diff --git a/.github/workflows/dusk_ci.yml b/.github/workflows/dusk_ci.yml
index d2796a6..6c655ab 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/dusk_ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/dusk_ci.yml
@@ -26,10 +26,10 @@ jobs:
     name: Nightly std tests
     uses: dusk-network/.github/.github/workflows/run-tests.yml@main
     with:
-      test_flags: --features=rkyv-impl,rkyv/size_16
+      test_flags: --features=rkyv-impl,rkyv/size_16,serde
 
   test_parallel:
     name: Nightly std tests parallel
     uses: dusk-network/.github/.github/workflows/run-tests.yml@main
     with:
-      test_flags: --features=parallel,rkyv-impl,rkyv/size_16
+      test_flags: --features=parallel,rkyv-impl,rkyv/size_16,serde
diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index 5daa846..a5b013d 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -23,9 +23,9 @@ zeroize = { version = "1", default-features = false, features = ["derive"] }
 rkyv = { version = "0.7", optional = true, default-features = false }
 bytecheck = { version = "0.6", optional = true, default-features = false }
 rayon = { version = "1.8", optional = true }
-serde = { version = "1.0.210", optional = true }
-bs58 = { version = "0.4.0" , optional = true }
-serde_json = { version = "1.0.128", optional = true }
+serde = { version = "1.0", optional = true }
+bs58 = { version = "0.4" , optional = true }
+serde_json = { version = "1.0", optional = true }
 
 [dev-dependencies]
 rand = "0.8"
diff --git a/src/serde_support.rs b/src/serde_support.rs
index 26f2e38..e05edfd 100644
--- a/src/serde_support.rs
+++ b/src/serde_support.rs
@@ -107,9 +107,9 @@ impl<'de> Deserialize<'de> for Signature {
             }
             Err(err) => return Err(de::Error::custom(format!("{err:?}"))),
         }
-        let pubk = Signature::from_bytes(&bytes)
+        let sig = Signature::from_bytes(&bytes)
             .map_err(|err| de::Error::custom(format!("{err:?}")))?;
-        Ok(pubk)
+        Ok(sig)
     }
 }
 
@@ -139,9 +139,9 @@ impl<'de> Deserialize<'de> for MultisigSignature {
             }
             Err(err) => return Err(de::Error::custom(format!("{err:?}"))),
         }
-        let pubk = MultisigSignature::from_bytes(&bytes)
+        let sig = MultisigSignature::from_bytes(&bytes)
             .map_err(|err| de::Error::custom(format!("{err:?}")))?;
-        Ok(pubk)
+        Ok(sig)
     }
 }
 
@@ -171,8 +171,8 @@ impl<'de> Deserialize<'de> for SecretKey {
             }
             Err(err) => return Err(de::Error::custom(format!("{err:?}"))),
         }
-        let pubk = SecretKey::from_bytes(&bytes)
+        let sk = SecretKey::from_bytes(&bytes)
             .map_err(|err| de::Error::custom(format!("{err:?}")))?;
-        Ok(pubk)
+        Ok(sk)
     }
 }