diff --git a/serde-reflection/src/de.rs b/serde-reflection/src/de.rs
index c08baa634..d7707f4b8 100644
--- a/serde-reflection/src/de.rs
+++ b/serde-reflection/src/de.rs
@@ -20,18 +20,15 @@ use std::collections::btree_map::{BTreeMap, Entry};
 ///   `&'a mut` references used to return tracing results.
 /// * The lifetime 'de is fixed and the `&'de` reference meant to let us
 ///   borrow values from previous serialization runs.
-pub(crate) struct Deserializer<'de, 'a> {
+pub struct Deserializer<'de, 'a> {
     tracer: &'a mut Tracer,
     samples: &'de Samples,
     format: &'a mut Format,
 }
 
 impl<'de, 'a> Deserializer<'de, 'a> {
-    pub(crate) fn new(
-        tracer: &'a mut Tracer,
-        samples: &'de Samples,
-        format: &'a mut Format,
-    ) -> Self {
+    /// Create a new Deserializer
+    pub fn new(tracer: &'a mut Tracer, samples: &'de Samples, format: &'a mut Format) -> Self {
         Deserializer {
             tracer,
             samples,
@@ -422,9 +419,11 @@ impl<'de, 'a> de::Deserializer<'de> for Deserializer<'de, 'a> {
             _ => unreachable!(),
         };
 
-        // If the enum is already marked as incomplete, visit the first index, hoping
-        // to avoid recursion.
-        if self.tracer.incomplete_enums.contains_key(enum_name) {
+        // If the enum is already marked as incomplete and not pending, visit the first index,
+        // hoping to avoid recursion.
+        if let Some(EnumProgress::IndexedVariantsRemaining | EnumProgress::NamedVariantsRemaining) =
+            self.tracer.incomplete_enums.get(enum_name)
+        {
             return visitor.visit_enum(EnumDeserializer::new(
                 self.tracer,
                 self.samples,
diff --git a/serde-reflection/src/lib.rs b/serde-reflection/src/lib.rs
index 4de1c3332..580d3847f 100644
--- a/serde-reflection/src/lib.rs
+++ b/serde-reflection/src/lib.rs
@@ -361,7 +361,9 @@ mod ser;
 mod trace;
 mod value;
 
+pub use de::Deserializer;
 pub use error::{Error, Result};
 pub use format::{ContainerFormat, Format, FormatHolder, Named, Variable, VariantFormat};
-pub use trace::{Registry, Samples, Tracer, TracerConfig};
+pub use ser::Serializer;
+pub use trace::{EnumProgress, Registry, Samples, Tracer, TracerConfig};
 pub use value::Value;
diff --git a/serde-reflection/src/ser.rs b/serde-reflection/src/ser.rs
index f221878dc..7b15e28d4 100644
--- a/serde-reflection/src/ser.rs
+++ b/serde-reflection/src/ser.rs
@@ -12,13 +12,14 @@ use serde::{ser, Serialize};
 /// Serialize a single value.
 /// The lifetime 'a is set by the serialization call site and the `&'a mut`
 /// references used to return tracing results and serialization samples.
-pub(crate) struct Serializer<'a> {
+pub struct Serializer<'a> {
     tracer: &'a mut Tracer,
     samples: &'a mut Samples,
 }
 
 impl<'a> Serializer<'a> {
-    pub(crate) fn new(tracer: &'a mut Tracer, samples: &'a mut Samples) -> Self {
+    /// Create a new Serializer
+    pub fn new(tracer: &'a mut Tracer, samples: &'a mut Samples) -> Self {
         Self { tracer, samples }
     }
 }
diff --git a/serde-reflection/src/trace.rs b/serde-reflection/src/trace.rs
index b3fcf3b46..480c278b3 100644
--- a/serde-reflection/src/trace.rs
+++ b/serde-reflection/src/trace.rs
@@ -36,12 +36,15 @@ pub struct Tracer {
     pub(crate) discriminants: BTreeMap<(TypeId, VariantId<'static>), Discriminant>,
 }
 
+/// Type of untraced enum variants
 #[derive(Copy, Clone, Debug)]
-pub(crate) enum EnumProgress {
+pub enum EnumProgress {
     /// There are variant names that have not yet been traced.
     NamedVariantsRemaining,
     /// There are variant numbers that have not yet been traced.
     IndexedVariantsRemaining,
+    /// Tracing of further variants is pending.
+    Pending,
 }
 
 #[derive(Eq, PartialEq, Ord, PartialOrd, Debug)]
@@ -243,6 +246,24 @@ impl Tracer {
         Ok((format, value))
     }
 
+    /// Enable tracing of further variants of a incomplete enum.
+    ///
+    /// Marks an enum name as pending in the map of incomplete enums
+    /// and returns which type of variant tracing still needs to be performed.
+    ///
+    /// Call this in order to (simultaneously):
+    ///
+    /// * determine whether all variants of an enum have been traced,
+    /// * determine which type of variant tracing ([`EnumProgress`]) still needs to be
+    ///   performed, and
+    /// * allow `Deserializer`/`trace_type_once` to make progress on a top level enum by
+    ///   enabling tracing the next variant.
+    pub fn pend_enum(&mut self, name: &str) -> Option<EnumProgress> {
+        self.incomplete_enums
+            .get_mut(name)
+            .map(|p| std::mem::replace(p, EnumProgress::Pending))
+    }
+
     /// Same as `trace_type_once` but if `T` is an enum, we repeat the process
     /// until all variants of `T` are covered.
     /// We accumulate and return all the sampled values at the end.
@@ -255,9 +276,12 @@ impl Tracer {
             let (format, value) = self.trace_type_once::<T>(samples)?;
             values.push(value);
             if let Format::TypeName(name) = &format {
-                if let Some(&progress) = self.incomplete_enums.get(name) {
+                if let Some(progress) = self.pend_enum(name) {
+                    debug_assert!(
+                        !matches!(progress, EnumProgress::Pending),
+                        "failed to make progress tracing enum {name}"
+                    );
                     // Restart the analysis to find more variants of T.
-                    self.incomplete_enums.remove(name);
                     if let EnumProgress::NamedVariantsRemaining = progress {
                         values.pop().unwrap();
                     }
@@ -294,9 +318,12 @@ impl Tracer {
             let (format, value) = self.trace_type_once_with_seed(samples, seed.clone())?;
             values.push(value);
             if let Format::TypeName(name) = &format {
-                if let Some(&progress) = self.incomplete_enums.get(name) {
+                if let Some(progress) = self.pend_enum(name) {
+                    debug_assert!(
+                        !matches!(progress, EnumProgress::Pending),
+                        "failed to make progress tracing enum {name}"
+                    );
                     // Restart the analysis to find more variants of T.
-                    self.incomplete_enums.remove(name);
                     if let EnumProgress::NamedVariantsRemaining = progress {
                         values.pop().unwrap();
                     }