diff --git a/serde_derive/src/de.rs b/serde_derive/src/de.rs
index 64113a603..c3b779bf9 100644
--- a/serde_derive/src/de.rs
+++ b/serde_derive/src/de.rs
@@ -1379,42 +1379,37 @@ fn deserialize_adjacently_tagged_enum(
         }
     };
 
-    fn is_unit(variant: &Variant) -> bool {
-        match variant.style {
-            Style::Unit => true,
-            Style::Struct | Style::Tuple | Style::Newtype => false,
-        }
-    }
+    let arms = variants
+        .iter()
+        .enumerate()
+        .filter(|&(_, variant)| !variant.attrs.skip_deserializing())
+        .filter_map(|(i, variant)| {
+            let variant_index = field_i(i);
+            let variant_ident = &variant.ident;
 
-    let mut missing_content = quote! {
-        _serde::export::Err(<__A::Error as _serde::de::Error>::missing_field(#content))
-    };
-    if variants.iter().any(is_unit) {
-        let fallthrough = if variants.iter().all(is_unit) {
-            None
-        } else {
+            let arm = match variant.style {
+                Style::Unit => quote! {
+                    _serde::export::Ok(#this::#variant_ident)
+                },
+                Style::Newtype if variant.attrs.deserialize_with().is_none() => {
+                    let span = variant.original.span();
+                    let func = quote_spanned!(span=> _serde::private::de::missing_field);
+                    quote! {
+                        #func(#content).map(#this::#variant_ident)
+                    }
+                }
+                _ => return None,
+            };
             Some(quote! {
-                _ => #missing_content
+                __Field::#variant_index => #arm,
             })
-        };
-        let arms = variants
-            .iter()
-            .enumerate()
-            .filter(|&(_, variant)| !variant.attrs.skip_deserializing() && is_unit(variant))
-            .map(|(i, variant)| {
-                let variant_index = field_i(i);
-                let variant_ident = &variant.ident;
-                quote! {
-                    __Field::#variant_index => _serde::export::Ok(#this::#variant_ident),
-                }
-            });
-        missing_content = quote! {
-            match __field {
-                #(#arms)*
-                #fallthrough
-            }
-        };
-    }
+        });
+    let missing_content = quote! {
+        match __field {
+            #(#arms)*
+            _ => _serde::export::Err(<__A::Error as _serde::de::Error>::missing_field(#content))
+        }
+    };
 
     // Advance the map by one key, returning early in case of error.
     let next_key = quote! {
diff --git a/test_suite/tests/test_macros.rs b/test_suite/tests/test_macros.rs
index d4456bed7..c0c807ec7 100644
--- a/test_suite/tests/test_macros.rs
+++ b/test_suite/tests/test_macros.rs
@@ -1145,6 +1145,20 @@ fn test_adjacently_tagged_enum() {
         ],
     );
 
+    // optional newtype with no content field
+    assert_de_tokens(
+        &AdjacentlyTagged::Newtype::<Option<u8>>(None),
+        &[
+            Token::Struct {
+                name: "AdjacentlyTagged",
+                len: 1,
+            },
+            Token::Str("t"),
+            Token::Str("Newtype"),
+            Token::StructEnd,
+        ],
+    );
+
     // tuple with tag first
     assert_tokens(
         &AdjacentlyTagged::Tuple::<u8>(1, 1),