diff --git a/lang/rust/avro/src/de.rs b/lang/rust/avro/src/de.rs
index a2e7a0e52bd..610b15ae597 100644
--- a/lang/rust/avro/src/de.rs
+++ b/lang/rust/avro/src/de.rs
@@ -515,6 +515,7 @@ impl<'a, 'de> de::Deserializer<'de> for &'a Deserializer<'de> {
         match *self.input {
             // This branch can be anything...
             Value::Record(ref fields) => visitor.visit_enum(EnumDeserializer::new(fields)),
+            Value::String(ref field) => visitor.visit_enum(EnumUnitDeserializer::new(field)),
             // This has to be a unit Enum
             Value::Enum(_index, ref field) => visitor.visit_enum(EnumUnitDeserializer::new(field)),
             _ => Err(de::Error::custom(format!(
diff --git a/lang/rust/avro/src/ser.rs b/lang/rust/avro/src/ser.rs
index 0556dc28e98..f79e0586682 100644
--- a/lang/rust/avro/src/ser.rs
+++ b/lang/rust/avro/src/ser.rs
@@ -200,10 +200,10 @@ impl<'b> ser::Serializer for &'b mut Serializer {
     fn serialize_unit_variant(
         self,
         _: &'static str,
-        index: u32,
+        _variant_index: u32,
         variant: &'static str,
     ) -> Result<Self::Ok, Self::Error> {
-        Ok(Value::Enum(index, variant.to_string()))
+        Ok(Value::String(variant.to_string()))
     }
 
     fn serialize_newtype_struct<T: ?Sized>(
@@ -720,7 +720,7 @@ mod tests {
             a: UnitExternalEnum::Val1,
         };
 
-        let expected = Value::Record(vec![("a".to_owned(), Value::Enum(0, "Val1".to_owned()))]);
+        let expected = Value::Record(vec![("a".to_owned(), Value::String("Val1".to_owned()))]);
 
         assert_eq!(
             to_value(test)?,