diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index 1371871b4..c0da23ef0 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -77,6 +77,7 @@ divan.workspace = true
 flume.workspace = true
 noise.workspace = true     # For the terrain example.
 tracing.workspace = true
+serde_json.workspace = true # For serialization tests.
 
 [dev-dependencies.reqwest]
 workspace = true
diff --git a/crates/valence_generated/Cargo.toml b/crates/valence_generated/Cargo.toml
index 3cc9f4a4e..0c13460ab 100644
--- a/crates/valence_generated/Cargo.toml
+++ b/crates/valence_generated/Cargo.toml
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ workspace = true
 valence_math.workspace = true
 valence_ident.workspace = true
 uuid.workspace = true
+serde = { workspace = true, features = ["derive"] }
 
 [build-dependencies]
 anyhow.workspace = true
diff --git a/crates/valence_generated/build/item.rs b/crates/valence_generated/build/item.rs
index 248212982..74e670cf7 100644
--- a/crates/valence_generated/build/item.rs
+++ b/crates/valence_generated/build/item.rs
@@ -193,6 +193,27 @@ pub(crate) fn build() -> anyhow::Result<TokenStream> {
             pub snack: bool,
         }
 
+        impl serde::Serialize for ItemKind {
+            fn serialize<S>(&self, serializer: S) -> Result<S::Ok, S::Error>
+            where
+                S: serde::Serializer,
+            {
+                serializer.serialize_str(self.to_str())
+            }
+        }
+
+        impl<'de> serde::Deserialize<'de> for ItemKind {
+            fn deserialize<D>(deserializer: D) -> Result<ItemKind, D::Error>
+            where
+                D: serde::Deserializer<'de>,
+            {
+                let s: &str = serde::Deserialize::deserialize(deserializer)?;
+                ItemKind::from_str(s).ok_or_else(|| {
+                    serde::de::Error::invalid_value(serde::de::Unexpected::Str(s), &"the snake case item name, like \"white_wool\"")
+                })
+            }
+        }
+
         impl ItemKind {
             /// Constructs a item kind from a raw item ID.
             ///
diff --git a/crates/valence_protocol/src/item.rs b/crates/valence_protocol/src/item.rs
index 057ea632d..0cb6fd415 100644
--- a/crates/valence_protocol/src/item.rs
+++ b/crates/valence_protocol/src/item.rs
@@ -1,12 +1,13 @@
 use std::io::Write;
 
+use serde::{Deserialize, Serialize};
 pub use valence_generated::item::ItemKind;
 use valence_nbt::Compound;
 
 use crate::{Decode, Encode};
 
 /// A stack of items in an inventory.
-#[derive(Clone, PartialEq, Debug, Default)]
+#[derive(Serialize, Deserialize, Clone, PartialEq, Debug, Default)]
 pub struct ItemStack {
     pub item: ItemKind,
     pub count: i8,
diff --git a/src/tests.rs b/src/tests.rs
index e82971210..0693a4497 100644
--- a/src/tests.rs
+++ b/src/tests.rs
@@ -7,5 +7,6 @@ mod layer;
 mod player_list;
 mod potions;
 mod scoreboard;
+mod serialization;
 mod weather;
 mod world_border;
diff --git a/src/tests/serialization.rs b/src/tests/serialization.rs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..986a1e178
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/tests/serialization.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+use crate::ItemKind;
+
+#[test]
+fn test_serialize_item_kind() {
+    let item = ItemKind::WhiteWool;
+    let serialized = serde_json::to_string(&item).unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(serialized, "\"white_wool\"");
+
+    let item = ItemKind::GoldenSword;
+    let serialized = serde_json::to_string(&item).unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(serialized, "\"golden_sword\"");
+
+    let item = ItemKind::NetheriteAxe;
+    let serialized = serde_json::to_string(&item).unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(serialized, "\"netherite_axe\"");
+
+    let item = ItemKind::WaxedWeatheredCutCopperStairs;
+    let serialized = serde_json::to_string(&item).unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(serialized, "\"waxed_weathered_cut_copper_stairs\"");
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn test_deserialize_item_kind() {
+    let id = "\"diamond_shovel\"";
+    let deserialized: ItemKind = serde_json::from_str(id).unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(deserialized, ItemKind::DiamondShovel);
+
+    let id = "\"minecart\"";
+    let deserialized: ItemKind = serde_json::from_str(id).unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(deserialized, ItemKind::Minecart);
+
+    let id = "\"vindicator_spawn_egg\"";
+    let deserialized: ItemKind = serde_json::from_str(id).unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(deserialized, ItemKind::VindicatorSpawnEgg);
+}