diff --git a/docs/command-line-slangc-reference.md b/docs/command-line-slangc-reference.md
index 624663cb207..30a0a5e6a3c 100644
--- a/docs/command-line-slangc-reference.md
+++ b/docs/command-line-slangc-reference.md
@@ -627,7 +627,7 @@ Print the hierarchy of the processed source files.
 
 <a id="serial-ir"></a>
 ### -serial-ir
-Serialize the IR between front-end and back-end. 
+\[REMOVED\] Serialize the IR between front-end and back-end. 
 
 
 <a id="skip-codegen"></a>
diff --git a/include/slang.h b/include/slang.h
index ba247aadd12..0ee9496efff 100644
--- a/include/slang.h
+++ b/include/slang.h
@@ -963,9 +963,9 @@ typedef uint32_t SlangSizeT;
         PreprocessorOutput,
         OutputIncludes,
         ReproFileSystem,
-        SerialIr,    // bool
-        SkipCodeGen, // bool
-        ValidateIr,  // bool
+        REMOVED_SerialIR, // deprecated and removed
+        SkipCodeGen,      // bool
+        ValidateIr,       // bool
         VerbosePaths,
         VerifyDebugSerialIr,
         NoCodeGen, // Not used.
diff --git a/source/slang-record-replay/util/emum-to-string.h b/source/slang-record-replay/util/emum-to-string.h
index 1647ab24b11..29365e6af58 100644
--- a/source/slang-record-replay/util/emum-to-string.h
+++ b/source/slang-record-replay/util/emum-to-string.h
@@ -205,7 +205,7 @@ static Slang::String CompilerOptionNameToString(const slang::CompilerOptionName
         CASE(PreprocessorOutput);
         CASE(OutputIncludes);
         CASE(ReproFileSystem);
-        CASE(SerialIr);
+        CASE(REMOVED_SerialIR);
         CASE(SkipCodeGen);
         CASE(ValidateIr);
         CASE(VerbosePaths);
diff --git a/source/slang/slang-compiler.cpp b/source/slang/slang-compiler.cpp
index 4ba937992d0..dc202c3b0d1 100644
--- a/source/slang/slang-compiler.cpp
+++ b/source/slang/slang-compiler.cpp
@@ -2375,8 +2375,7 @@ SlangResult EndToEndCompileRequest::writeContainerToStream(Stream* stream)
     // If debug information is enabled, enable writing out source locs
     if (_shouldWriteSourceLocs(linkage))
     {
-        options.optionFlags |= SerialOptionFlag::SourceLocation;
-        options.sourceManager = linkage->getSourceManager();
+        options.sourceManagerToUseWhenSerializingSourceLocs = linkage->getSourceManager();
     }
 
     SLANG_RETURN_ON_FAIL(SerialContainerUtil::write(this, options, stream));
@@ -2919,7 +2918,6 @@ bool CodeGenContext::isSpecializationDisabled()
 SLANG_NO_THROW SlangResult SLANG_MCALL Module::serialize(ISlangBlob** outSerializedBlob)
 {
     SerialContainerUtil::WriteOptions writeOptions;
-    writeOptions.sourceManager = getLinkage()->getSourceManager();
     OwnedMemoryStream memoryStream(FileAccess::Write);
     SLANG_RETURN_ON_FAIL(SerialContainerUtil::write(this, writeOptions, &memoryStream));
     *outSerializedBlob = RawBlob::create(
@@ -2932,7 +2930,6 @@ SLANG_NO_THROW SlangResult SLANG_MCALL Module::serialize(ISlangBlob** outSeriali
 SLANG_NO_THROW SlangResult SLANG_MCALL Module::writeToFile(char const* fileName)
 {
     SerialContainerUtil::WriteOptions writeOptions;
-    writeOptions.sourceManager = getLinkage()->getSourceManager();
     FileStream fileStream;
     SLANG_RETURN_ON_FAIL(fileStream.init(fileName, FileMode::Create));
     return SerialContainerUtil::write(this, writeOptions, &fileStream);
diff --git a/source/slang/slang-compiler.h b/source/slang/slang-compiler.h
index cee80f8828d..7071e4c733c 100644
--- a/source/slang/slang-compiler.h
+++ b/source/slang/slang-compiler.h
@@ -2659,10 +2659,6 @@ class FrontEndCompileRequest : public CompileRequestBase
         return translationUnits[index];
     }
 
