diff --git a/lib/rubygems/yaml_serializer.rb b/lib/rubygems/yaml_serializer.rb
index da6e72f5936e..e5df5f2f5ab1 100644
--- a/lib/rubygems/yaml_serializer.rb
+++ b/lib/rubygems/yaml_serializer.rb
@@ -573,7 +573,7 @@ def build_dependency(node)
         d = Gem::Dependency.allocate
         d.instance_variable_set(:@name, hash["name"])
 
-        d.instance_variable_set(:@requirement, hash["requirement"])
+        d.instance_variable_set(:@requirement, hash["requirement"] || hash["version_requirements"])
 
         type = hash["type"]
         type = type ? type.to_s.sub(/^:/, "").to_sym : :runtime
diff --git a/test/rubygems/test_gem_safe_yaml.rb b/test/rubygems/test_gem_safe_yaml.rb
index 088e931e4788..06c46da3fdc1 100644
--- a/test/rubygems/test_gem_safe_yaml.rb
+++ b/test/rubygems/test_gem_safe_yaml.rb
@@ -921,6 +921,26 @@ def test_load_version_requirement_old_tag
     assert_equal [[">=", Gem::Version.new("1.0")]], req.requirements
   end
 
+  def test_load_dependency_version_version_requirement_old_tag
+    yaml = <<~YAML
+      - !ruby/object:Gem::Dependency
+        name: test-unit
+        type: :development
+        version_requirement:
+        version_requirements: !ruby/object:Gem::Requirement
+          requirements:
+          - - ">="
+            - !ruby/object:Gem::Version
+              version: 2.0.2
+          version:
+    YAML
+
+    deps = yaml_load(yaml, permitted_classes: Gem::SafeYAML::PERMITTED_CLASSES)
+    assert_not_nil(deps.first)
+
+    assert_equal [[">=", Gem::Version.new("2.0.2")]], deps.first.requirement.requirements
+  end
+
   def test_load_platform_from_value_field
     yaml = "!ruby/object:Gem::Platform\nvalue: x86-linux\n"
     plat = yaml_load(yaml, permitted_classes: Gem::SafeYAML::PERMITTED_CLASSES)