diff --git a/.travis.yml b/.travis.yml
index 6d272d12..fe6a40c8 100644
--- a/.travis.yml
+++ b/.travis.yml
@@ -13,10 +13,11 @@ before_script:
   - rustup target add thumbv7em-none-eabihf     # Any target that does not have a standard library will do
 script:
   - cargo fmt --all -- --check
-  - (rustup component add clippy && cargo clippy --all --all-features -- -D clippy::all) || true
+  - (rustup component add clippy && cargo clippy --all -- -D clippy::all) || true
   - cargo build
   - cargo test
-  - cargo build --no-default-features --target thumbv7em-none-eabihf # Test we can build a platform that does not have std.
+  - cargo build --no-default-features --features alloc --target thumbv7em-none-eabihf # Test we can build a platform that does not have std.
   - cargo test --no-default-features --lib --tests # Run no_std tests
+  - [[ $TRAVIS_RUST_VERSION != "1.31.0" ]] && cargo build --no-default-features --features alloc
   - cargo build --features unsealed_read_write # The crate should still build when the unsealed_read_write feature is enabled.
   - cargo build --no-default-features --features unsealed_read_write # The crate should still build when the unsealed_read_write feature is enabled and std disabled.
diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index 5ffca951..18088d53 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -26,5 +26,8 @@ serde_derive = { version = "1.0.14", default-features = false }
 
 [features]
 default = ["std"]
+# Uses `alloc` library and adds support for vector functions with
+# `no_std`.
+alloc = ["serde/alloc"]
 std = ["serde/std" ]
 unsealed_read_write = []
diff --git a/src/de.rs b/src/de.rs
index e5ef4dff..69cb4564 100644
--- a/src/de.rs
+++ b/src/de.rs
@@ -15,11 +15,12 @@ use crate::error::{Error, ErrorCode, Result};
 use crate::read::EitherLifetime;
 #[cfg(feature = "unsealed_read_write")]
 pub use crate::read::EitherLifetime;
-use crate::read::Offset;
 #[cfg(feature = "std")]
-pub use crate::read::{IoRead, SliceRead};
+pub use crate::read::IoRead;
+use crate::read::Offset;
+#[cfg(any(feature = "std", feature = "alloc"))]
+pub use crate::read::SliceRead;
 pub use crate::read::{MutSliceRead, Read, SliceReadFixed};
-
 /// Decodes a value from CBOR data in a slice.
 ///
 /// # Examples
@@ -41,7 +42,7 @@ pub use crate::read::{MutSliceRead, Read, SliceReadFixed};
 /// let value: &str = de::from_slice(&v[..]).unwrap();
 /// assert_eq!(value, "foobar");
 /// ```
-#[cfg(feature = "std")]
+#[cfg(any(feature = "std", feature = "alloc"))]
 pub fn from_slice<'a, T>(slice: &'a [u8]) -> Result<T>
 where
     T: de::Deserialize<'a>,
@@ -144,7 +145,7 @@ where
     }
 }
 
-#[cfg(feature = "std")]
+#[cfg(any(feature = "std", feature = "alloc"))]
 impl<'a> Deserializer<SliceRead<'a>> {
     /// Constructs a `Deserializer` which reads from a slice.
     ///
diff --git a/src/lib.rs b/src/lib.rs
index dfca186b..749cdeb9 100644
--- a/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/lib.rs
@@ -142,13 +142,19 @@
 //! serde_cbor = { version = "0.10", default-features = false }
 //! ```
 //!
+//! Without the `std` feature the functions [from_reader], [from_slice], [to_vec], and [to_writer]
+//! are not exported. To export [from_slice] and [to_vec] enable the `alloc` feature. The `alloc`
+//! feature uses the [`alloc` library][alloc-lib] and requires at least version 1.36.0 of Rust.
+//!
+//! [alloc-lib]: https://doc.rust-lang.org/alloc/
+//!
 //! *Note*: to use derive macros in serde you will need to declare `serde`
 //! dependency like so:
 //! ``` toml
 //! serde = { version = "1.0", default-features = false, features = ["derive"] }
 //! ```
 //!
-//! Serialize an object.
+//! Serialize an object with `no_std` and without `alloc`.
 //! ``` rust
 //! # #[macro_use] extern crate serde_derive;
 //! # fn main() -> Result<(), serde_cbor::Error> {
@@ -258,6 +264,9 @@
 #[cfg(all(not(feature = "std"), test))]
 extern crate std;
 
