diff --git a/src/attr.rs b/src/attr.rs
index 7d7557c..dc43805 100644
--- a/src/attr.rs
+++ b/src/attr.rs
@@ -100,15 +100,17 @@
     impl ToTokens for MetaItem {
         fn to_tokens(&self, tokens: &mut Tokens) {
             match *self {
-                MetaItem::Word(ref ident) => tokens.append(&ident),
+                MetaItem::Word(ref ident) => {
+                    ident.to_tokens(tokens);
+                }
                 MetaItem::List(ref ident, ref inner) => {
-                    tokens.append(&ident);
+                    ident.to_tokens(tokens);
                     tokens.append("(");
                     tokens.append_separated(inner, ",");
                     tokens.append(")");
                 }
                 MetaItem::NameValue(ref name, ref value) => {
-                    tokens.append(&name);
+                    name.to_tokens(tokens);
                     tokens.append("=");
                     value.to_tokens(tokens);
                 }
diff --git a/src/common.rs b/src/common.rs
index 9c5de75..b2f498d 100644
--- a/src/common.rs
+++ b/src/common.rs
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
 use std::fmt::{self, Display};
-use std::ops::Deref;
 
 #[derive(Debug, Clone, Eq, PartialEq)]
 pub struct Ident(String);
@@ -22,10 +21,8 @@
     }
 }
 
-impl Deref for Ident {
-    type Target = str;
-
-    fn deref(&self) -> &str {
+impl AsRef<str> for Ident {
+    fn as_ref(&self) -> &str {
         &self.0
     }
 }
@@ -64,3 +61,15 @@
         )
     ));
 }
+
+#[cfg(feature = "printing")]
+mod printing {
+    use super::*;
+    use quote::{Tokens, ToTokens};
+
+    impl ToTokens for Ident {
+        fn to_tokens(&self, tokens: &mut Tokens) {
+            tokens.append(self.as_ref())
+        }
+    }
+}