInt() {
     throw new UnsupportedOperationException();
   }
-  
+
   /**
    * convenience method to get this element as a primitive byte value.
    *
@@ -249,7 +249,7 @@ public abstract class JsonElement {
   public byte getAsByte() {
     throw new UnsupportedOperationException();
   }
-  
+
   /**
    * convenience method to get this element as a primitive character value.
    *
@@ -318,6 +318,11 @@ public abstract class JsonElement {
     throw new UnsupportedOperationException();
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Returns a deep copy of this. Immutable values can return this.
+   */
+  abstract JsonElement deepCopy();
+
   /**
    * Returns a String representation of this element.
    *
diff --git a/gson/src/main/java/com/google/gson/JsonNull.java b/gson/src/main/java/com/google/gson/JsonNull.java
index 9426c200..3a867d45 100755
--- a/gson/src/main/java/com/google/gson/JsonNull.java
+++ b/gson/src/main/java/com/google/gson/JsonNull.java
@@ -42,6 +42,10 @@ public final class JsonNull extends JsonElement {
     // Do nothing
   }
 
+  @Override JsonElement deepCopy() {
+    return this; // immutable!
+  }
+
   @Override
   protected void toString(Appendable sb, Escaper escaper) throws IOException {
     sb.append("null");
diff --git a/gson/src/main/java/com/google/gson/JsonObject.java b/gson/src/main/java/com/google/gson/JsonObject.java
index 88bed26f..9944d2a7 100644
--- a/gson/src/main/java/com/google/gson/JsonObject.java
+++ b/gson/src/main/java/com/google/gson/JsonObject.java
@@ -124,6 +124,18 @@ public final class JsonObject extends JsonElement {
     return value == null ? JsonNull.INSTANCE : new JsonPrimitive(value);
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Returns a deep copy of this object.
+   */
+  @Override public JsonObject deepCopy() {
+    JsonObject result = new JsonObject();
+    result.members.putAll(members);
+    for (Map.Entry<String, JsonElement> entry : result.members.entrySet()) {
+      entry.setValue(entry.getValue().deepCopy());
+    }
+    return result;
+  }
+
   /**
    * Returns a set of members of this object. The set is ordered, and the order is in which the
    * elements were added.
diff --git a/gson/src/main/java/com/google/gson/JsonPrimitive.java b/gson/src/main/java/com/google/gson/JsonPrimitive.java
index 2caae92d..4d2cedae 100644
--- a/gson/src/main/java/com/google/gson/JsonPrimitive.java
+++ b/gson/src/main/java/com/google/gson/JsonPrimitive.java
@@ -101,6 +101,10 @@ public final class JsonPrimitive extends JsonElement {
     }
   }
 
+  @Override JsonElement deepCopy() {
+    return this; // immutable!
+  }
+
   /**
    * Check whether this primitive contains a boolean value.
    *
diff --git a/gson/src/test/java/com/google/gson/JsonArrayTest.java b/gson/src/test/java/com/google/gson/JsonArrayTest.java
index 6c8ddf3e..6692ea5c 100644
--- a/gson/src/test/java/com/google/gson/JsonArrayTest.java
+++ b/gson/src/test/java/com/google/gson/JsonArrayTest.java
@@ -49,4 +49,37 @@ public final class JsonArrayTest extends TestCase {
     assertFalse(a.equals(b));
     assertFalse(b.equals(a));
   }
+
+  public void testDeepCopy() {
+    JsonObject v1 = new JsonObject();
+    v1.add("k", new JsonPrimitive("v"));
+    JsonNull v2 = JsonNull.INSTANCE;
+    JsonPrimitive v3 = new JsonPrimitive("abc");
+    JsonArray v4 = new JsonArray();
+    v4.add(new JsonPrimitive("def"));
+
+    JsonArray array = new JsonArray();
+    array.add(v1);
+    array.add(v2);
+    array.add(v3);
+    array.add(v4);
+
+    // the deep copy must be equal
+    JsonArray deepCopy = array.deepCopy();
+    assertEquals(array, deepCopy);
+
+    // collections must be copied by value
+    JsonObject d1 = deepCopy.get(0).getAsJsonObject();
+    assertEquals(v1, d1);
+    assertTrue(v1 != d1);
+    JsonArray d4 = deepCopy.get(3).getAsJsonArray();
+    assertEquals(v4, d4);
+    assertTrue(v4 != d4);
+
+    // collections should themselves be deeply immutable
+    v1.add("k2", new JsonPrimitive("v2"));
+    assertEquals(1, d1.entrySet().size());
+    v4.add(new JsonPrimitive("ghi"));
+    assertEquals(1, d4.size());
+  }
 }
diff --git a/gson/src/test/java/com/google/gson/JsonObjectTest.java b/gson/src/test/java/com/google/gson/JsonObjectTest.java
index d0747a6e..720c466d 100644
--- a/gson/src/test/java/com/google/gson/JsonObjectTest.java
+++ b/gson/src/test/java/com/google/gson/JsonObjectTest.java
@@ -156,4 +156,37 @@ public class JsonObjectTest extends TestCase {
     assertFalse(a.equals(b));
     assertFalse(b.equals(a));
   }
+
+  public void testDeepCopy() {
+    JsonObject v1 = new JsonObject();
+    v1.add("k", new JsonPrimitive("v"));
+    JsonNull v2 = JsonNull.INSTANCE;
+    JsonPrimitive v3 = new JsonPrimitive("abc");
+    JsonArray v4 = new JsonArray();
+    v4.add(new JsonPrimitive("def"));
+
+    JsonObject object = new JsonObject();
+    object.add("1", v1);
+    object.add("2", v2);
+    object.add("3", v3);
+    object.add("4", v4);
+
+    // the deep copy must be equal
+    JsonObject deepCopy = object.deepCopy();
+    assertEquals(object, deepCopy);
+
+    // collections must be copied by value
+    JsonObject d1 = deepCopy.get("1").getAsJsonObject();
+    assertEquals(v1, d1);
+    assertTrue(v1 != d1);
+    JsonArray d4 = deepCopy.get("4").getAsJsonArray();
+    assertEquals(v4, d4);
+    assertTrue(v4 != d4);
+
+    // collections should themselves be deeply immutable
+    v1.add("k2", new JsonPrimitive("v2"));
+    assertEquals(1, d1.entrySet().size());
+    v4.add(new JsonPrimitive("ghi"));
+    assertEquals(1, d4.size());
+  }
 }