+#[cfg(feature = "alloc")]
+extern crate alloc;
+
 pub mod de;
 pub mod error;
 mod read;
@@ -270,18 +279,31 @@ pub mod value;
 // Re-export the [items recommended by serde](https://serde.rs/conventions.html).
 #[doc(inline)]
 pub use crate::de::{Deserializer, StreamDeserializer};
+
 #[doc(inline)]
 pub use crate::error::{Error, Result};
+
 #[doc(inline)]
 pub use crate::ser::Serializer;
+
 // Convenience functions for serialization and deserialization.
 // These functions are only available in `std` mode.
 #[cfg(feature = "std")]
 #[doc(inline)]
-pub use crate::de::{from_reader, from_slice};
+pub use crate::de::from_reader;
+
+#[cfg(any(feature = "std", feature = "alloc"))]
+#[doc(inline)]
+pub use crate::de::from_slice;
+
+#[cfg(any(feature = "std", feature = "alloc"))]
+#[doc(inline)]
+pub use crate::ser::to_vec;
+
 #[cfg(feature = "std")]
 #[doc(inline)]
-pub use crate::ser::{to_vec, to_writer};
+pub use crate::ser::to_writer;
+
 // Re-export the value type like serde_json
 #[cfg(feature = "std")]
 #[doc(inline)]
diff --git a/src/read.rs b/src/read.rs
index 89bbd7f0..512574ef 100644
--- a/src/read.rs
+++ b/src/read.rs
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+#[cfg(feature = "alloc")]
+use alloc::{vec, vec::Vec};
 #[cfg(feature = "std")]
 use core::cmp;
 use core::mem;
@@ -284,7 +286,7 @@ where
 }
 
 /// A CBOR input source that reads from a slice of bytes.
-#[cfg(feature = "std")]
+#[cfg(any(feature = "std", feature = "alloc"))]
 #[derive(Debug)]
 pub struct SliceRead<'a> {
     slice: &'a [u8],
@@ -292,7 +294,7 @@ pub struct SliceRead<'a> {
     index: usize,
 }
 
-#[cfg(feature = "std")]
+#[cfg(any(feature = "std", feature = "alloc"))]
 impl<'a> SliceRead<'a> {
     /// Creates a CBOR input source to read from a slice of bytes.
     pub fn new(slice: &'a [u8]) -> SliceRead<'a> {
@@ -314,7 +316,7 @@ impl<'a> SliceRead<'a> {
     }
 }
 
-#[cfg(feature = "std")]
+#[cfg(any(feature = "std", feature = "alloc"))]
 impl<'a> Offset for SliceRead<'a> {
     #[inline]
     fn byte_offset(&self) -> usize {
@@ -322,10 +324,13 @@ impl<'a> Offset for SliceRead<'a> {
     }
 }
 
-#[cfg(all(feature = "std", not(feature = "unsealed_read_write")))]
+#[cfg(all(
+    any(feature = "std", feature = "alloc"),
+    not(feature = "unsealed_read_write")
+))]
 impl<'a> private::Sealed for SliceRead<'a> {}
 
-#[cfg(feature = "std")]
+#[cfg(any(feature = "std", feature = "alloc"))]
 impl<'a> Read<'a> for SliceRead<'a> {
     #[inline]
     fn next(&mut self) -> Result<Option<u8>> {
diff --git a/src/ser.rs b/src/ser.rs
index d827728c..13d6f07b 100644
--- a/src/ser.rs
+++ b/src/ser.rs
@@ -1,5 +1,8 @@
 //! Serialize a Rust data structure to CBOR data.
 
+#[cfg(feature = "alloc")]
+use alloc::vec::Vec;
+
 #[cfg(feature = "std")]
 pub use crate::write::IoWrite;
 pub use crate::write::{SliceWrite, Write};
@@ -12,13 +15,13 @@ use serde::ser::{self, Serialize};
 use std::io;
 
 /// Serializes a value to a vector.
-#[cfg(feature = "std")]
+#[cfg(any(feature = "std", feature = "alloc"))]
 pub fn to_vec<T>(value: &T) -> Result<Vec<u8>>
 where
     T: ser::Serialize,
 {
     let mut vec = Vec::new();
-    to_writer(&mut vec, value)?;
+    value.serialize(&mut Serializer::new(&mut vec))?;
     Ok(vec)
 }
 
diff --git a/src/write.rs b/src/write.rs
index 53934017..94c326ef 100644
--- a/src/write.rs
+++ b/src/write.rs
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+#[cfg(feature = "alloc")]
+use alloc::vec::Vec;
 #[cfg(not(feature = "std"))]
 use core::fmt;
 #[cfg(feature = "std")]
@@ -90,17 +92,20 @@ impl<W: io::Write> Write for IoWrite<W> {
 #[cfg(all(feature = "std", not(feature = "unsealed_read_write")))]
 impl<W> private::Sealed for IoWrite<W> where W: io::Write {}
 
-// TODO this should be possible with just alloc
-#[cfg(feature = "std")]
+#[cfg(any(feature = "std", feature = "alloc"))]
 impl Write for Vec<u8> {
-    type Error = io::Error;
+    type Error = error::Error;
 
     fn write_all(&mut self, buf: &[u8]) -> Result<(), Self::Error> {
-        io::Write::write_all(self, buf)
+        self.extend_from_slice(buf);
+        Ok(())
     }
 }
 
-#[cfg(all(feature = "std", not(feature = "unsealed_read_write")))]
+#[cfg(all(
+    any(feature = "std", feature = "alloc"),
+    not(feature = "unsealed_read_write")
+))]
 impl private::Sealed for Vec<u8> {}
 
 #[cfg(not(feature = "std"))]