During instrumented microindentation at 450 °C, prominent and limited serrations were exhibited in the load–depth curves corresponding to an annealed Ni–10Pd and a deformed Ni–10Pd specimen, respectively. After fully recrystallizing the deformed Ni–10Pd sample and minimizing the stored strain energy, the characteristic jerky flow behaviour was restored in the Ni–10Pd sample during instrumented nanoindentation at 450 °C. The effect of pre-deformation on the serrated flow behaviour is rationalized using a modified cavity expansion model that accounts for the reconfiguration of dislocation substructures and solute–dislocation interactions.