diff --git a/cassandra/cluster.py b/cassandra/cluster.py
index 1181c6f686..41a9158d0b 100644
--- a/cassandra/cluster.py
+++ b/cassandra/cluster.py
@@ -5433,7 +5433,20 @@ def _retry(self, reuse_connection, consistency_level, host, delay):
         if self._metrics is not None:
             self._metrics.on_retry()
         if consistency_level is not None:
-            self.message.consistency_level = consistency_level
+            # Never downgrade from serial to non-serial consistency, as that
+            # would break serial read (Paxos) guarantees.
+            if not ConsistencyLevel.is_serial(consistency_level):
+                original_cl = self.message.consistency_level
+                if ConsistencyLevel.is_serial(original_cl):
+                    log.debug(
+                        "Retry policy attempted to downgrade serial consistency %s to %s; "
+                        "keeping original consistency level.",
+                        ConsistencyLevel.value_to_name.get(original_cl, original_cl),
+                        ConsistencyLevel.value_to_name.get(consistency_level, consistency_level))
+                else:
+                    self.message.consistency_level = consistency_level
+            else:
+                self.message.consistency_level = consistency_level
 
         # don't retry on the event loop thread
         self.session.cluster.scheduler.schedule(delay, self._retry_task, reuse_connection, host)
diff --git a/cassandra/policies.py b/cassandra/policies.py
index ceb5ebdc45..14c79fd70e 100644
--- a/cassandra/policies.py
+++ b/cassandra/policies.py
@@ -514,7 +514,7 @@ def make_query_plan(self, working_keyspace=None, query=None):
         else:
             replicas = self._cluster_metadata.get_replicas(keyspace, query.routing_key)
 
-        if self.shuffle_replicas and not query.is_lwt():
+        if self.shuffle_replicas and not query.is_lwt() and not ConsistencyLevel.is_serial(query.consistency_level):
             shuffle(replicas)
 
         def yield_in_order(hosts):
diff --git a/tests/unit/test_policies.py b/tests/unit/test_policies.py
index 6142af1aa1..63a3c3d12d 100644
--- a/tests/unit/test_policies.py
+++ b/tests/unit/test_policies.py
@@ -944,6 +944,35 @@ def _assert_shuffle(self, patched_shuffle, cluster, keyspace, routing_key):
             assert patched_shuffle.call_count == 1
 
 
+    @patch('cassandra.policies.shuffle')
+    def test_no_shuffle_for_serial_consistency(self, patched_shuffle):
+        """
+        Test to validate that replicas are not shuffled when the statement
+        has SERIAL or LOCAL_SERIAL consistency level, since such statements
+        should be routed like LWT requests.
+        @jira_ticket PYTHON-1394
+        @expected_result shuffle should not be called for serial consistency
+
+        @test_category policy
+        """
+        for cl in (ConsistencyLevel.SERIAL, ConsistencyLevel.LOCAL_SERIAL):
+            for cluster in (self._prepare_cluster_with_vnodes(), self._prepare_cluster_with_tablets()):
+                patched_shuffle.reset_mock()
+                hosts = cluster.metadata.all_hosts()
+                child_policy = Mock()
+                child_policy.make_query_plan.return_value = hosts
+                child_policy.distance.return_value = HostDistance.LOCAL
+
+                policy = TokenAwarePolicy(child_policy, shuffle_replicas=True)
+                policy.populate(cluster, hosts)
+
+                query = Statement(routing_key='routing_key')
+                query.consistency_level = cl
+                list(policy.make_query_plan('keyspace', query))
+                assert patched_shuffle.call_count == 0, \
+                    "shuffle should not be called for consistency level %s" % cl
+
+
 class ConvictionPolicyTest(unittest.TestCase):
     def test_not_implemented(self):
         """
@@ -1389,6 +1418,35 @@ def test_unavailable(self):
         assert retry == RetryPolicy.RETRY
         assert consistency == ConsistencyLevel.ONE
 
+    def test_serial_consistency_not_downgraded(self):
+        """
+        Test that SERIAL/LOCAL_SERIAL consistency is never downgraded
+        to a non-serial consistency level by the retry policy.
+        @jira_ticket PYTHON-1394
+        @expected_result retry policy should rethrow or retry on next host
+                        without downgrading serial consistency
+
+        @test_category policy
+        """
+        policy = DowngradingConsistencyRetryPolicy()
+
+        for cl in (ConsistencyLevel.SERIAL, ConsistencyLevel.LOCAL_SERIAL):
+            # on_read_timeout should rethrow for serial consistency
+            retry, consistency = policy.on_read_timeout(
+                query=None, consistency=cl, required_responses=3,
+                received_responses=1, data_retrieved=True, retry_num=0)
+            assert retry == RetryPolicy.RETHROW, \
+                "Expected RETHROW for serial consistency %s on read timeout" % cl
+            assert consistency is None
+
+            # on_unavailable should retry on next host without downgrading
+            retry, consistency = policy.on_unavailable(
+                query=None, consistency=cl, required_replicas=3,
+                alive_replicas=1, retry_num=0)
+            assert retry == RetryPolicy.RETRY_NEXT_HOST, \
+                "Expected RETRY_NEXT_HOST for serial consistency %s on unavailable" % cl
+            assert consistency is None
+
 
 class ExponentialRetryPolicyTest(unittest.TestCase):
     def test_calculate_backoff(self):