diff --git a/codec/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/codec/ByteToByteEncoder.java b/codec/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/codec/ByteToByteEncoder.java
index 478b3c7fd7..4fc684c71a 100644
--- a/codec/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/codec/ByteToByteEncoder.java
+++ b/codec/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/codec/ByteToByteEncoder.java
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ import io.netty.channel.ChannelHandlerContext;
 import io.netty.channel.ChannelOutboundByteHandlerAdapter;
 import io.netty.channel.ChannelPromise;
 import io.netty.channel.FileRegion;
-import io.netty.channel.PartialFlushException;
+import io.netty.channel.IncompleteFlushException;
 
 import java.io.EOFException;
 import java.io.IOException;
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ public abstract class ByteToByteEncoder extends ChannelOutboundByteHandlerAdapte
                     cause = new EncoderException(t);
                 }
                 if (encoded) {
-                    cause = new PartialFlushException("Unable to encoded all bytes", cause);
+                    cause = new IncompleteFlushException("Unable to encoded all bytes", cause);
                 }
                 in.discardSomeReadBytes();
                 promise.setFailure(cause);
diff --git a/transport/src/main/java/io/netty/channel/ChannelHandlerUtil.java b/transport/src/main/java/io/netty/channel/ChannelHandlerUtil.java
index ca68e6cc8c..596265abc4 100644
--- a/transport/src/main/java/io/netty/channel/ChannelHandlerUtil.java
+++ b/transport/src/main/java/io/netty/channel/ChannelHandlerUtil.java
@@ -93,7 +93,11 @@ public final class ChannelHandlerUtil {
 
         int processed = 0;
         try {
-            handler.beginFlush(ctx);
+            if (!handler.beginFlush(ctx)) {
+                throw new IncompleteFlushException(
+                        "beginFlush(..) rejected the flush request by returning false. " +
+                        "none of " + inSize + " message(s) fulshed.");
+            }
             for (;;) {
                 Object msg = in.poll();
                 if (msg == null) {
@@ -116,14 +120,18 @@ public final class ChannelHandlerUtil {
                 }
             }
         } catch (Throwable t) {
-            PartialFlushException pfe;
-            String msg = processed + " out of " + inSize + " message(s) flushed";
-            if (t instanceof Signal) {
-                Signal abort = (Signal) t;
-                abort.expect(ABORT);
-                pfe = new PartialFlushException("aborted: " + msg);
+            IncompleteFlushException pfe;
+            if (t instanceof IncompleteFlushException) {
+                pfe = (IncompleteFlushException) t;
             } else {
-                pfe = new PartialFlushException(msg, t);
+                String msg = processed + " out of " + inSize + " message(s) flushed";
+                if (t instanceof Signal) {
+                    Signal abort = (Signal) t;
+                    abort.expect(ABORT);
+                    pfe = new IncompleteFlushException("aborted: " + msg);
+                } else {
+                    pfe = new IncompleteFlushException(msg, t);
+                }
             }
             fail(ctx, promise, closeOnFailedFlush, pfe);
         }
@@ -284,8 +292,11 @@ public final class ChannelHandlerUtil {
          * was called.
          *
          * @param ctx           the {@link ChannelHandlerContext} which this {@link ChannelHandler} belongs to
+         *
+         * @return {@code true} to accept the flush request.  {@code false} to reject the flush request and
+         *         to fail the promise associated with the flush request with {@link IncompleteFlushException}.
          */
-        void beginFlush(ChannelHandlerContext ctx) throws Exception;
+        boolean beginFlush(ChannelHandlerContext ctx) throws Exception;
 
         /**
          * Is called once a message is being flushed.
diff --git a/transport/src/main/java/io/netty/channel/ChannelOutboundInvoker.java b/transport/src/main/java/io/netty/channel/ChannelOutboundInvoker.java
index 2444d0c58f..b7a388a3d9 100644
--- a/transport/src/main/java/io/netty/channel/ChannelOutboundInvoker.java
+++ b/transport/src/main/java/io/netty/channel/ChannelOutboundInvoker.java
@@ -15,9 +15,10 @@
  */
 package io.netty.channel;
 