-    // If true then generateIR will serialize out IR, and serialize back in again. Making
-    // serialization a bottleneck or firewall between the front end and the backend
-    bool useSerialIRBottleneck = false;
-
     // If true will serialize and de-serialize with debug information
     bool verifyDebugSerialization = false;
 
diff --git a/source/slang/slang-options.cpp b/source/slang/slang-options.cpp
index 28953b4ede2..3227e2de403 100644
--- a/source/slang/slang-options.cpp
+++ b/source/slang/slang-options.cpp
@@ -809,10 +809,10 @@ void initCommandOptions(CommandOptions& options)
          "-output-includes",
          nullptr,
          "Print the hierarchy of the processed source files."},
-        {OptionKind::SerialIr,
+        {OptionKind::REMOVED_SerialIR,
          "-serial-ir",
          nullptr,
-         "Serialize the IR between front-end and back-end."},
+         "[REMOVED] Serialize the IR between front-end and back-end."},
         {OptionKind::SkipCodeGen, "-skip-codegen", nullptr, "Skip the code generation phase."},
         {OptionKind::ValidateIr, "-validate-ir", nullptr, "Validate the IR between the phases."},
         {OptionKind::VerbosePaths,
@@ -2394,9 +2394,6 @@ SlangResult OptionsParser::_parse(int argc, char const* const* argv)
         case OptionKind::ReproFileSystem:
             SLANG_RETURN_ON_FAIL(_parseReproFileSystem(arg));
             break;
-        case OptionKind::SerialIr:
-            m_frontEndReq->useSerialIRBottleneck = true;
-            break;
         case OptionKind::VerbosePaths:
             m_requestImpl->getSink()->setFlag(DiagnosticSink::Flag::VerbosePath);
             break;
diff --git a/source/slang/slang-serialize-container.cpp b/source/slang/slang-serialize-container.cpp
index ba8c74ca4bc..1d7f6d43856 100644
--- a/source/slang/slang-serialize-container.cpp
+++ b/source/slang/slang-serialize-container.cpp
@@ -18,7 +18,6 @@ namespace Slang
 struct ModuleEncodingContext
 {
 private:
-    SerialContainerUtil::WriteOptions const& _options;
     Stream* _stream = nullptr;
 
     // The string pool used across the whole of the container
@@ -30,11 +29,12 @@ struct ModuleEncodingContext
 
 public:
     ModuleEncodingContext(SerialContainerUtil::WriteOptions const& options, Stream* stream)
-        : _options(options), _stream(stream), _containerStringPool(StringSlicePool::Style::Default)
+        : _stream(stream), _containerStringPool(StringSlicePool::Style::Default)
     {
-        if (options.optionFlags & SerialOptionFlag::SourceLocation)
+        if (options.sourceManagerToUseWhenSerializingSourceLocs)
         {
-            _sourceLocWriter = new SerialSourceLocWriter(options.sourceManager);
+            _sourceLocWriter =
+                new SerialSourceLocWriter(options.sourceManagerToUseWhenSerializingSourceLocs);
         }
 
         _cursor = RIFF::BuildCursor(_riff);
@@ -140,8 +140,7 @@ struct ModuleEncodingContext
         IRSerialData serialData;
         IRSerialWriter writer;
 
-        SLANG_RETURN_ON_FAIL(
-            writer.write(irModule, _sourceLocWriter, _options.optionFlags, &serialData));
+        SLANG_RETURN_ON_FAIL(writer.write(irModule, _sourceLocWriter, &serialData));
         SLANG_RETURN_ON_FAIL(IRSerialWriter::writeTo(serialData, _cursor));
 
         return SLANG_OK;
@@ -185,9 +184,6 @@ struct ModuleEncodingContext
 
     SlangResult encode(Module* module)
     {
-        if (!(_options.optionFlags & (SerialOptionFlag::IRModule | SerialOptionFlag::ASTModule)))
-            return SLANG_OK;
-
         SLANG_SCOPED_RIFF_BUILDER_LIST_CHUNK(_cursor, SerialBinary::kModuleFourCC);
 
