diff --git a/bytes.cabal b/bytes.cabal
--- a/bytes.cabal
+++ b/bytes.cabal
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 name:          bytes
 category:      Data, Serialization
-version:       0.14.0.1
+version:       0.14.0.2
 license:       BSD3
 cabal-version: >= 1.8
 license-file:  LICENSE
diff --git a/src/Data/Bytes/Serial.hs b/src/Data/Bytes/Serial.hs
--- a/src/Data/Bytes/Serial.hs
+++ b/src/Data/Bytes/Serial.hs
@@ -10,6 +10,9 @@
 #if defined(__GLASGOW_HASKELL__) && __GLASGOW_HASKELL__ >= 704
 {-# LANGUAGE Trustworthy #-}
 #endif
+#ifndef MIN_VERSION_base
+#define MIN_VERSION_base(x,y,z) 1
+#endif
 --------------------------------------------------------------------
 -- |
 -- Copyright :  (c) Edward Kmett 2013
@@ -58,7 +61,9 @@
 import Data.Int
 import Data.Bits
 import Data.Monoid as Monoid
+#if MIN_VERSION_base(4, 6, 0)
 import Data.Ord (Down(..))
+#endif
 import Data.Functor.Identity as Functor
 import Data.Functor.Constant as Functor
 import Data.Functor.Product  as Functor
@@ -475,9 +480,11 @@
   serialize = serialize . (fromIntegral::Int -> Int8) . fromEnum
   deserialize = (toEnum . (fromIntegral::Int8 -> Int)) `liftM` deserialize
 
+#if MIN_VERSION_base(4, 6, 0)
 instance Serial a => Serial (Down a) where
     serialize (Down a) = serialize a
     deserialize = Down `liftM` deserialize
+#endif
 
 instance Serial Version where
     serialize (Version vb ts) = serialize (fmap VarInt vb, ts)
@@ -496,7 +503,7 @@
     serialize = serialize . getConstant
     deserialize = Constant `liftM` deserialize
 
-instance (Serial (f a), Serial (g a)) => Serial (Functor.Product f g a) where 
+instance (Serial (f a), Serial (g a)) => Serial (Functor.Product f g a) where
     serialize (Pair f g) = serialize (f, g)
     deserialize = uncurry Pair `liftM` deserialize