diff --git a/collects/racket/private/serialize.rkt b/collects/racket/private/serialize.rkt
index a011c16b60..176683d9b4 100644
--- a/collects/racket/private/serialize.rkt
+++ b/collects/racket/private/serialize.rkt
@@ -130,7 +130,17 @@
 		 (vector? o)
 		 (hash? o))
 	     (not (immutable? o)))
-	(serializable-struct? o)))
+	(serializable-struct? o)
+        (let ([k (prefab-struct-key o)])
+          (and k
+               ;; Check whether all fields are mutable:
+               (pair? k)
+               (let-values ([(si skipped?) (struct-info o)])
+                 (let loop ([si si])
+                   (let*-values ([(name init auto acc mut imms super skipped?) (struct-type-info si)])
+                     (and (null? imms)
+                          (or (not super)
+                              (loop super))))))))))
 
   ;; Finds a mutable object among those that make the
   ;;  current cycle.
@@ -152,8 +162,8 @@
     (+ (hash-count share)
        (hash-count cycle)))
 
-  ;; Traverses v to find cycles and charing. Shared
-  ;;  object go in the `shared' table, and cycle-breakers go in
+  ;; Traverses v to find cycles and sharing. Shared
+  ;;  objects go in the `shared' table, and cycle-breakers go in
   ;;  `cycle'. In each case, the object is mapped to a number that is
   ;;  incremented as shared/cycle objects are discovered, so
   ;;  when the objects are deserialized, build them in reverse
@@ -332,7 +342,11 @@
      [(hash? v)
       (cons 'h (append
 		(if (not (hash-eq? v)) '(equal) null)
-		(if (hash-weak? v) '(weak) null)))]))
+		(if (hash-weak? v) '(weak) null)))]
+     [else
+      ;; A mutable prefab
+      (cons 'pf (cons (prefab-struct-key v)
+                      (sub1 (vector-length (struct->vector v)))))]))
 
   (define (serialize v)
     (let ([mod-map (make-hasheq)]
@@ -491,7 +505,22 @@
 				   ht
 				   (lambda (k v)
 				     (hash-set! ht0 k v)))))
-	   ht0)])]
+	   ht0)]
+        [(pf)
+         ;; Prefab
+         (let ([s (apply make-prefab-struct 
+                         (cadr v)
+                         (vector->list (make-vector (cddr v) #f)))])
+           (vector-set! fixup n (lambda (v)
+                                  (let-values ([(si skipped?) (struct-info s)])
+                                    (let loop ([si si])
+                                      (let*-values ([(name init auto acc mut imms super skipped?) (struct-type-info si)])
+                                        (let ([count (+ init auto)])
+                                          (for ([i (in-range 0 count)])
+                                            (mut s i (acc v i)))
+                                          (when super
+                                            (loop super))))))))
+           s)])]
      [else
       (case v
         [(c)
diff --git a/collects/scribblings/reference/serialization.scrbl b/collects/scribblings/reference/serialization.scrbl
index d17e6d5dd3..7d45e29581 100644
--- a/collects/scribblings/reference/serialization.scrbl
+++ b/collects/scribblings/reference/serialization.scrbl
@@ -60,6 +60,15 @@ all content of the value is serializable.  If a value given to
 @scheme[serialize] is not completely serializable, the
 @exnraise[exn:fail:contract].
 
+If @racket[v] contains a cycle (i.e., a collection of objects that
+are all reachable from each other), then @racket[v] can be serialized
+only if the cycle includes a mutable value, where a @tech{prefab}
+structure counts as mutable only if all of its fields are mutable.
+
+@margin-note{The @racket[serialize] and @racket[deserialize] functions
+currently do not handle certain cyclic values that @racket[read] and
+@racket[write] can handle, such as @racket['@#,read[(open-input-string "#0=(#0#)")]].}
+
 See @scheme[deserialize] for information on the format of serialized
 data.}
 
diff --git a/collects/scribblings/reference/struct.scrbl b/collects/scribblings/reference/struct.scrbl
index d1854dc8af..9aec50ac30 100644
--- a/collects/scribblings/reference/struct.scrbl
+++ b/collects/scribblings/reference/struct.scrbl
@@ -506,7 +506,7 @@ following items:
        any).}
 
  @item{Nothing else, if the structure type has no
-       supertype. Otherwise, the rest of the list matches is the key
+       supertype. Otherwise, the rest of the list is the key
        for the supertype.}
 
 ]
@@ -537,7 +537,10 @@ supplied @racket[v]s, the @exnraise[exn:fail:contract].
 
 Returns a @tech{structure type descriptor} for the @tech{prefab}
 structure type specified by the combination of @racket[key] and
-@racket[field-count].}
+@racket[field-count].
+
+If the number of fields indicated by @racket[key] is inconsistent with
+@racket[field-count], the @exnraise[exn:fail:contract].}
 
 @;------------------------------------------------------------------------
 @section[#:tag "structinfo"]{Structure Type Transformer Binding}
diff --git a/collects/tests/racket/serialize.rktl b/collects/tests/racket/serialize.rktl
index bf086c3705..785a17245d 100644
--- a/collects/tests/racket/serialize.rktl
+++ b/collects/tests/racket/serialize.rktl
@@ -269,6 +269,15 @@
   (test-ser p2)
   (test-ser (cons p1 p2))
   (test-ser (cons p2 p1)))
+
+(let ()
+  (struct a ([b #:mutable] [c #:mutable]) #:prefab)
+  (struct z a ([b #:mutable] [c #:mutable]) #:prefab)
+  
+  (let ([z0 (z 1 2 3 4)])    
+    (test-ser z0)
+    (set-z-b! z0 z0)
+    (test-ser z0)))
       
 ;; ----------------------------------------