diff --git a/swh/storage/api/serializers.py b/swh/storage/api/serializers.py
index 658d85f8..ab7037a6 100644
--- a/swh/storage/api/serializers.py
+++ b/swh/storage/api/serializers.py
@@ -1,61 +1,53 @@
 # Copyright (C) 2020-2021  The Software Heritage developers
 # See the AUTHORS file at the top-level directory of this distribution
 # License: GNU General Public License version 3, or any later version
 # See top-level LICENSE file for more information
 
 """Decoder and encoders for swh-model objects."""
 
 from typing import Callable, Dict, List, Tuple
 
-from swh.model.identifiers import (
-    SWHID,
-    CoreSWHID,
-    ExtendedSWHID,
-    QualifiedSWHID,
-    parse_swhid,
-)
+from swh.model.identifiers import CoreSWHID, ExtendedSWHID, QualifiedSWHID
 import swh.model.model as model
 from swh.storage import interface
 
 
 def _encode_model_object(obj):
     d = obj.to_dict()
     d["__type__"] = type(obj).__name__
     return d
 
 
 def _encode_enum(obj):
     return {
         "value": obj.value,
         "__type__": type(obj).__name__,
     }
 
 
 def _decode_model_enum(d):
     return getattr(model, d.pop("__type__"))(d["value"])
 
 
 def _decode_storage_enum(d):
     return getattr(interface, d.pop("__type__"))(d["value"])
 
 
 ENCODERS: List[Tuple[type, str, Callable]] = [
     (model.BaseModel, "model", _encode_model_object),
-    (SWHID, "swhid", str),
     (CoreSWHID, "core_swhid", str),
     (ExtendedSWHID, "extended_swhid", str),
     (QualifiedSWHID, "qualified_swhid", str),
     (model.MetadataAuthorityType, "model_enum", _encode_enum),
     (interface.ListOrder, "storage_enum", _encode_enum),
 ]
 
 
 DECODERS: Dict[str, Callable] = {
-    "swhid": parse_swhid,
     "core_swhid": CoreSWHID.from_string,
     "extended_swhid": ExtendedSWHID.from_string,
     "qualified_swhid": QualifiedSWHID.from_string,
     "model": lambda d: getattr(model, d.pop("__type__")).from_dict(d),
     "model_enum": _decode_model_enum,
     "storage_enum": _decode_storage_enum,
 }