diff --git a/maps/CMakeLists.txt b/maps/CMakeLists.txt
index 1edd89d9..65344584 100644
--- a/maps/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/maps/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -32,3 +32,4 @@ add_spt3g_test(mask_operators)
 add_spt3g_test(healpix_maps)
 add_spt3g_test(fitsio)
 add_spt3g_test(map_modules)
+add_spt3g_test(mask_serialization_test)
diff --git a/maps/include/maps/G3SkyMapMask.h b/maps/include/maps/G3SkyMapMask.h
index 7d56fe43..04fc1c2b 100644
--- a/maps/include/maps/G3SkyMapMask.h
+++ b/maps/include/maps/G3SkyMapMask.h
@@ -108,7 +108,8 @@ class G3SkyMapMask : public G3FrameObject {
 
 private:
 	G3SkyMapMask() {} // Fake out for serialization
-	template <class A> void serialize(A &ar, const unsigned v);
+	template <class A> void load(A &ar, const unsigned v);
+	template <class A> void save(A &ar, const unsigned v) const;
 	friend class cereal::access;
 
 	std::vector<bool> data_;
@@ -121,8 +122,12 @@ class G3SkyMapMask : public G3FrameObject {
 	SET_LOGGER("G3SkyMapMask");
 };
 
+namespace cereal {
+  template <class A> struct specialize<A, G3SkyMapMask, cereal::specialization::member_load_save> {};
+}
+
 G3_POINTERS(G3SkyMapMask);
-G3_SERIALIZABLE(G3SkyMapMask, 1);
+G3_SERIALIZABLE(G3SkyMapMask, 2);
 
 #endif
 
diff --git a/maps/src/G3SkyMapMask.cxx b/maps/src/G3SkyMapMask.cxx
index cf371d26..94cb6962 100644
--- a/maps/src/G3SkyMapMask.cxx
+++ b/maps/src/G3SkyMapMask.cxx
@@ -397,15 +397,56 @@ G3SkyMapMask::MakeBinaryMap() const
 }
 
 template <class A>
-void G3SkyMapMask::serialize(A &ar, unsigned v)
+void G3SkyMapMask::load(A &ar, unsigned v)
 {
 	using namespace cereal;
 	ar & make_nvp("G3FrameObject", base_class<G3FrameObject>(this));
 	ar & make_nvp("parent", parent_);
-	ar & make_nvp("data", data_);
+	if (v < 2) {
+		ar & make_nvp("data", data_);
+	} else {
+		std::vector<uint8_t> packed;
+		size_t nbits;
+		ar & make_nvp("data", packed);
+		data_.resize(packed.size()*8);
+		for (ssize_t i = 0; i < packed.size(); i++)
+			for (int j = 0; j < 8; j++)
+				data_[i*8 + j] = (packed[i] >> j) & 1;
+		ar & make_nvp("nbits", nbits); // In case not a multiple of 8
+		data_.resize(nbits);
+	}
+}
+
+template <class A>
+void G3SkyMapMask::save(A &ar, unsigned v) const
+{
+	using namespace cereal;
+	ar & make_nvp("G3FrameObject", base_class<G3FrameObject>(this));
+	ar & make_nvp("parent", parent_);
+
+	std::vector<uint8_t> packed((data_.size() / 8) +
+	    ((data_.size() % 8) ? 1 : 0));
+	// Pack data in all bits up to a multiple of 8, then the remainder
+	// Two pieces so the compiler can unroll the inner loop in the first
+	// part
+	for (ssize_t i = 0; i < data_.size() / 8; i++) {
+		packed[i] = 0;
+		for (int j = 0; j < 8; j++)
+			packed[i] |= !!data_[i*8 + j] << j;
+	}
+	if (data_.size() % 8) {
+		const ssize_t i = packed.size() - 1;
+		packed[i] = 0;
+		for (int j = 0; j < data_.size() - i*8; j++)
+			packed[i] |= !!data_[i*8 + j] << j;
+	}
+
+	ar & make_nvp("data", packed);
+	ar & make_nvp("nbits", data_.size());
 }
+		
 
-G3_SERIALIZABLE_CODE(G3SkyMapMask);
+G3_SPLIT_SERIALIZABLE_CODE(G3SkyMapMask);
 
 static bool
 skymapmask_getitem(const G3SkyMapMask &m, boost::python::object index)
diff --git a/maps/tests/mask_serialization_test.py b/maps/tests/mask_serialization_test.py
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..5064a09d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/maps/tests/mask_serialization_test.py
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python
+
+from spt3g import core, maps
+
+import numpy
+
+m = maps.HealpixSkyMap(nside=256)
+
+data = numpy.random.uniform(0, 1, size=m.size) > 0.5
+mask = maps.G3SkyMapMask(m, data)
+
+fr = core.G3Frame(core.G3FrameType.Map)
+fr['mask'] = mask
+
+w = core.G3Writer(filename='masktest.g3')
+w(fr)
+del w
+
+f = core.G3File('masktest.g3').next()
+recovereddata = numpy.asarray(f['mask'])
+
+assert (recovereddata == data).all()
+