If you create a self referenced treeset, the serialization works when in a hashset, but not in a treeset. We have created a little unit test to reproduce the issue. When you run the tests you will see the following errors

java.io.InvalidObjectException: Attempt to read a backreference with an invalid ID (relative near -2)
at org.jboss.marshalling.river.RiverUnmarshaller.doReadObject(RiverUnmarshaller.java:253)
at org.jboss.marshalling.river.RiverUnmarshaller.doReadObject(RiverUnmarshaller.java:209)
at org.jboss.marshalling.river.RiverUnmarshaller.readFields(RiverUnmarshaller.java:1677)
at org.jboss.marshalling.river.RiverUnmarshaller.doInitSerializable(RiverUnmarshaller.java:1593)
at org.jboss.marshalling.river.RiverUnmarshaller.doReadNewObject(RiverUnmarshaller.java:1235)
at org.jboss.marshalling.river.RiverUnmarshaller.doReadObject(RiverUnmarshaller.java:272)
at org.jboss.marshalling.river.RiverUnmarshaller.doReadObject(RiverUnmarshaller.java:209)
at org.jboss.marshalling.river.RiverUnmarshaller.doReadCollectionObject(RiverUnmarshaller.java:180)
at org.jboss.marshalling.river.RiverUnmarshaller.readCollectionData(RiverUnmarshaller.java:771)
at org.jboss.marshalling.river.RiverUnmarshaller.doReadObject(RiverUnmarshaller.java:664)
at org.jboss.marshalling.river.RiverUnmarshaller.doReadObject(RiverUnmarshaller.java:209)
at org.jboss.marshalling.AbstractObjectInput.readObject(AbstractObjectInput.java:37)
at de.foo.test.RiverUnmarshallerTest.unmarshal(RiverUnmarshallerTest.java:200)
at de.foo.test.RiverUnmarshallerTest.testSerializationRoundtrip(RiverUnmarshallerTest.java:179)
at de.foo.test.RiverUnmarshallerTest.testRecursiveTreeSetReference(RiverUnmarshallerTest.java:106)
at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke0(Native Method)
at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(NativeMethodAccessorImpl.java:39)
at sun.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.java:25)
at org.junit.runners.model.FrameworkMethod$1.runReflectiveCall(FrameworkMethod.java:45)
at org.junit.internal.runners.model.ReflectiveCallable.run(ReflectiveCallable.java:15)
at org.junit.runners.model.FrameworkMethod.invokeExplosively(FrameworkMethod.java:42)
at org.junit.internal.runners.statements.InvokeMethod.evaluate(InvokeMethod.java:20)
at org.junit.internal.runners.statements.RunBefores.evaluate(RunBefores.java:28)
at org.junit.runners.ParentRunner.runLeaf(ParentRunner.java:263)
at org.junit.runners.BlockJUnit4ClassRunner.runChild(BlockJUnit4ClassRunner.java:68)
at org.junit.runners.BlockJUnit4ClassRunner.runChild(BlockJUnit4ClassRunner.java:47)
at org.junit.runners.ParentRunner$3.run(ParentRunner.java:231)
at org.junit.runners.ParentRunner$1.schedule(ParentRunner.java:60)
at org.junit.runners.ParentRunner.runChildren(ParentRunner.java:229)
at org.junit.runners.ParentRunner.access$000(ParentRunner.java:50)
at org.junit.runners.ParentRunner$2.evaluate(ParentRunner.java:222)
at org.junit.runners.ParentRunner.run(ParentRunner.java:300)
at org.junit.runners.Suite.runChild(Suite.java:128)
at org.junit.runners.Suite.runChild(Suite.java:24)
at org.junit.runners.ParentRunner$3.run(ParentRunner.java:231)
at org.junit.runners.ParentRunner$1.schedule(ParentRunner.java:60)
at org.junit.runners.ParentRunner.runChildren(ParentRunner.java:229)
at org.junit.runners.ParentRunner.access$000(ParentRunner.java:50)
at org.junit.runners.ParentRunner$2.evaluate(ParentRunner.java:222)
at org.junit.runners.ParentRunner.run(ParentRunner.java:300)
at org.junit.runner.JUnitCore.run(JUnitCore.java:157)
at com.intellij.junit4.JUnit4IdeaTestRunner.startRunnerWithArgs(JUnit4IdeaTestRunner.java:71)
at com.intellij.rt.execution.junit.JUnitStarter.prepareStreamsAndStart(JUnitStarter.java:202)
at com.intellij.rt.execution.junit.JUnitStarter.main(JUnitStarter.java:63)
at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke0(Native Method)
at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(NativeMethodAccessorImpl.java:39)
at com.intellij.rt.execution.application.AppMain.main(AppMain.java:120)
Caused by: an exception which occurred:
in field fooSet
in object of type de.foo.test.Foo
in element at index [0] of size [1]

