diff --git a/.travis.yml b/.travis.yml
index 7d3633b9a6d..7e92264d57b 100644
--- a/.travis.yml
+++ b/.travis.yml
@@ -6,26 +6,27 @@ sudo: false
 # - pinned stable, latest stable, beta and nightly Rust releases
 # - Linux, OS X, Android, iOS, bare metal (i.e. no_std)
 # - x86_64, ARMv7, a Big-Endian arch (MIPS)
+# HACK: use --tests to disable doc-tests for rand_core 0.2 (see #619)
 matrix:
   include:
     - rust: 1.22.0
       install:
       script:
         - cargo test --tests --no-default-features
-        - cargo test --package rand_core --no-default-features
+        - cargo test --package rand_core:0.2.2 --no-default-features --tests
         - cargo test --features serde1,log
     - rust: stable
       os: osx
       install:
       script:
         - cargo test --tests --no-default-features
-        - cargo test --package rand_core --no-default-features
+        - cargo test --package rand_core:0.2.2 --no-default-features --tests
         - cargo test --features serde1,log
     - rust: beta
       install:
       script:
         - cargo test --tests --no-default-features
-        - cargo test --package rand_core --no-default-features
+        - cargo test --package rand_core:0.2.2 --no-default-features --tests
         - cargo test --features serde1,log
     - rust: nightly
       install:
@@ -34,7 +35,7 @@ matrix:
         - pip install 'travis-cargo<0.2' --user && export PATH=$HOME/.local/bin:$PATH
       script:
         - cargo test --tests --no-default-features --features=alloc
-        - cargo test --package rand_core --no-default-features --features=alloc,serde1
+        - cargo test --package rand_core:0.2.2 --no-default-features --features=alloc,serde1 --tests
         - cargo test --features serde1,log,nightly,alloc
         - cargo test --all --benches
         # remove cached documentation, otherwise files from previous PRs can get included
diff --git a/appveyor.yml b/appveyor.yml
index 97d3ce6fda1..a2bf7f98917 100644
--- a/appveyor.yml
+++ b/appveyor.yml
@@ -32,8 +32,8 @@ install:
 build: false
 
 test_script:
-  - cargo test --all # cannot use --all and --features together
+  - cargo test --all --tests # cannot use --all and --features together
   - cargo test --all --benches
   - cargo test --features serde1,log,nightly
   - cargo test --tests --no-default-features --features=alloc,serde1
-  - cargo test --package rand_core --no-default-features --features=alloc,serde1
+  - cargo test --package rand_core:0.2.2 --no-default-features --features=alloc,serde1 --tests
diff --git a/rand_core/Cargo.toml b/rand_core/Cargo.toml
index d5fad697393..d74b5cfd565 100644
--- a/rand_core/Cargo.toml
+++ b/rand_core/Cargo.toml
@@ -20,9 +20,7 @@ appveyor = { repository = "rust-random/rand" }
 [features]
 std = ["rand_core/std"]    # use std library; should be default but for above bug
 alloc = ["rand_core/alloc"]  # enables Vec and Box support without std
-serde1 = ["rand_core/serde", "rand_core/serde_derive"] # enables serde for BlockRng wrapper
+serde1 = ["rand_core/serde1"] # enables serde for BlockRng wrapper
 
 [dependencies]
-rand_core = "0.3"
-serde = { version = "1", optional = true }
-serde_derive = { version = "^1.0.38", optional = true }
+rand_core = { version = "0.3", default-features = false }
diff --git a/utils/ci/script.sh b/utils/ci/script.sh
index 21188f38d29..d0fec19a6a6 100644
--- a/utils/ci/script.sh
+++ b/utils/ci/script.sh
@@ -13,12 +13,12 @@ main() {
 
     if [ ! -z $NIGHTLY ]; then  # have nightly Rust
         cross test --tests --no-default-features --features alloc --target $TARGET
-        cross test --package rand_core --no-default-features --features alloc --target $TARGET
+        cross test --package rand_core:0.2.2 --no-default-features --features alloc --target $TARGET --tests
         cross test --features serde1,log,nightly,alloc --target $TARGET
         cross test --all --benches --target $TARGET
     else    # have stable Rust
         cross test --tests --no-default-features --target $TARGET
-        cross test --package rand_core --no-default-features --target $TARGET
+        cross test --package rand_core:0.2.2 --no-default-features --target $TARGET --tests
         cross test --features serde1,log --target $TARGET
     fi
 }