         // The first piece that we write for a module is its header.
@@ -216,31 +212,22 @@ struct ModuleEncodingContext
             encodeModuleDependencyPaths(module);
         }
 
-        // If serialization of Slang IR modules is enabled, and there
-        // is IR available for this module, then we we encode it.
+        // If there is IR available for this module, then we we encode it.
         //
-        if ((_options.optionFlags & SerialOptionFlag::IRModule))
+        if (auto irModule = module->getIRModule())
         {
-            if (auto irModule = module->getIRModule())
-            {
-                IRSerialData serialData;
-                IRSerialWriter writer;
-                SLANG_RETURN_ON_FAIL(
-                    writer.write(irModule, _sourceLocWriter, _options.optionFlags, &serialData));
-                SLANG_RETURN_ON_FAIL(IRSerialWriter::writeTo(serialData, _cursor));
-            }
+            IRSerialData serialData;
+            IRSerialWriter writer;
+            SLANG_RETURN_ON_FAIL(writer.write(irModule, _sourceLocWriter, &serialData));
+            SLANG_RETURN_ON_FAIL(IRSerialWriter::writeTo(serialData, _cursor));
         }
 
-        // If serialization of AST information is enabled, and we have AST
-        // information available, then we serialize it here.
+        // If we have AST information available, then we serialize it here.
         //
-        if (_options.optionFlags & SerialOptionFlag::ASTModule)
+        if (auto moduleDecl = module->getModuleDecl())
         {
-            if (auto moduleDecl = module->getModuleDecl())
-            {
-                SLANG_SCOPED_RIFF_BUILDER_LIST_CHUNK(_cursor, PropertyKeys<Module>::ASTModule);
-                writeSerializedModuleAST(_cursor, moduleDecl, _sourceLocWriter);
-            }
+            SLANG_SCOPED_RIFF_BUILDER_LIST_CHUNK(_cursor, PropertyKeys<Module>::ASTModule);
+            writeSerializedModuleAST(_cursor, moduleDecl, _sourceLocWriter);
         }
 
         return SLANG_OK;
@@ -643,16 +630,16 @@ SlangResult decodeModuleIR(
 
         RefPtr<SerialSourceLocWriter> sourceLocWriter;
 
-        if (options.optionFlags & SerialOptionFlag::SourceLocation)
+        if (options.sourceManagerToUseWhenSerializingSourceLocs)
         {
-            sourceLocWriter = new SerialSourceLocWriter(options.sourceManager);
+            sourceLocWriter =
+                new SerialSourceLocWriter(options.sourceManagerToUseWhenSerializingSourceLocs);
         }
 
         {
-            // Write IR out to serialData - copying over SourceLoc information directly
+            // Write IR out to `irData`
             IRSerialWriter writer;
-            SLANG_RETURN_ON_FAIL(
-                writer.write(module, sourceLocWriter, options.optionFlags, &irData));
+            SLANG_RETURN_ON_FAIL(writer.write(module, sourceLocWriter, &irData));
         }
         SLANG_RETURN_ON_FAIL(IRSerialWriter::writeTo(irData, cursor));
 
@@ -672,7 +659,7 @@ SlangResult decodeModuleIR(
     memoryStream.seek(SeekOrigin::Start, 0);
 
     SourceManager workSourceManager;
-    workSourceManager.initialize(options.sourceManager, nullptr);
+    workSourceManager.initialize(options.sourceManagerToUseWhenSerializingSourceLocs, nullptr);
 
     // The read ir module
     RefPtr<IRModule> irReadModule;
@@ -695,7 +682,7 @@ SlangResult decodeModuleIR(
         RefPtr<SerialSourceLocReader> sourceLocReader;
 
         // If we have debug info then find and read it
-        if (options.optionFlags & SerialOptionFlag::SourceLocation)
+        if (options.sourceManagerToUseWhenSerializingSourceLocs)
         {
             auto debugChunk = DebugChunk::find(moduleChunk);
             if (!debugChunk)
@@ -742,23 +729,7 @@ SlangResult decodeModuleIR(
         return SLANG_FAIL;
     }
 
