diff --git a/gson/src/main/java/com/google/gson/Gson.java b/gson/src/main/java/com/google/gson/Gson.java
index 27f3ee9246..27983bed51 100644
--- a/gson/src/main/java/com/google/gson/Gson.java
+++ b/gson/src/main/java/com/google/gson/Gson.java
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@
 import com.google.gson.internal.bind.ArrayTypeAdapter;
 import com.google.gson.internal.bind.CollectionTypeAdapterFactory;
 import com.google.gson.internal.bind.DateTypeAdapter;
+import com.google.gson.internal.bind.IterableTypeAdapterFactory;
 import com.google.gson.internal.bind.JsonAdapterAnnotationTypeAdapterFactory;
 import com.google.gson.internal.bind.JsonTreeReader;
 import com.google.gson.internal.bind.JsonTreeWriter;
@@ -271,6 +272,7 @@ public Gson() {
     // type adapters for composite and user-defined types
     factories.add(new CollectionTypeAdapterFactory(constructorConstructor));
     factories.add(new MapTypeAdapterFactory(constructorConstructor, complexMapKeySerialization));
+    factories.add(IterableTypeAdapterFactory.INSTANCE);
     this.jsonAdapterFactory = new JsonAdapterAnnotationTypeAdapterFactory(constructorConstructor);
     factories.add(jsonAdapterFactory);
     factories.add(TypeAdapters.ENUM_FACTORY);
diff --git a/gson/src/main/java/com/google/gson/internal/$Gson$Types.java b/gson/src/main/java/com/google/gson/internal/$Gson$Types.java
index adea605f59..02560a12cd 100644
--- a/gson/src/main/java/com/google/gson/internal/$Gson$Types.java
+++ b/gson/src/main/java/com/google/gson/internal/$Gson$Types.java
@@ -295,17 +295,27 @@ public static Type getArrayComponentType(Type array) {
   }
 
   /**
-   * Returns the element type of this collection type.
-   * @throws IllegalArgumentException if this type is not a collection.
+   * Returns the element type of this {@link Collection} type.
+   * @throws IllegalArgumentException if this type is not a {@code Collection}.
    */
   public static Type getCollectionElementType(Type context, Class<?> contextRawType) {
-    Type collectionType = getSupertype(context, contextRawType, Collection.class);
+    checkArgument(Collection.class.isAssignableFrom(contextRawType));
+    // `Collection<E> extends Iterable<E>`, so can delegate to that method
+    return getIterableElementType(context, contextRawType);
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Returns the element type of this {@link Iterable} type.
+   * @throws IllegalArgumentException if this type is not a {@code Iterable}.
+   */
+  public static Type getIterableElementType(Type context, Class<?> contextRawType) {
+    Type iterableType = getSupertype(context, contextRawType, Iterable.class);
 
-    if (collectionType instanceof WildcardType) {
-      collectionType = ((WildcardType)collectionType).getUpperBounds()[0];
+    if (iterableType instanceof WildcardType) {
+      iterableType = ((WildcardType)iterableType).getUpperBounds()[0];
     }
-    if (collectionType instanceof ParameterizedType) {
-      return ((ParameterizedType) collectionType).getActualTypeArguments()[0];
+    if (iterableType instanceof ParameterizedType) {
+      return ((ParameterizedType) iterableType).getActualTypeArguments()[0];
     }
     return Object.class;
   }
diff --git a/gson/src/main/java/com/google/gson/internal/bind/IterableTypeAdapterFactory.java b/gson/src/main/java/com/google/gson/internal/bind/IterableTypeAdapterFactory.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..55c003d45c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/gson/src/main/java/com/google/gson/internal/bind/IterableTypeAdapterFactory.java
@@ -0,0 +1,80 @@
+package com.google.gson.internal.bind;
+
+import com.google.gson.Gson;
+import com.google.gson.TypeAdapter;
+import com.google.gson.TypeAdapterFactory;
+import com.google.gson.internal.$Gson$Types;
+import com.google.gson.reflect.TypeToken;
+import com.google.gson.stream.JsonReader;
+import com.google.gson.stream.JsonToken;
+import com.google.gson.stream.JsonWriter;
+import java.io.IOException;
+import java.lang.reflect.Type;
+import java.util.ArrayList;
+import java.util.List;
+
+public final class IterableTypeAdapterFactory implements TypeAdapterFactory {
+  public static final IterableTypeAdapterFactory INSTANCE = new IterableTypeAdapterFactory();
+
+  private IterableTypeAdapterFactory() {
+  }
+
+  @Override
+  public <T> TypeAdapter<T> create(Gson gson, TypeToken<T> typeToken) {
+    Type type = typeToken.getType();
+
+    Class<? super T> rawType = typeToken.getRawType();
+    /*
+     * Only support Iterable, but not subtypes
+     * This allows freely choosing Iterable implementation on deserialization
+     */
+    if (rawType != Iterable.class) {
+      return null;
+    }
+
+    Type elementType = $Gson$Types.getIterableElementType(type, rawType);
+    TypeAdapter<?> elementTypeAdapter = gson.getAdapter(TypeToken.get(elementType));
