diff --git a/fmt/format.h b/fmt/format.h
index 0cd9e8b9..e268eb16 100644
--- a/fmt/format.h
+++ b/fmt/format.h
@@ -156,6 +156,15 @@ typedef __int64          intmax_t;
 # include <utility>  // for std::move
 #endif
 
+#ifndef FMT_HAS_THREAD_LOCAL
+// Thread local storage are available in GCC since version 4.8
+// (https://gcc.gnu.org/projects/cxx-status.html) and in Visual C++
+// since version 2015.
+# define FMT_HAS_THREAD_LOCAL \
+   (FMT_HAS_FEATURE(cxx_thread_local) || \
+       (FMT_GCC_VERSION >= 408 && FMT_HAS_GXX_CXX11) || FMT_MSC_VER >= 1900)
+#endif
+
 // Check if exceptions are disabled.
 #if defined(__GNUC__) && !defined(__EXCEPTIONS)
 # define FMT_EXCEPTIONS 0
@@ -1427,7 +1436,10 @@ class ArgList {
     return args_[index];
   }
 
+#if FMT_HAS_THREAD_LOCAL
+
   // Cross-thread serialization facility
+
   template <typename Char>
   void serialize(std::vector<uint8_t>& buffer) const;
   template <typename Char>
@@ -1440,8 +1452,11 @@ private:
   static void serialize_extra_data(uint8_t*& data_buffer, const internal::Arg& arg);
   template <typename Char>
   static void deserialize_extra_data(uint8_t*& data_buffer, internal::Arg& arg);
+#endif
 };
 
+#if FMT_HAS_THREAD_LOCAL
+
 // Cross-thread serialization facility
 
 template <typename Char>
@@ -1658,6 +1673,8 @@ inline ArgList ArgList::deserialize(std::vector<uint8_t>& buffer)
   return args_list;
 }
 
+#endif
+
 #define FMT_DISPATCH(call) static_cast<Impl*>(this)->call
 
 /**
diff --git a/test/format-test.cc b/test/format-test.cc
index 050ce6d6..491df150 100644
--- a/test/format-test.cc
+++ b/test/format-test.cc
@@ -1654,6 +1654,8 @@ TEST(FormatTest, CustomArgFormatter) {
   custom_format("{}", 42);
 }
 
+#if FMT_HAS_THREAD_LOCAL
+
 std::string serialize_deserialize(const char *format_str, fmt::ArgList args) {
   std::vector<uint8_t> buffer;
   args.serialize<char>(buffer);
@@ -1681,3 +1683,5 @@ TEST(FormatTest, Serialization) {
   EXPECT_EQ(serialize_deserialize("Elapsed time: {s:.2f} seconds", "s"_a = 1.23), "Elapsed time: 1.23 seconds");
   EXPECT_EQ(serialize_deserialize("The answer is {}"_format(42).c_str()), "The answer is 42");
 }
+
+#endif