-    if (options.optionFlags & SerialOptionFlag::RawSourceLocation)
-    {
-        SLANG_ASSERT(readInsts[0] == originalInsts[0]);
-        // All the source locs should be identical
-        for (Index i = 1; i < readInsts.getCount(); ++i)
-        {
-            IRInst* origInst = originalInsts[i];
-            IRInst* readInst = readInsts[i];
-
-            if (origInst->sourceLoc.getRaw() != readInst->sourceLoc.getRaw())
-            {
-                SLANG_ASSERT(!"Source locs don't match");
-                return SLANG_FAIL;
-            }
-        }
-    }
-    else if (options.optionFlags & SerialOptionFlag::SourceLocation)
+    if (options.sourceManagerToUseWhenSerializingSourceLocs)
     {
         // They should be on the same line nos
         for (Index i = 1; i < readInsts.getCount(); ++i)
@@ -772,7 +743,9 @@ SlangResult decodeModuleIR(
             }
 
             // Work out the
-            SourceView* origSourceView = options.sourceManager->findSourceView(origInst->sourceLoc);
+            SourceView* origSourceView =
+                options.sourceManagerToUseWhenSerializingSourceLocs->findSourceView(
+                    origInst->sourceLoc);
             SourceView* readSourceView = workSourceManager.findSourceView(readInst->sourceLoc);
 
             // if both are null we are done
diff --git a/source/slang/slang-serialize-container.h b/source/slang/slang-serialize-container.h
index 81d03251f2a..1608b085c0f 100644
--- a/source/slang/slang-serialize-container.h
+++ b/source/slang/slang-serialize-container.h
@@ -17,10 +17,16 @@ struct SerialContainerUtil
 {
     struct WriteOptions
     {
-        SerialOptionFlags optionFlags =
-            SerialOptionFlag::ASTModule |
-            SerialOptionFlag::IRModule; ///< Flags controlling what is written
-        SourceManager* sourceManager =
+        /// The source manager that is used by `SourceLoc`s in the input.
+        ///
+        /// If null, source location information will not be serialized
+        /// as part of the output.
+        ///
+        /// If non-null, it must be the `SourceManager` that was used to
+        /// create any `SourceLoc`s that appear in the module(s) that get
+        /// written.
+        ///
+        SourceManager* sourceManagerToUseWhenSerializingSourceLocs =
             nullptr; ///< The source manager used for the SourceLoc in the input
     };
 
diff --git a/source/slang/slang-serialize-ir.cpp b/source/slang/slang-serialize-ir.cpp
index f03f46da885..662f8acf182 100644
--- a/source/slang/slang-serialize-ir.cpp
+++ b/source/slang/slang-serialize-ir.cpp
@@ -108,7 +108,6 @@ Result IRSerialWriter::_calcDebugInfo(SerialSourceLocWriter* sourceLocWriter)
 Result IRSerialWriter::write(
     IRModule* module,
     SerialSourceLocWriter* sourceLocWriter,
-    SerialOptionFlags options,
     IRSerialData* serialData)
 {
     typedef Ser::Inst::PayloadType PayloadType;
@@ -306,23 +305,7 @@ Result IRSerialWriter::write(
         SerialStringTableUtil::encodeStringTable(m_stringSlicePool, serialData->m_stringTable);
     }
 
-    // If the option to use RawSourceLocations is enabled, serialize out as is
-    if (options & SerialOptionFlag::RawSourceLocation)
-    {
-        const Index numInsts = m_insts.getCount();
-        serialData->m_rawSourceLocs.setCount(numInsts);
-
-        Ser::RawSourceLoc* dstLocs = serialData->m_rawSourceLocs.begin();
-        // 0 is null, just mark as no location
-        dstLocs[0] = Ser::RawSourceLoc(0);
-        for (Index i = 1; i < numInsts; ++i)
-        {
-            IRInst* srcInst = m_insts[i];
-            dstLocs[i] = Ser::RawSourceLoc(srcInst->sourceLoc.getRaw());
-        }
-    }
-
-    if ((options & SerialOptionFlag::SourceLocation) && sourceLocWriter)
+    if (sourceLocWriter)
     {
         _calcDebugInfo(sourceLocWriter);
     }
diff --git a/source/slang/slang-serialize-ir.h b/source/slang/slang-serialize-ir.h
index c9fb16c27b5..f6ab7e9adf5 100644
--- a/source/slang/slang-serialize-ir.h
+++ b/source/slang/slang-serialize-ir.h
@@ -25,7 +25,6 @@ struct IRSerialWriter
     Result write(
         IRModule* module,
         SerialSourceLocWriter* sourceLocWriter,
-        SerialOptionFlags flags,
         IRSerialData* serialData);
 