+
+    @SuppressWarnings({"unchecked", "rawtypes"}) // create() doesn't define a type parameter
+    TypeAdapter<T> result = new Adapter(gson, elementType, elementTypeAdapter);
+    return result;
+  }
+
+  private static final class Adapter<E> extends TypeAdapter<Iterable<E>> {
+    private final TypeAdapter<E> elementTypeAdapter;
+
+    public Adapter(Gson context, Type elementType, TypeAdapter<E> elementTypeAdapter) {
+      this.elementTypeAdapter =
+          new TypeAdapterRuntimeTypeWrapper<E>(context, elementTypeAdapter, elementType);
+    }
+
+    @Override public Iterable<E> read(JsonReader in) throws IOException {
+      if (in.peek() == JsonToken.NULL) {
+        in.nextNull();
+        return null;
+      }
+
+      List<E> list = new ArrayList<E>();
+      in.beginArray();
+      while (in.hasNext()) {
+        E instance = elementTypeAdapter.read(in);
+        list.add(instance);
+      }
+      in.endArray();
+      return list;
+    }
+
+    @Override public void write(JsonWriter out, Iterable<E> iterable) throws IOException {
+      if (iterable == null) {
+        out.nullValue();
+        return;
+      }
+
+      out.beginArray();
+      for (E element : iterable) {
+        elementTypeAdapter.write(out, element);
+      }
+      out.endArray();
+    }
+  }
+}
diff --git a/gson/src/test/java/com/google/gson/functional/IterableTest.java b/gson/src/test/java/com/google/gson/functional/IterableTest.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..efb688411d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/gson/src/test/java/com/google/gson/functional/IterableTest.java
@@ -0,0 +1,91 @@
+package com.google.gson.functional;
+
+import java.io.IOException;
+import java.util.ArrayList;
+import java.util.Arrays;
+import java.util.Iterator;
+import java.util.List;
+
+import com.google.gson.Gson;
+import com.google.gson.GsonBuilder;
+import com.google.gson.TypeAdapter;
+import com.google.gson.reflect.TypeToken;
+import com.google.gson.stream.JsonReader;
+import com.google.gson.stream.JsonWriter;
+
+import junit.framework.TestCase;
+
+public class IterableTest extends TestCase {
+  private static class CustomIterable implements Iterable<Integer> {
+    final int base;
+
+    public CustomIterable(int base) {
+      this.base = base;
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public Iterator<Integer> iterator() {
+      return Arrays.asList(base + 1, base + 2).iterator();
+    }
+  }
+
+  public void testSerialize() {
+    CustomIterable iterable = new CustomIterable(0);
+
+    Gson gson = new Gson();
+    // Serializing specific Iterable subtype should use reflection-based approach
+    assertEquals("{\"base\":0}", gson.toJson(iterable));
+    // But serializing as Iterable should use adapter
+    assertEquals("[1,2]", gson.toJson(iterable, Iterable.class));
+  }
+
+  public void testDeserialize() {
+    Gson gson = new Gson();
+    // Deserializing as specific Iterable subtype should use reflection-based approach
+    // i.e. must not choose any (potentially incompatible) class implementing `Iterable`
+    // See also https://github.com/google/gson/issues/1708
+    assertEquals(1, gson.fromJson("{\"base\":1}", CustomIterable.class).base);
+
+    // But deserializing as Iterable should use adapter
+    Iterable<Integer> deserialized = gson.fromJson("[1,2]", new TypeToken<Iterable<Integer>>() {}.getType());
+    // Collect elements and then compare them to not make any assumptions about
+    // type of `deserialized`
+    ArrayList<Integer> elements = new ArrayList<Integer>();
+    for (Integer element : deserialized) {
+      elements.add(element);
+    }
+    assertEquals(Arrays.asList(1, 2), elements);
+  }
+
+  private static class CustomIterableTypeAdapter extends TypeAdapter<Iterable<?>> {
+    private static final int SERIALIZED = 5;
+
+    private static List<Integer> getDeserialized() {
+      return Arrays.asList(1, 2);
+    }
+
+    @Override public void write(JsonWriter out, Iterable<?> value) throws IOException {
+      out.value(SERIALIZED);
+    }
+
+    @Override public Iterable<?> read(JsonReader in) throws IOException {
+      in.skipValue();
+      return getDeserialized();
+    }
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Verify that overwriting built-in {@link Iterable} adapter is possible.
+   */
+  public void testCustomAdapter() {
+    Gson gson = new GsonBuilder()
+      .registerTypeAdapter(Iterable.class, new CustomIterableTypeAdapter())
+      .create();
+
+    String expectedJson = String.valueOf(CustomIterableTypeAdapter.SERIALIZED);
+    assertEquals(expectedJson, gson.toJson(new ArrayList<String>(), Iterable.class));
+
+    List<Integer> expectedDeserialized = CustomIterableTypeAdapter.getDeserialized();
+    assertEquals(expectedDeserialized, gson.fromJson("[]", Iterable.class));
+  }
+}