diff --git a/gob.go b/gob.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..dad7492
--- /dev/null
+++ b/gob.go
@@ -0,0 +1,230 @@
+// SPDX-FileCopyrightText: Copyright 2015-2025 go-swagger maintainers
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
+
+package spec
+
+import (
+	"bytes"
+	"encoding/gob"
+)
+
+// Optional numbers and gob.
+//
+// gob omits any struct field that holds the zero value for its type, and flattens a pointer to
+// the value it points at. An optional number that is present and zero - "minimum": 0, which the
+// JSON Schema meta-schema spells for every positiveInteger, or "maximum": 0 on a parameter -
+// therefore travels as the zero value, is omitted, and comes back as a nil pointer. The bound is
+// dropped and nothing reports it.
+//
+// [Schema], [Parameter], [Header] and [Items] are the types that carry those numbers, so each
+// sends which of them were present-and-zero alongside the struct, and puts the zero back on the
+// way in. The encoders sit on the outer types rather than on CommonValidations or SchemaProps
+// because a method on an embedded type is promoted to the type embedding it: gob would then call
+// it for the whole value and drop everything the embedded type does not hold. [Swagger] and
+// [Operation] already carry their own encoders for the same reason.
+
+// zeroBounds records which optional numbers of a value were present and zero.
+type zeroBounds uint16
+
+const (
+	zeroMaximum zeroBounds = 1 << iota
+	zeroMinimum
+	zeroMaxLength
+	zeroMinLength
+	zeroMaxItems
+	zeroMinItems
+	zeroMultipleOf
+	zeroMaxProperties
+	zeroMinProperties
+)
+
+func floatBound(value *float64, bit zeroBounds) zeroBounds {
+	if value != nil && *value == 0 {
+		return bit
+	}
+
+	return 0
+}
+
+func intBound(value *int64, bit zeroBounds) zeroBounds {
+	if value != nil && *value == 0 {
+		return bit
+	}
+
+	return 0
+}
+
+func restoreFloat(value **float64, bounds, bit zeroBounds) {
+	if bounds&bit != 0 && *value == nil {
+		*value = new(float64)
+	}
+}
+
+func restoreInt(value **int64, bounds, bit zeroBounds) {
+	if bounds&bit != 0 && *value == nil {
+		*value = new(int64)
+	}
+}
+
+func commonBounds(v CommonValidations) zeroBounds {
+	return floatBound(v.Maximum, zeroMaximum) |
+		floatBound(v.Minimum, zeroMinimum) |
+		floatBound(v.MultipleOf, zeroMultipleOf) |
+		intBound(v.MaxLength, zeroMaxLength) |
+		intBound(v.MinLength, zeroMinLength) |
+		intBound(v.MaxItems, zeroMaxItems) |
+		intBound(v.MinItems, zeroMinItems)
+}
+
+func restoreCommon(v *CommonValidations, bounds zeroBounds) {
+	restoreFloat(&v.Maximum, bounds, zeroMaximum)
+	restoreFloat(&v.Minimum, bounds, zeroMinimum)
+	restoreFloat(&v.MultipleOf, bounds, zeroMultipleOf)
+	restoreInt(&v.MaxLength, bounds, zeroMaxLength)
+	restoreInt(&v.MinLength, bounds, zeroMinLength)
+	restoreInt(&v.MaxItems, bounds, zeroMaxItems)
+	restoreInt(&v.MinItems, bounds, zeroMinItems)
+}
+
+// GobEncode provides a gob encoder for Schema that keeps its zero-valued bounds.
+func (s Schema) GobEncode() ([]byte, error) {
+	type plain Schema
+
+	p := s.SchemaProps
+	bounds := floatBound(p.Maximum, zeroMaximum) |
+		floatBound(p.Minimum, zeroMinimum) |
+		floatBound(p.MultipleOf, zeroMultipleOf) |
+		intBound(p.MaxLength, zeroMaxLength) |
+		intBound(p.MinLength, zeroMinLength) |
+		intBound(p.MaxItems, zeroMaxItems) |
+		intBound(p.MinItems, zeroMinItems) |
+		intBound(p.MaxProperties, zeroMaxProperties) |
+		intBound(p.MinProperties, zeroMinProperties)
+
+	var b bytes.Buffer
+	err := gob.NewEncoder(&b).Encode(struct {
+		Plain  plain
+		Bounds zeroBounds
+	}{Plain: plain(s), Bounds: bounds})
+
+	return b.Bytes(), err
+}
+
+// GobDecode provides a gob decoder for Schema that keeps its zero-valued bounds.
