diff --git a/buffer/src/main/java/io/netty/buffer/CompositeByteBuf.java b/buffer/src/main/java/io/netty/buffer/CompositeByteBuf.java
index 3d6fd215b9..85160c79a6 100644
--- a/buffer/src/main/java/io/netty/buffer/CompositeByteBuf.java
+++ b/buffer/src/main/java/io/netty/buffer/CompositeByteBuf.java
@@ -1467,9 +1467,13 @@ public class CompositeByteBuf extends AbstractReferenceCountedByteBuf implements
             }
         }
 
-        ByteBuffer merged = ByteBuffer.allocate(length).order(order());
         ByteBuffer[] buffers = nioBuffers(index, length);
 
+        if (buffers.length == 1) {
+            return buffers[0].duplicate();
+        }
+
+        ByteBuffer merged = ByteBuffer.allocate(length).order(order());
         for (ByteBuffer buf: buffers) {
             merged.put(buf);
         }