+import io.netty.util.concurrent.EventExecutor;
+
 import java.net.ConnectException;
 import java.net.SocketAddress;
-import io.netty.util.concurrent.EventExecutor;
 /**
  * Interface which is shared by others which need to execute outbound logic.
  */
@@ -104,9 +105,9 @@ interface ChannelOutboundInvoker {
      * an error.
      * <p>
      * Be aware that the flush could be only partially successful. In such cases the {@link ChannelFuture} will be
-     * failed with an {@link PartialFlushException}. So if you are interested to know if it was partial successful you
+     * failed with an {@link IncompleteFlushException}. So if you are interested to know if it was partial successful you
      * need to check if the returned {@link ChannelFuture#cause()} returns an instance of
-     * {@link PartialFlushException}. In such cases you may want to call {@link #flush(ChannelPromise)} or
+     * {@link IncompleteFlushException}. In such cases you may want to call {@link #flush(ChannelPromise)} or
      * {@link #flush()} to flush the rest of the data or just close the connection via {@link #close(ChannelPromise)} or
      * {@link #close()}  if it is not possible to recover.
      * <p>
@@ -124,7 +125,7 @@ interface ChannelOutboundInvoker {
      * If you want to write a {@link FileRegion} use {@link #sendFile(FileRegion)}.
      * <p>
      * Be aware that the write could be only partially successful as the message may need to get encoded before write it
-     * to the remote peer. In such cases the {@link ChannelFuture} will be failed with a {@link PartialFlushException}.
+     * to the remote peer. In such cases the {@link ChannelFuture} will be failed with a {@link IncompleteFlushException}.
      * In such cases you may want to call {@link #flush(ChannelPromise)} or  {@link #flush()} to flush the rest of the
      * data or just close the connection via {@link #close(ChannelPromise)} or {@link #close()} if it is not possible
      * to recover.
@@ -254,9 +255,9 @@ interface ChannelOutboundInvoker {
      * an error.
      * <p>
      * Be aware that the flush could be only partially successful. In such cases the {@link ChannelFuture} will be
-     * failed with an {@link PartialFlushException}. So if you are interested to know if it was partial successful you
+     * failed with an {@link IncompleteFlushException}. So if you are interested to know if it was partial successful you
      * need to check if the returned {@link ChannelFuture#cause()} returns an instance of
-     * {@link PartialFlushException}. In such cases you may want to call {@link #flush(ChannelPromise)} or
+     * {@link IncompleteFlushException}. In such cases you may want to call {@link #flush(ChannelPromise)} or
      * {@link #flush()} to flush the rest of the data or just close the connection via {@link #close(ChannelPromise)} or
      * {@link #close()}  if it is not possible to recover.
      *
@@ -277,7 +278,7 @@ interface ChannelOutboundInvoker {
      * If you want to write a {@link FileRegion} use {@link #sendFile(FileRegion)}.
      * <p>
      * Be aware that the write could be only partially successful as the message may need to get encoded before write it
-     * to the remote peer. In such cases the {@link ChannelFuture} will be failed with a {@link PartialFlushException}.
+     * to the remote peer. In such cases the {@link ChannelFuture} will be failed with a {@link IncompleteFlushException}.
      * In such cases you may want to call {@link #flush(ChannelPromise)} or  {@link #flush()} to flush the rest of the
      * data or just close the connection via {@link #close(ChannelPromise)} or {@link #close()} if it is not possible
      * to recover.
diff --git a/transport/src/main/java/io/netty/channel/ChannelOutboundMessageHandlerAdapter.java b/transport/src/main/java/io/netty/channel/ChannelOutboundMessageHandlerAdapter.java
index ed090219d8..5bdd85243e 100644
--- a/transport/src/main/java/io/netty/channel/ChannelOutboundMessageHandlerAdapter.java
+++ b/transport/src/main/java/io/netty/channel/ChannelOutboundMessageHandlerAdapter.java
@@ -76,7 +76,9 @@ public abstract class ChannelOutboundMessageHandlerAdapter<I>
     }
 
     @Override
-    public void beginFlush(ChannelHandlerContext ctx) throws Exception { }
+    public boolean beginFlush(ChannelHandlerContext ctx) throws Exception {
+        return true;
+    }
 
     @Override
     public void endFlush(ChannelHandlerContext ctx) throws Exception { }
diff --git a/transport/src/main/java/io/netty/channel/PartialFlushException.java b/transport/src/main/java/io/netty/channel/IncompleteFlushException.java
similarity index 70%
rename from transport/src/main/java/io/netty/channel/PartialFlushException.java
rename to transport/src/main/java/io/netty/channel/IncompleteFlushException.java
index 84db69e669..31bd5bcca1 100644
--- a/transport/src/main/java/io/netty/channel/PartialFlushException.java
+++ b/transport/src/main/java/io/netty/channel/IncompleteFlushException.java
@@ -16,22 +16,25 @@
 package io.netty.channel;
 
 /**
- * Special {@link RuntimeException} which will be used by {@link ChannelOutboundInvoker#flush(ChannelPromise)},
+ * Special {@link ChannelException} which will be used by {@link ChannelOutboundInvoker#flush(ChannelPromise)},
  * {@link ChannelOutboundInvoker#flush()}, {@link ChannelOutboundInvoker#write(Object)} and
  * {@link ChannelOutboundInvoker#write(Object, ChannelPromise)} if the operation was only partial successful.
  */
-public class PartialFlushException extends RuntimeException {
-    private static final long serialVersionUID = 990261865971015004L;
+public class IncompleteFlushException extends ChannelException {
 
-    public PartialFlushException(String message) {
+    private static final long serialVersionUID = -9049491093800487565L;
+
+    public IncompleteFlushException() { }
+
+    public IncompleteFlushException(String message) {
         super(message);
     }
 
-    public PartialFlushException(String message, Throwable cause) {
+    public IncompleteFlushException(String message, Throwable cause) {
         super(message, cause);
     }
 
-    public PartialFlushException(Throwable cause) {
+    public IncompleteFlushException(Throwable cause) {
         super(cause);
     }
 }