+func (s *Schema) GobDecode(b []byte) error {
+	type plain Schema
+
+	var raw struct {
+		Plain  plain
+		Bounds zeroBounds
+	}
+	if err := gob.NewDecoder(bytes.NewBuffer(b)).Decode(&raw); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	*s = Schema(raw.Plain)
+	restoreFloat(&s.Maximum, raw.Bounds, zeroMaximum)
+	restoreFloat(&s.Minimum, raw.Bounds, zeroMinimum)
+	restoreFloat(&s.MultipleOf, raw.Bounds, zeroMultipleOf)
+	restoreInt(&s.MaxLength, raw.Bounds, zeroMaxLength)
+	restoreInt(&s.MinLength, raw.Bounds, zeroMinLength)
+	restoreInt(&s.MaxItems, raw.Bounds, zeroMaxItems)
+	restoreInt(&s.MinItems, raw.Bounds, zeroMinItems)
+	restoreInt(&s.MaxProperties, raw.Bounds, zeroMaxProperties)
+	restoreInt(&s.MinProperties, raw.Bounds, zeroMinProperties)
+
+	return nil
+}
+
+// GobEncode provides a gob encoder for Parameter that keeps its zero-valued bounds.
+func (p Parameter) GobEncode() ([]byte, error) {
+	type plain Parameter
+
+	var b bytes.Buffer
+	err := gob.NewEncoder(&b).Encode(struct {
+		Plain  plain
+		Bounds zeroBounds
+	}{Plain: plain(p), Bounds: commonBounds(p.CommonValidations)})
+
+	return b.Bytes(), err
+}
+
+// GobDecode provides a gob decoder for Parameter that keeps its zero-valued bounds.
+func (p *Parameter) GobDecode(b []byte) error {
+	type plain Parameter
+
+	var raw struct {
+		Plain  plain
+		Bounds zeroBounds
+	}
+	if err := gob.NewDecoder(bytes.NewBuffer(b)).Decode(&raw); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	*p = Parameter(raw.Plain)
+	restoreCommon(&p.CommonValidations, raw.Bounds)
+
+	return nil
+}
+
+// GobEncode provides a gob encoder for Header that keeps its zero-valued bounds.
+func (h Header) GobEncode() ([]byte, error) {
+	type plain Header
+
+	var b bytes.Buffer
+	err := gob.NewEncoder(&b).Encode(struct {
+		Plain  plain
+		Bounds zeroBounds
+	}{Plain: plain(h), Bounds: commonBounds(h.CommonValidations)})
+
+	return b.Bytes(), err
+}
+
+// GobDecode provides a gob decoder for Header that keeps its zero-valued bounds.
+func (h *Header) GobDecode(b []byte) error {
+	type plain Header
+
+	var raw struct {
+		Plain  plain
+		Bounds zeroBounds
+	}
+	if err := gob.NewDecoder(bytes.NewBuffer(b)).Decode(&raw); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	*h = Header(raw.Plain)
+	restoreCommon(&h.CommonValidations, raw.Bounds)
+
+	return nil
+}
+
+// GobEncode provides a gob encoder for Items that keeps its zero-valued bounds.
+func (i Items) GobEncode() ([]byte, error) {
+	type plain Items
+
+	var b bytes.Buffer
+	err := gob.NewEncoder(&b).Encode(struct {
+		Plain  plain
+		Bounds zeroBounds
+	}{Plain: plain(i), Bounds: commonBounds(i.CommonValidations)})
+
+	return b.Bytes(), err
+}
+
+// GobDecode provides a gob decoder for Items that keeps its zero-valued bounds.
+func (i *Items) GobDecode(b []byte) error {
+	type plain Items
+
+	var raw struct {
+		Plain  plain
+		Bounds zeroBounds
+	}
+	if err := gob.NewDecoder(bytes.NewBuffer(b)).Decode(&raw); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	*i = Items(raw.Plain)
+	restoreCommon(&i.CommonValidations, raw.Bounds)
+
+	return nil
+}
diff --git a/gob_test.go b/gob_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0dd8510
--- /dev/null
+++ b/gob_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,142 @@
+// SPDX-FileCopyrightText: Copyright 2015-2025 go-swagger maintainers
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
+
+package spec
+
+import (
+	"bytes"
+	"encoding/gob"
+	"encoding/json"
+	"reflect"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/go-openapi/testify/v2/assert"
+	"github.com/go-openapi/testify/v2/require"
+)
+
+// TestGob_KeepsZeroValuedBounds pins the whole document against gob's zero-value elision.
