diff --git a/ironic/drivers/modules/agent_base_vendor.py b/ironic/drivers/modules/agent_base_vendor.py
index 91d4236d12..9d061df8f5 100644
--- a/ironic/drivers/modules/agent_base_vendor.py
+++ b/ironic/drivers/modules/agent_base_vendor.py
@@ -348,7 +348,7 @@ class BaseAgentVendor(base.VendorInterface):
 
         return {
             'heartbeat_timeout': CONF.agent.heartbeat_timeout,
-            'node': node
+            'node': node.as_dict()
         }
 
     def _get_completed_cleaning_command(self, task):
diff --git a/ironic/objects/base.py b/ironic/objects/base.py
index c2150dd9f2..75aff8c26a 100644
--- a/ironic/objects/base.py
+++ b/ironic/objects/base.py
@@ -19,7 +19,6 @@ import copy
 
 from oslo_context import context
 from oslo_log import log as logging
-import oslo_messaging as messaging
 from oslo_utils import versionutils
 from oslo_versionedobjects import base as object_base
 import six
@@ -177,6 +176,7 @@ class IronicObject(object_base.VersionedObjectDictCompat):
     as appropriate.
     """
 
+    OBJ_SERIAL_NAMESPACE = 'ironic_object'
     # Version of this object (see rules above check_object_version())
     VERSION = '1.0'
 
@@ -420,48 +420,9 @@ class ObjectListBase(object_base.ObjectListBase):
     }
 
 
-class IronicObjectSerializer(messaging.NoOpSerializer):
-    """A IronicObject-aware Serializer.
-
-    This implements the Oslo Serializer interface and provides the
-    ability to serialize and deserialize IronicObject entities. Any service
-    that needs to accept or return IronicObjects as arguments or result values
-    should pass this to its RpcProxy and RpcDispatcher objects.
-    """
-
-    def _process_iterable(self, context, action_fn, values):
-        """Process an iterable, taking an action on each value.
-
-        :param:context: Request context
-        :param:action_fn: Action to take on each item in values
-        :param:values: Iterable container of things to take action on
-        :returns: A new container of the same type (except set) with
-                  items from values having had action applied.
-        """
-        iterable = values.__class__
-        if iterable == set:
-            # NOTE(danms): A set can't have an unhashable value inside, such as
-            # a dict. Convert sets to tuples, which is fine, since we can't
-            # send them over RPC anyway.
-            iterable = tuple
-        return iterable([action_fn(context, value) for value in values])
-
-    def serialize_entity(self, context, entity):
-        if isinstance(entity, (tuple, list, set)):
-            entity = self._process_iterable(context, self.serialize_entity,
-                                            entity)
-        elif (hasattr(entity, 'obj_to_primitive') and
-                callable(entity.obj_to_primitive)):
-            entity = entity.obj_to_primitive()
-        return entity
-
-    def deserialize_entity(self, context, entity):
-        if isinstance(entity, dict) and 'ironic_object.name' in entity:
-            entity = IronicObject.obj_from_primitive(entity, context=context)
-        elif isinstance(entity, (tuple, list, set)):
-            entity = self._process_iterable(context, self.deserialize_entity,
-                                            entity)
-        return entity
+class IronicObjectSerializer(object_base.VersionedObjectSerializer):
+    # Base class to use for object hydration
+    OBJ_BASE_CLASS = IronicObject
 
 
 def obj_to_primitive(obj):
diff --git a/ironic/tests/drivers/test_agent_base_vendor.py b/ironic/tests/drivers/test_agent_base_vendor.py
index 13710f91f0..6c64ec7d71 100644
--- a/ironic/tests/drivers/test_agent_base_vendor.py
+++ b/ironic/tests/drivers/test_agent_base_vendor.py
@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@ class TestBaseAgentVendor(db_base.DbTestCase):
         find_mock.return_value = self.node
         with task_manager.acquire(self.context, self.node.uuid) as task:
             node = self.passthru.lookup(task.context, **kwargs)
-        self.assertEqual(self.node, node['node'])
+        self.assertEqual(self.node.as_dict(), node['node'])
 
     def test_lookup_v2_missing_inventory(self):
         with task_manager.acquire(self.context, self.node.uuid) as task:
@@ -156,7 +156,7 @@ class TestBaseAgentVendor(db_base.DbTestCase):
         mock_get_node.return_value = self.node
         with task_manager.acquire(self.context, self.node.uuid) as task:
             node = self.passthru.lookup(task.context, **kwargs)
-        self.assertEqual(self.node, node['node'])
+        self.assertEqual(self.node.as_dict(), node['node'])
         mock_get_node.assert_called_once_with(mock.ANY, 'fake uuid')
 
     @mock.patch.object(objects.port.Port, 'get_by_address',
diff --git a/ironic/tests/objects/test_objects.py b/ironic/tests/objects/test_objects.py
index 93eda0ff77..58fa4206e1 100644
--- a/ironic/tests/objects/test_objects.py
+++ b/ironic/tests/objects/test_objects.py
@@ -471,16 +471,6 @@ class TestObject(_LocalTest, _TestObject):
 
 class TestObjectSerializer(test_base.TestCase):
 
-    def test_serialize_entity_primitive(self):
-        ser = base.IronicObjectSerializer()
-        for thing in (1, 'foo', [1, 2], {'foo': 'bar'}):
-            self.assertEqual(thing, ser.serialize_entity(None, thing))
-
-    def test_deserialize_entity_primitive(self):
-        ser = base.IronicObjectSerializer()
-        for thing in (1, 'foo', [1, 2], {'foo': 'bar'}):
-            self.assertEqual(thing, ser.deserialize_entity(None, thing))
-
     def test_object_serialization(self):
         ser = base.IronicObjectSerializer()
         obj = MyObj(self.context)