diff --git a/tensorflow/compiler/xla/service/computation_placer.cc b/tensorflow/compiler/xla/service/computation_placer.cc
index cdf277581f4..cdfa30dd9a7 100644
--- a/tensorflow/compiler/xla/service/computation_placer.cc
+++ b/tensorflow/compiler/xla/service/computation_placer.cc
@@ -49,17 +49,18 @@ Status DeviceAssignment::Serialize(DeviceAssignmentProto* proto) const {
   return Status::OK();
 }
 
-/* static */ StatusOr<DeviceAssignment> DeviceAssignment::Deserialize(
-    const DeviceAssignmentProto& proto) {
+/* static */ StatusOr<std::unique_ptr<DeviceAssignment>>
+DeviceAssignment::Deserialize(const DeviceAssignmentProto& proto) {
   TF_RET_CHECK(proto.computation_devices_size() == proto.computation_count());
-  DeviceAssignment assignment(proto.replica_count(), proto.computation_count());
+  auto assignment = MakeUnique<DeviceAssignment>(proto.replica_count(),
+                                                 proto.computation_count());
   for (int computation = 0; computation < proto.computation_count();
        ++computation) {
     const auto& computation_device = proto.computation_devices(computation);
     TF_RET_CHECK(computation_device.replica_device_ids_size() ==
                  proto.replica_count());
     for (int replica = 0; replica < proto.replica_count(); ++replica) {
-      assignment(replica, computation) =
+      (*assignment)(replica, computation) =
           computation_device.replica_device_ids(replica);
     }
   }
diff --git a/tensorflow/compiler/xla/service/computation_placer.h b/tensorflow/compiler/xla/service/computation_placer.h
index 4d26d6bb85f..7d9abcd100d 100644
--- a/tensorflow/compiler/xla/service/computation_placer.h
+++ b/tensorflow/compiler/xla/service/computation_placer.h
@@ -49,7 +49,11 @@ class DeviceAssignment : public Array2D<int> {
 
   // Protocol buffer serialization and deserialization.
   Status Serialize(DeviceAssignmentProto* proto) const;
-  static StatusOr<DeviceAssignment> Deserialize(
+
+  // Return a std::unique_ptr<DeviceAssignment> instead of a DeviceAssignment
+  // directly because one of the supported TF platforms (mac) does not compile
+  // due to a StatusOr of an incomplete type (DeviceAssignment).
+  static StatusOr<std::unique_ptr<DeviceAssignment>> Deserialize(
       const DeviceAssignmentProto& proto);
 };