diff --git a/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/skyframe/ClientEnvironmentFunction.java b/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/skyframe/ClientEnvironmentFunction.java
index b996d8292220d4..17871773d4e0b4 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/skyframe/ClientEnvironmentFunction.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/skyframe/ClientEnvironmentFunction.java
@@ -41,12 +41,16 @@ private Key(String arg) {
       super(arg);
     }
 
-    @VisibleForSerialization
-    @AutoCodec.Instantiator
-    static Key create(String arg) {
+    private static Key create(String arg) {
       return interner.intern(new Key(arg));
     }
 
+    @VisibleForSerialization
+    @AutoCodec.Interner
+    static Key intern(Key key) {
+      return interner.intern(key);
+    }
+
     @Override
     public SkyFunctionName functionName() {
       return SkyFunctions.CLIENT_ENVIRONMENT_VARIABLE;