and

java.io.InvalidObjectException: Attempt to read a backreference with an invalid ID (relative near -2)
at org.jboss.marshalling.river.RiverUnmarshaller.doReadObject(RiverUnmarshaller.java:253)
at org.jboss.marshalling.river.RiverUnmarshaller.doReadObject(RiverUnmarshaller.java:209)
at org.jboss.marshalling.river.RiverUnmarshaller.readFields(RiverUnmarshaller.java:1677)
at org.jboss.marshalling.river.RiverUnmarshaller.doInitSerializable(RiverUnmarshaller.java:1593)
at org.jboss.marshalling.river.RiverUnmarshaller.doReadNewObject(RiverUnmarshaller.java:1235)
at org.jboss.marshalling.river.RiverUnmarshaller.doReadObject(RiverUnmarshaller.java:272)
at org.jboss.marshalling.river.RiverUnmarshaller.doReadObject(RiverUnmarshaller.java:209)
at org.jboss.marshalling.river.RiverUnmarshaller.doReadCollectionObject(RiverUnmarshaller.java:180)
at org.jboss.marshalling.river.RiverUnmarshaller.readCollectionData(RiverUnmarshaller.java:771)
at org.jboss.marshalling.river.RiverUnmarshaller.doReadObject(RiverUnmarshaller.java:664)
at org.jboss.marshalling.river.RiverUnmarshaller.doReadObject(RiverUnmarshaller.java:209)
at org.jboss.marshalling.river.RiverUnmarshaller.readFields(RiverUnmarshaller.java:1677)
at org.jboss.marshalling.river.RiverUnmarshaller.doInitSerializable(RiverUnmarshaller.java:1593)
at org.jboss.marshalling.river.RiverUnmarshaller.doReadNewObject(RiverUnmarshaller.java:1235)
at org.jboss.marshalling.river.RiverUnmarshaller.doReadObject(RiverUnmarshaller.java:272)
at org.jboss.marshalling.river.RiverUnmarshaller.doReadObject(RiverUnmarshaller.java:209)
at org.jboss.marshalling.AbstractObjectInput.readObject(AbstractObjectInput.java:37)
at de.foo.test.RiverUnmarshallerTest.unmarshal(RiverUnmarshallerTest.java:200)
at de.foo.test.RiverUnmarshallerTest.testSerializationRoundtrip(RiverUnmarshallerTest.java:179)
at de.foo.test.RiverUnmarshallerTest.testWrappedFooTreeSet(RiverUnmarshallerTest.java:146)
at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke0(Native Method)
at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(NativeMethodAccessorImpl.java:39)
at sun.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.java:25)
at org.junit.runners.model.FrameworkMethod$1.runReflectiveCall(FrameworkMethod.java:45)
at org.junit.internal.runners.model.ReflectiveCallable.run(ReflectiveCallable.java:15)
at org.junit.runners.model.FrameworkMethod.invokeExplosively(FrameworkMethod.java:42)
at org.junit.internal.runners.statements.InvokeMethod.evaluate(InvokeMethod.java:20)
at org.junit.internal.runners.statements.RunBefores.evaluate(RunBefores.java:28)
at org.junit.runners.ParentRunner.runLeaf(ParentRunner.java:263)
at org.junit.runners.BlockJUnit4ClassRunner.runChild(BlockJUnit4ClassRunner.java:68)
at org.junit.runners.BlockJUnit4ClassRunner.runChild(BlockJUnit4ClassRunner.java:47)
at org.junit.runners.ParentRunner$3.run(ParentRunner.java:231)
at org.junit.runners.ParentRunner$1.schedule(ParentRunner.java:60)
at org.junit.runners.ParentRunner.runChildren(ParentRunner.java:229)
at org.junit.runners.ParentRunner.access$000(ParentRunner.java:50)
at org.junit.runners.ParentRunner$2.evaluate(ParentRunner.java:222)
at org.junit.runners.ParentRunner.run(ParentRunner.java:300)
at org.junit.runners.Suite.runChild(Suite.java:128)
at org.junit.runners.Suite.runChild(Suite.java:24)
at org.junit.runners.ParentRunner$3.run(ParentRunner.java:231)
at org.junit.runners.ParentRunner$1.schedule(ParentRunner.java:60)
at org.junit.runners.ParentRunner.runChildren(ParentRunner.java:229)
at org.junit.runners.ParentRunner.access$000(ParentRunner.java:50)
at org.junit.runners.ParentRunner$2.evaluate(ParentRunner.java:222)
at org.junit.runners.ParentRunner.run(ParentRunner.java:300)
at org.junit.runner.JUnitCore.run(JUnitCore.java:157)
at com.intellij.junit4.JUnit4IdeaTestRunner.startRunnerWithArgs(JUnit4IdeaTestRunner.java:71)
at com.intellij.rt.execution.junit.JUnitStarter.prepareStreamsAndStart(JUnitStarter.java:202)
at com.intellij.rt.execution.junit.JUnitStarter.main(JUnitStarter.java:63)
at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke0(Native Method)
at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(NativeMethodAccessorImpl.java:39)
at com.intellij.rt.execution.application.AppMain.main(AppMain.java:120)
Caused by: an exception which occurred:
in field fooSet
in object of type de.foo.test.Foo
in element at index [0] of size [1]
in field payload
in object of type de.foo.test.FooContainer

the exceptions are created by

testWrappedFooTreeSet
and
testRecursiveTreeSetReference

javadocs should explain what everything was intended to do.