diff --git a/FEATURES.md b/FEATURES.md
index 5fa0f1d1fcc..721b054ba9d 100644
--- a/FEATURES.md
+++ b/FEATURES.md
@@ -133,3 +133,7 @@ entry in `config/features.json`.
       }
       ```
 
+- `ds-check-should-serialize-relationships`
+
+Adds public method for `shouldSerializeHasMany`, used to determine if a
+`hasMany` relationship can be serialized.
diff --git a/addon/serializers/json-api.js b/addon/serializers/json-api.js
index 10253f42a61..df31f0adec6 100644
--- a/addon/serializers/json-api.js
+++ b/addon/serializers/json-api.js
@@ -571,8 +571,12 @@ const JSONAPISerializer = JSONSerializer.extend({
   */
   serializeHasMany(snapshot, json, relationship) {
     var key = relationship.key;
+    var shouldSerializeHasMany = '_shouldSerializeHasMany';
+    if (isEnabled("ds-check-should-serialize-relationships")) {
+      shouldSerializeHasMany = 'shouldSerializeHasMany';
+    }
 
-    if (this._shouldSerializeHasMany(snapshot, key, relationship)) {
+    if (this[shouldSerializeHasMany](snapshot, key, relationship)) {
       var hasMany = snapshot.hasMany(key);
       if (hasMany !== undefined) {
 
diff --git a/addon/serializers/json.js b/addon/serializers/json.js
index ef4ca3a9bbc..0833e0bc1ae 100644
--- a/addon/serializers/json.js
+++ b/addon/serializers/json.js
@@ -840,6 +840,27 @@ var JSONSerializer = Serializer.extend({
     return attrs && attrs[key] && attrs[key].serialize === true;
   },
 
+  /**
+    Check if the given hasMany relationship should be serialized
+
+    @method shouldSerializeHasMany
+    @param {DS.Snapshot} snapshot
+    @param {String} key
+    @param {String} relationshipType
+    @return {boolean} true if the hasMany relationship should be serialized
+  */
+
+  shouldSerializeHasMany(snapshot, key, relationship) {
+    if ((this._shouldSerializeHasMany !== JSONSerializer.prototype._shouldSerializeHasMany)) {
+      deprecate('The private method _shouldSerializeHasMany has been promoted to the public API. Please remove the underscore to use the public shouldSerializeHasMany method.', false, {
+        id: 'ds.serializer.private-should-serialize-has-many',
+        until: '3.0.0'
+      });
+    }
+
+    return this._shouldSerializeHasMany(snapshot, key, relationship);
+  },
+
   /**
     Check if the given hasMany relationship should be serialized
 
@@ -1196,8 +1217,12 @@ var JSONSerializer = Serializer.extend({
   */
   serializeHasMany(snapshot, json, relationship) {
     var key = relationship.key;
+    var shouldSerializeHasMany = '_shouldSerializeHasMany';
+    if (isEnabled("ds-check-should-serialize-relationships")) {
+      shouldSerializeHasMany = 'shouldSerializeHasMany';
+    }
 
-    if (this._shouldSerializeHasMany(snapshot, key, relationship)) {
+    if (this[shouldSerializeHasMany](snapshot, key, relationship)) {
       var hasMany = snapshot.hasMany(key, { ids: true });
       if (hasMany !== undefined) {
         // if provided, use the mapping provided by `attrs` in
diff --git a/config/features.json b/config/features.json
index 786c106b184..0e486cb5006 100644
--- a/config/features.json
+++ b/config/features.json
@@ -6,5 +6,6 @@
   "ds-extended-errors": null,
   "ds-links-in-record-array": null,
   "ds-overhaul-references": null,
-  "ds-payload-type-hooks": null
+  "ds-payload-type-hooks": null,
+  "ds-check-should-serialize-relationships": null
 }
diff --git a/tests/integration/serializers/json-serializer-test.js b/tests/integration/serializers/json-serializer-test.js
index 773feab2246..73fc5b9bf50 100644
--- a/tests/integration/serializers/json-serializer-test.js
+++ b/tests/integration/serializers/json-serializer-test.js
@@ -201,6 +201,32 @@ test("serializeHasMany omits unknown relationships on pushed record", function(a
   assert.ok(!json.hasOwnProperty("comments"), "Does not add the relationship key to json");
 });
 
+test("shouldSerializeHasMany", function(assert) {
+
+  run(function() {
+    post = env.store.createRecord('post', { title: "Rails is omakase", id: "1" });
+    comment = env.store.createRecord('comment', { body: "Omakase is delicious", post: post, id: "1" });
+  });
+
+  var snapshot = post._createSnapshot();
+  var relationship = snapshot.record.relationshipFor('comments');
+  var key = relationship.key;
+
+  var shouldSerialize = env.store.serializerFor("post").shouldSerializeHasMany(snapshot, relationship, key);
+
+  assert.ok(shouldSerialize, 'shouldSerializeHasMany correctly identifies with hasMany relationship');
+});
+
+if (isEnabled("ds-check-should-serialize-relationships")) {
+  testInDebug("_shouldSerializeHasMany deprecation", function(assert) {
+    env.store.serializerFor("post")._shouldSerializeHasMany = Ember.K;
+
+    assert.expectDeprecation(function() {
+      env.store.serializerFor("post").shouldSerializeHasMany();
+    }, /_shouldSerializeHasMany has been promoted to the public API/);
+  });
+}
+
 test("serializeIntoHash", function(assert) {
   run(function() {
     post = env.store.createRecord('post', { title: "Rails is omakase" });