diff --git a/buffer/src/main/java/io/netty/buffer/AbstractByteBufAllocator.java b/buffer/src/main/java/io/netty/buffer/AbstractByteBufAllocator.java
index 920b3fb46d..9e15822b4c 100644
--- a/buffer/src/main/java/io/netty/buffer/AbstractByteBufAllocator.java
+++ b/buffer/src/main/java/io/netty/buffer/AbstractByteBufAllocator.java
@@ -127,7 +127,7 @@ public abstract class AbstractByteBufAllocator implements ByteBufAllocator {
 
     @Override
     public ByteBuf ioBuffer() {
-        if (PlatformDependent.hasUnsafe()) {
+        if (PlatformDependent.hasUnsafe() || isDirectBufferPooled()) {
             return directBuffer(DEFAULT_INITIAL_CAPACITY);
         }
         return heapBuffer(DEFAULT_INITIAL_CAPACITY);
@@ -135,7 +135,7 @@ public abstract class AbstractByteBufAllocator implements ByteBufAllocator {
 
     @Override
     public ByteBuf ioBuffer(int initialCapacity) {
-        if (PlatformDependent.hasUnsafe()) {
+        if (PlatformDependent.hasUnsafe() || isDirectBufferPooled()) {
             return directBuffer(initialCapacity);
         }
         return heapBuffer(initialCapacity);
@@ -143,7 +143,7 @@ public abstract class AbstractByteBufAllocator implements ByteBufAllocator {
 
     @Override
     public ByteBuf ioBuffer(int initialCapacity, int maxCapacity) {
-        if (PlatformDependent.hasUnsafe()) {
+        if (PlatformDependent.hasUnsafe() || isDirectBufferPooled()) {
             return directBuffer(initialCapacity, maxCapacity);
         }
         return heapBuffer(initialCapacity, maxCapacity);
diff --git a/buffer/src/test/java/io/netty/buffer/PooledByteBufAllocatorTest.java b/buffer/src/test/java/io/netty/buffer/PooledByteBufAllocatorTest.java
index b1396373bc..4f9ce334a6 100644
--- a/buffer/src/test/java/io/netty/buffer/PooledByteBufAllocatorTest.java
+++ b/buffer/src/test/java/io/netty/buffer/PooledByteBufAllocatorTest.java
@@ -92,6 +92,25 @@ public class PooledByteBufAllocatorTest extends AbstractByteBufAllocatorTest<Poo
         heapBuffer.release();
     }
 
+    @Test
+    public void testIOBuffersAreDirectWhenUnsafeAvailableOrDirectBuffersPooled() {
+        PooledByteBufAllocator allocator = newAllocator(true);
+        ByteBuf ioBuffer = allocator.ioBuffer();
+
+        assertTrue(ioBuffer.isDirect());
+        ioBuffer.release();
+
+        PooledByteBufAllocator unpooledAllocator = newUnpooledAllocator();
+        ioBuffer = unpooledAllocator.ioBuffer();
+
+        if (PlatformDependent.hasUnsafe()) {
+            assertTrue(ioBuffer.isDirect());
+        } else {
+            assertFalse(ioBuffer.isDirect());
+        }
+        ioBuffer.release();
+    }
+
     @Test
     public void testWithoutUseCacheForAllThreads() {
         assertFalse(Thread.currentThread() instanceof FastThreadLocalThread);