diff --git a/CMake/julia/AppendSerialization.cmake b/CMake/julia/AppendSerialization.cmake
index 08e248c757..bce65ac507 100644
--- a/CMake/julia/AppendSerialization.cmake
+++ b/CMake/julia/AppendSerialization.cmake
@@ -69,8 +69,8 @@ function(append_serialization SERIALIZATION_FILE PROGRAM_NAME PROGRAM_MAIN_FILE)
             "${SERIALIZATION_FILE}"
             "serialize(stream::IO, model::${MODEL_SAFE_TYPE}Ptr) =\n"
             "    _Internal.${PROGRAM_NAME}_internal.serialize${MODEL_SAFE_TYPE}Ptr(stream, model)\n"
-            "deserialize!(model::${MODEL_SAFE_TYPE}Ptr, stream::IO) =\n"
-            "    model = _Internal.${PROGRAM_NAME}_internal.deserialize${MODEL_SAFE_TYPE}Ptr(stream)\n"
+            "_deserialize_internal(model::${MODEL_SAFE_TYPE}Ptr, stream::IO) =\n"
+            "    _Internal.${PROGRAM_NAME}_internal.deserialize${MODEL_SAFE_TYPE}Ptr(stream)\n"
             "\n")
       endif ()
     endforeach ()
diff --git a/CMake/julia/ConfigureJuliaHCPP.cmake b/CMake/julia/ConfigureJuliaHCPP.cmake
index 55fff3ad00..4279cf2dc8 100644
--- a/CMake/julia/ConfigureJuliaHCPP.cmake
+++ b/CMake/julia/ConfigureJuliaHCPP.cmake
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ void* CLI_GetParam${MODEL_SAFE_TYPE}Ptr(const char* paramName);
 // Set the pointer to a ${MODEL_TYPE} parameter.
 void CLI_SetParam${MODEL_SAFE_TYPE}Ptr(const char* paramName, void* ptr);
 // Serialize a ${MODEL_TYPE} pointer.
-const char* Serialize${MODEL_SAFE_TYPE}Ptr(void* ptr, size_t* length);
+char* Serialize${MODEL_SAFE_TYPE}Ptr(void* ptr, size_t* length);
 // Deserialize a ${MODEL_TYPE} pointer.
 void* Deserialize${MODEL_SAFE_TYPE}Ptr(const char* buffer, const size_t length);
 ")
@@ -88,11 +88,16 @@ const char* Serialize${MODEL_SAFE_TYPE}Ptr(void* ptr, size_t* length)
   std::ostringstream oss;
   {
     boost::archive::binary_oarchive oa(oss);
-    oa << ((${MODEL_TYPE}*) ptr);
+    oa << boost::serialization::make_nvp(\"${MODEL_SAFE_TYPE}\", ((${MODEL_TYPE}*) ptr);
   }
 
   *length = oss.str().length();
-  return oss.str().data();
+
+  // Copy the string buffer so we can return one that won't get deallocated when
+  // we exit this function.  Julia will be responsible for freeing this.
+  char* buffer = new char[*length];
+  memcpy(buffer, oss.str().data(), *length);
+  return buffer;
 }
 
 // Deserialize a ${MODEL_TYPE} pointer.
@@ -103,9 +108,10 @@ void* Deserialize${MODEL_SAFE_TYPE}Ptr(const char* buffer, const size_t length)
   std::istringstream iss(std::string(buffer, length));
   {
     boost::archive::binary_iarchive ia(iss);
-    ia >> boost::serialization::make_nvp(\"${MODEL_SAFE_TYPE}\", *t);
+    ia >> boost::serialization::make_nvp(\"${MODEL_SAFE_TYPE}\", t);
   }
 
+  // Julia will be responsible for freeing this.
   return (void*) t;
 }
 ")
diff --git a/src/mlpack/bindings/julia/CMakeLists.txt b/src/mlpack/bindings/julia/CMakeLists.txt
index 935b5d604f..323e33f5c3 100644
--- a/src/mlpack/bindings/julia/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/mlpack/bindings/julia/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -73,6 +73,10 @@ if (BUILD_JULIA_BINDINGS)
       "${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/src/mlpack/bindings/julia/mlpack/src/serialization.jl"
       "# This file imports all serialization and deserialization functions\n"
       "# from internal modules."
+      "\n\n"
+      "# Deserialize an mlpack model type.  This passes to other functions.\n"
+      "function deserialize(t::Type, stream::IO) = "
+      "_deserialize_internal(t(0), stream))"
       "\n\n")
 endif ()
 
diff --git a/src/mlpack/bindings/julia/print_param_defn.hpp b/src/mlpack/bindings/julia/print_param_defn.hpp
index 377878bc97..6616a43ac2 100644
--- a/src/mlpack/bindings/julia/print_param_defn.hpp
+++ b/src/mlpack/bindings/julia/print_param_defn.hpp
@@ -69,8 +69,11 @@ void PrintParamDefn(
   // end
   //
   // function serialize<Type>Ptr(stream::IO, model::<Type>Ptr)
+  //   buf_len = UInt[0]
   //   buffer = ccall((:Serialize<Type>Ptr, <programName>Library),
-  //       Vector{UInt8}, (Ptr{Nothing},), model.ptr)
+  //       Vector{UInt8}, (Ptr{Nothing}, Ptr{UInt8}), model.ptr,
+  //       Base.pointer(buf_len))
+  //   buf = Base.unsafe_wrap(buf_ptr, buf_len[0]; own=true)
   //   write(stream, buf)
   // end
   //
@@ -112,11 +115,11 @@ void PrintParamDefn(
   std::cout << "# Serialize a model to the given stream." << std::endl;
   std::cout << "function serialize" << type << "Ptr(stream::IO, model::" << type
       << "Ptr)" << std::endl;
-  std::cout << "  buf_len::UInt = 0" << std::endl;
+  std::cout << "  buf_len = UInt[0]" << std::endl;
   std::cout << "  buf_ptr = ccall((:Serialize" << type << "Ptr, " << programName
-      << "Library), Ptr{UInt8}, (Ptr{Nothing}, Ref{UInt}), model.ptr, "
-      << "Ref(buf_len))" << std::endl;
-  std::cout << "  buf = Base.unsafe_wrap(buf_ptr, buf_len; own=true)"
+      << "Library), Ptr{UInt8}, (Ptr{Nothing}, Ptr{UInt}), model.ptr, "
+      << "Base.pointer(buf_len))" << std::endl;
+  std::cout << "  buf = Base.unsafe_wrap(buf_ptr, buf_len[0]; own=true)"
       << std::endl;
   std::cout << "  write(stream, buf)" << std::endl;
   std::cout << "end" << std::endl;