diff --git a/handler/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/ssl/ReferenceCountedOpenSslClientContext.java b/handler/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/ssl/ReferenceCountedOpenSslClientContext.java
index 43c79c2002..e7ae41c490 100644
--- a/handler/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/ssl/ReferenceCountedOpenSslClientContext.java
+++ b/handler/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/ssl/ReferenceCountedOpenSslClientContext.java
@@ -40,6 +40,10 @@ import javax.security.auth.x500.X500Principal;
 /**
  * A client-side {@link SslContext} which uses OpenSSL's SSL/TLS implementation.
  * <p>Instances of this class must be {@link #release() released} or else native memory will leak!
+ *
+ * <p>Instances of this class <strong>must not</strong> be released before any {@link ReferenceCountedOpenSslEngine}
+ * which depends upon the instance of this class is released. Otherwise if any method of
+ * {@link ReferenceCountedOpenSslEngine} is called which uses this class's JNI resources the JVM may crash.
  */
 public final class ReferenceCountedOpenSslClientContext extends ReferenceCountedOpenSslContext {
     private static final InternalLogger logger =
diff --git a/handler/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/ssl/ReferenceCountedOpenSslContext.java b/handler/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/ssl/ReferenceCountedOpenSslContext.java
index 9dd2bd0e77..da030426fb 100644
--- a/handler/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/ssl/ReferenceCountedOpenSslContext.java
+++ b/handler/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/ssl/ReferenceCountedOpenSslContext.java
@@ -62,6 +62,10 @@ import static io.netty.util.internal.ObjectUtil.checkNotNull;
  * An implementation of {@link SslContext} which works with libraries that support the
  * <a href="https://www.openssl.org/">OpenSsl</a> C library API.
  * <p>Instances of this class must be {@link #release() released} or else native memory will leak!
+ *
+ * <p>Instances of this class <strong>must not</strong> be released before any {@link ReferenceCountedOpenSslEngine}
+ * which depends upon the instance of this class is released. Otherwise if any method of
+ * {@link ReferenceCountedOpenSslEngine} is called which uses this class's JNI resources the JVM may crash.
  */
 public abstract class ReferenceCountedOpenSslContext extends SslContext implements ReferenceCounted {
     private static final InternalLogger logger =
diff --git a/handler/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/ssl/ReferenceCountedOpenSslEngine.java b/handler/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/ssl/ReferenceCountedOpenSslEngine.java
index 8e32b33b09..ad74016a6d 100644
--- a/handler/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/ssl/ReferenceCountedOpenSslEngine.java
+++ b/handler/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/ssl/ReferenceCountedOpenSslEngine.java
@@ -72,6 +72,10 @@ import static javax.net.ssl.SSLEngineResult.Status.OK;
  * Implements a {@link SSLEngine} using
  * <a href="https://www.openssl.org/docs/crypto/BIO_s_bio.html#EXAMPLE">OpenSSL BIO abstractions</a>.
  * <p>Instances of this class must be {@link #release() released} or else native memory will leak!
+ *
+ * <p>Instances of this class <strong>must</strong> be released before the {@link ReferenceCountedOpenSslContext}
+ * the instance depends upon are released. Otherwise if any method of this class is called which uses the
+ * the {@link ReferenceCountedOpenSslContext} JNI resources the JVM may crash.
  */
 public class ReferenceCountedOpenSslEngine extends SSLEngine implements ReferenceCounted {
 
diff --git a/handler/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/ssl/ReferenceCountedOpenSslServerContext.java b/handler/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/ssl/ReferenceCountedOpenSslServerContext.java
index a814e1392a..49349a61c5 100644
--- a/handler/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/ssl/ReferenceCountedOpenSslServerContext.java
+++ b/handler/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/ssl/ReferenceCountedOpenSslServerContext.java
@@ -35,6 +35,10 @@ import static io.netty.util.internal.ObjectUtil.checkNotNull;
 /**
  * A server-side {@link SslContext} which uses OpenSSL's SSL/TLS implementation.
  * <p>Instances of this class must be {@link #release() released} or else native memory will leak!
+ *
+ * <p>Instances of this class <strong>must not</strong> be released before any {@link ReferenceCountedOpenSslEngine}
+ * which depends upon the instance of this class is released. Otherwise if any method of
+ * {@link ReferenceCountedOpenSslEngine} is called which uses this class's JNI resources the JVM may crash.
  */
 public final class ReferenceCountedOpenSslServerContext extends ReferenceCountedOpenSslContext {
     private static final byte[] ID = {'n', 'e', 't', 't', 'y'};
diff --git a/handler/src/test/java/io/netty/handler/ssl/SSLEngineTest.java b/handler/src/test/java/io/netty/handler/ssl/SSLEngineTest.java
index 86f2870f73..04bf337f0e 100644
--- a/handler/src/test/java/io/netty/handler/ssl/SSLEngineTest.java
+++ b/handler/src/test/java/io/netty/handler/ssl/SSLEngineTest.java
@@ -118,18 +118,35 @@ public abstract class SSLEngineTest {
 
     @After
     public void tearDown() throws InterruptedException {
+        ChannelFuture clientCloseFuture = null;
+        ChannelFuture serverConnectedCloseFuture = null;
+        ChannelFuture serverCloseFuture = null;
         if (clientChannel != null) {
-            clientChannel.close();
+            clientCloseFuture = clientChannel.close();
             clientChannel = null;
         }
         if (serverConnectedChannel != null) {
-            serverConnectedChannel.close();
+            serverConnectedCloseFuture = serverConnectedChannel.close();
             serverConnectedChannel = null;
         }
         if (serverChannel != null) {
-            serverChannel.close().sync();
+            serverCloseFuture = serverChannel.close();
             serverChannel = null;
         }
+        // We must wait for the Channel cleanup to finish. In the case if the ReferenceCountedOpenSslEngineTest
+        // the ReferenceCountedOpenSslEngine depends upon the SslContext and so we must wait the cleanup the
+        // SslContext to avoid JVM core dumps!
+        //
+        // See https://github.com/netty/netty/issues/5692
+        if (clientCloseFuture != null) {
+            clientCloseFuture.sync();
+        }
+        if (serverConnectedCloseFuture != null) {
+            serverConnectedCloseFuture.sync();
+        }
+        if (serverCloseFuture != null) {
+            serverCloseFuture.sync();
+        }
         if (serverSslCtx != null) {
             cleanupSslContext(serverSslCtx);
             serverSslCtx = null;