     /// Write to a container
diff --git a/source/slang/slang-serialize-types.h b/source/slang/slang-serialize-types.h
index 09de865dbb6..be49be1eae0 100644
--- a/source/slang/slang-serialize-types.h
+++ b/source/slang/slang-serialize-types.h
@@ -13,25 +13,6 @@ namespace Slang
 {
 class Module;
 
-// Options for IR/AST/Debug serialization
-
-struct SerialOptionFlag
-{
-    typedef uint32_t Type;
-    enum Enum : Type
-    {
-        RawSourceLocation =
-            0x01, ///< If set will store directly SourceLoc - only useful if current source locs
-                  ///< will be identical when read in (typically this is *NOT* the case)
-        SourceLocation = 0x02, ///< If set will output SourceLoc information, that can be
-                               ///< reconstructed when read after being stored.
-        ASTModule = 0x04, ///< If set will output AST modules - typically required, but potentially
-                          ///< not desired (for example with obsfucation)
-        IRModule = 0x08,  ///< If set will output IR modules - typically required
-    };
-};
-typedef SerialOptionFlag::Type SerialOptionFlags;
-
 struct SerialStringData
 {
     enum class StringIndex : uint32_t;
diff --git a/source/slang/slang.cpp b/source/slang/slang.cpp
index f2f28e3e3f5..e149058b1ed 100644
--- a/source/slang/slang.cpp
+++ b/source/slang/slang.cpp
@@ -637,13 +637,11 @@ SlangResult Session::saveBuiltinModule(
     // We want builtin modules to be saved with their source location
     // information.
     //
-    options.optionFlags |= SerialOptionFlag::SourceLocation;
-    //
     // And in order to work with source locations, the serialization
     // process will also need access to the source manager that
     // can translate locations into their humane format.
     //
-    options.sourceManager = m_builtinLinkage->getSourceManager();
+    options.sourceManagerToUseWhenSerializingSourceLocs = m_builtinLinkage->getSourceManager();
 
     // At this point we can finally delegate down to the next level,
     // which handles the serialization of a Slang module into a
@@ -3619,8 +3617,7 @@ void FrontEndCompileRequest::generateIR()
         {
             SerialContainerUtil::WriteOptions options;
 
-            options.sourceManager = getSourceManager();
-            options.optionFlags |= SerialOptionFlag::SourceLocation;
+            options.sourceManagerToUseWhenSerializingSourceLocs = getSourceManager();
 
             // Verify debug information
             if (SLANG_FAILED(
@@ -3632,33 +3629,6 @@ void FrontEndCompileRequest::generateIR()
             }
         }
 
-        if (useSerialIRBottleneck)
-        {
-            // Keep the obfuscated source map (if there is one)
-            ComPtr<IBoxValue<SourceMap>> obfuscatedSourceMap(irModule->getObfuscatedSourceMap());
-
-            IRSerialData serialData;
-            {
-                // Write IR out to serialData - copying over SourceLoc information directly
-                IRSerialWriter writer;
-                writer.write(irModule, nullptr, SerialOptionFlag::RawSourceLocation, &serialData);
-
-                // Destroy irModule such that memory can be used for newly constructed read
-                // irReadModule
-                irModule = nullptr;
-            }
-            RefPtr<IRModule> irReadModule;
-            {
-                // Read IR back from serialData
-                IRSerialReader reader;
-                reader.read(serialData, getSession(), nullptr, irReadModule);
-            }
-
-            // Set irModule to the read module
-            irModule = irReadModule;
-            irModule->setObfuscatedSourceMap(obfuscatedSourceMap);
-        }
-
         // Set the module on the translation unit
         translationUnit->getModule()->setIRModule(irModule);
     }