diff --git a/crates/logtail-poster/src/config.rs b/crates/logtail-poster/src/config.rs
index 1f0a00b..ea33ca9 100644
--- a/crates/logtail-poster/src/config.rs
+++ b/crates/logtail-poster/src/config.rs
@@ -23,9 +23,8 @@ pub(crate) fn state_file(name: &str) -> Option<PathBuf> {
 /// IDs, however in practice the most read value is the private ID.
 #[derive(Serialize, Deserialize, Eq, PartialEq, Debug)]
 pub struct Config {
-    // TODO(Xe): make this use a custom serde format, see https://serde.rs/custom-date-format.html
-    private_id: String,
-    public_id: String,
+    private_id: logtail::PrivateID,
+    public_id: logtail::PublicID,
 }
 
 impl Config {
@@ -35,14 +34,19 @@ impl Config {
         let private_id = logtail::PrivateID::new();
 
         Self {
-            private_id: private_id.as_hex(),
-            public_id: private_id.as_public().as_hex(),
+            public_id: private_id.as_public(),
+            private_id,
         }
     }
 
     /// Returns the logtail private ID for this Config.
     pub fn private_id(self) -> logtail::PrivateID {
-        logtail::PrivateID::from_hex(self.private_id).unwrap()
+        self.private_id
+    }
+
+    /// Returns the logtail public ID for this Config.
+    pub fn public_id(self) -> logtail::PublicID {
+        self.public_id
     }
 
     /// Loads the relevant configuration file off disk, and creates a new one if it
diff --git a/crates/logtail/Cargo.toml b/crates/logtail/Cargo.toml
index 8a29751..286ff70 100644
--- a/crates/logtail/Cargo.toml
+++ b/crates/logtail/Cargo.toml
@@ -6,15 +6,8 @@ edition = "2018"
 # See more keys and their definitions at
 # https://doc.rust-lang.org/cargo/reference/manifest.html
 
-[features]
-default = [ "serde-ser" ]
-serde-ser = [ "serde" ]
-
 [dependencies]
 hex = "0.4"
 rand = "0"
+serde = "1"
 sha2 = "0.9"
-
-[dependencies.serde]
-version = "1"
-optional = true
diff --git a/crates/logtail/src/lib.rs b/crates/logtail/src/lib.rs
index b85f4ec..316d4a7 100644
--- a/crates/logtail/src/lib.rs
+++ b/crates/logtail/src/lib.rs
@@ -10,7 +10,6 @@ use std::fmt;
 #[derive(Clone, PartialEq, Eq)]
 pub struct PrivateID([u8; SHA256_SIZE]);
 
-#[cfg(feature = "serde-ser")]
 mod serde;
 
 impl PrivateID {
diff --git a/crates/logtail/src/serde.rs b/crates/logtail/src/serde.rs
index d4c5bcd..8b07220 100644
--- a/crates/logtail/src/serde.rs
+++ b/crates/logtail/src/serde.rs
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 use super::{PrivateID, PublicID};
-use serde::{de, Serialize, Serializer};
+use serde::{de, Deserialize, Deserializer, Serialize, Serializer};
 use std::fmt;
 
 impl Serialize for PrivateID {
@@ -34,6 +34,15 @@ impl<'de> de::Visitor<'de> for PrivateIDVisitor {
     }
 }
 
+impl<'de> Deserialize<'de> for PrivateID {
+    fn deserialize<D>(deserializer: D) -> Result<PrivateID, D::Error>
+    where
+        D: Deserializer<'de>,
+    {
+        deserializer.deserialize_str(PrivateIDVisitor)
+    }
+}
+
 impl Serialize for PublicID {
     fn serialize<S>(&self, serializer: S) -> Result<S::Ok, S::Error>
     where
@@ -65,3 +74,12 @@ impl<'de> de::Visitor<'de> for PublicIDVisitor {
         }
     }
 }
+
+impl<'de> Deserialize<'de> for PublicID {
+    fn deserialize<D>(deserializer: D) -> Result<PublicID, D::Error>
+    where
+        D: Deserializer<'de>,
+    {
+        deserializer.deserialize_str(PublicIDVisitor)
+    }
+}