+//
+// gob omits a struct field holding the zero value and flattens a pointer to what it points at,
+// so an optional number that is present and zero used to come back nil.
+func TestGob_KeepsZeroValuedBounds(t *testing.T) {
+	const doc = `{
+	  "swagger": "2.0",
+	  "info": {"title": "zero-valued bounds", "version": "1.0.0"},
+	  "paths": {
+	    "/x": {
+	      "get": {
+	        "parameters": [
+	          {"name": "q", "in": "query", "type": "integer", "maximum": 0, "minimum": 0,
+	           "multipleOf": 0, "maxLength": 0, "minLength": 0},
+	          {"name": "a", "in": "query", "type": "array", "maxItems": 0, "minItems": 0,
+	           "items": {"type": "integer", "maximum": 0, "minItems": 0}}
+	        ],
+	        "responses": {
+	          "200": {"description": "ok", "headers": {"X-Count": {"type": "integer", "minimum": 0, "maxItems": 0}}}
+	        }
+	      }
+	    }
+	  },
+	  "definitions": {
+	    "A": {"type": "object", "maxProperties": 0, "minProperties": 0,
+	      "properties": {"p": {"type": "number", "minimum": 0, "maximum": 0, "maxLength": 0}},
+	      "items": {"type": "integer", "minItems": 0}}
+	  }
+	}`
+
+	original := new(Swagger)
+	require.NoError(t, json.Unmarshal([]byte(doc), original))
+
+	var buf bytes.Buffer
+	require.NoError(t, gob.NewEncoder(&buf).Encode(original))
+
+	decoded := new(Swagger)
+	require.NoError(t, gob.NewDecoder(&buf).Decode(decoded))
+
+	before, err := json.Marshal(original)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	after, err := json.Marshal(decoded)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	assert.JSONEqT(t, string(before), string(after))
+}
+
+// TestGob_EveryOptionalNumberIsCarried walks the types that hold optional numbers and checks
+// each of their pointer fields survives a gob round-trip when it points at zero.
+//
+// It reads the fields by reflection, so a new bound added to one of these types is covered
+// without touching this test - and fails it until the encoder in gob.go carries it too.
+func TestGob_EveryOptionalNumberIsCarried(t *testing.T) {
+	for _, subject := range []struct {
+		name  string
+		value any
+	}{
+		{"Schema", &Schema{}},
+		{"Parameter", &Parameter{}},
+		{"Header", &Header{}},
+		{"Items", &Items{}},
+	} {
+		t.Run(subject.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			fields := optionalNumbers(reflect.ValueOf(subject.value).Elem())
+			require.NotEmpty(t, fields, "expected optional numbers on %s", subject.name)
+
+			for _, field := range fields {
+				t.Run(field, func(t *testing.T) {
+					value := reflect.New(reflect.TypeOf(subject.value).Elem())
+					setZeroPointer(t, value.Elem(), field)
+
+					var buf bytes.Buffer
+					require.NoError(t, gob.NewEncoder(&buf).EncodeValue(value))
+
+					back := reflect.New(reflect.TypeOf(subject.value).Elem())
+					require.NoError(t, gob.NewDecoder(&buf).DecodeValue(back))
+
+					got := fieldByName(back.Elem(), field)
+					require.FalseT(t, got.IsNil(), "%s.%s was dropped by gob", subject.name, field)
+					assert.EqualT(t, float64(0), got.Elem().Convert(reflect.TypeFor[float64]()).Float())
+				})
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+// optionalNumbers returns the names of the *float64 and *int64 fields of a struct, embedded
+// fields included.
+func optionalNumbers(v reflect.Value) []string {
+	var names []string
+	var walk func(reflect.Value)
+	walk = func(sv reflect.Value) {
+		st := sv.Type()
+		for i := range st.NumField() {
+			f := st.Field(i)
+			if f.Anonymous && f.Type.Kind() == reflect.Struct {
+				walk(sv.Field(i))
+
+				continue
+			}
+			if f.Type.Kind() != reflect.Pointer {
+				continue
+			}
+			switch f.Type.Elem().Kind() {
+			case reflect.Float64, reflect.Int64:
+				names = append(names, f.Name)
+			default:
+			}
+		}
+	}
+	walk(v)
+
+	return names
+}
+
+func fieldByName(v reflect.Value, name string) reflect.Value {
+	return v.FieldByName(name)
+}
+
+func setZeroPointer(t testing.TB, v reflect.Value, name string) {
+	t.Helper()
+
+	field := v.FieldByName(name)
+	require.TrueT(t, field.IsValid(), "no field %q", name)
+	field.Set(reflect.New(field.Type().Elem()))
+}