diff --git a/buffer/src/main/java/io/netty/buffer/PoolChunk.java b/buffer/src/main/java/io/netty/buffer/PoolChunk.java
index 9b6dd41f52..a22421a9f9 100644
--- a/buffer/src/main/java/io/netty/buffer/PoolChunk.java
+++ b/buffer/src/main/java/io/netty/buffer/PoolChunk.java
@@ -119,26 +119,62 @@ final class PoolChunk<T> {
     }
 
     private long allocateRun(int normCapacity, int curIdx, int val) {
-        for (;;) {
-            if ((val & ST_ALLOCATED) != 0) { // state == ST_ALLOCATED || state == ST_ALLOCATED_SUBPAGE
-                return -1;
-            }
-
-            if ((val & ST_BRANCH) != 0) { // state == ST_BRANCH
-                int nextIdx = curIdx << 1 ^ nextRandom();
-                long res = allocateRun(normCapacity, nextIdx, memoryMap[nextIdx]);
-                if (res > 0) {
-                    return res;
+        switch (val & 3) {
+            case ST_UNUSED:
+                return allocateRunSimple(normCapacity, curIdx, val);
+            case ST_BRANCH:
+                final int nextIdxLeft = curIdx << 1;
+                final int nextValLeft = memoryMap[nextIdxLeft];
+                final boolean recurseLeft;
+                switch (nextValLeft & 3) {
+                    case ST_UNUSED:
+                        return allocateRunSimple(normCapacity, nextIdxLeft, nextValLeft);
+                    case ST_BRANCH:
+                        recurseLeft = true;
+                        break;
+                    default:
+                        recurseLeft = false;
                 }
 
-                curIdx = nextIdx ^ 1;
-                val = memoryMap[curIdx];
-                continue;
-            }
+                final int nextIdxRight = nextIdxLeft ^ 1;
+                final int nextValRight = memoryMap[nextIdxRight];
+                final boolean recurseRight;
+                switch (nextValRight & 3) {
+                    case ST_UNUSED:
+                        return allocateRunSimple(normCapacity, nextIdxRight, nextValRight);
+                    case ST_BRANCH:
+                        recurseRight = true;
+                        break;
+                    default:
+                        recurseRight = false;
+                }
 
-            // state == ST_UNUSED
-            return allocateRunSimple(normCapacity, curIdx, val);
+                if (recurseLeft) {
+                    long res = branchRun(normCapacity, nextIdxLeft);
+                    if (res > 0) {
+                        return res;
+                    }
+                }
+
+                if (recurseRight) {
+                    return branchRun(normCapacity, nextIdxRight);
+                }
         }
+
+        return -1;
+    }
+
+    private long branchRun(int normCapacity, int nextIdx) {
+        int nextNextIdx = nextIdx << 1;
+        int nextNextVal = memoryMap[nextNextIdx];
+        long res = allocateRun(normCapacity, nextNextIdx, nextNextVal);
+        if (res > 0) {
+            return res;
+        }
+
+        nextNextIdx ^= 1;
+        nextNextVal = memoryMap[nextNextIdx];
+        return allocateRun(normCapacity, nextNextIdx, nextNextVal);
     }
 
     private long allocateRunSimple(int normCapacity, int curIdx, int val) {
diff --git a/buffer/src/main/java/io/netty/buffer/PoolSubpage.java b/buffer/src/main/java/io/netty/buffer/PoolSubpage.java
index e915ab7f98..89cb680f6b 100644
--- a/buffer/src/main/java/io/netty/buffer/PoolSubpage.java
+++ b/buffer/src/main/java/io/netty/buffer/PoolSubpage.java
@@ -19,20 +19,20 @@ package io.netty.buffer;
 final class PoolSubpage<T> {
 
     final PoolChunk<T> chunk;
-    final int memoryMapIdx;
-    final int runOffset;
-    final int pageSize;
-    final long[] bitmap;
+    private final int memoryMapIdx;
+    private final int runOffset;
+    private final int pageSize;
+    private final long[] bitmap;
 
     PoolSubpage<T> prev;
     PoolSubpage<T> next;
 
     boolean doNotDestroy;
     int elemSize;
-    int maxNumElems;
-    int nextAvail;
-    int bitmapLength;
-    int numAvail;
+    private int maxNumElems;
+    private int bitmapLength;
+    private int nextAvail;
+    private int numAvail;
 
     // TODO: Test if adding padding helps under contention
     //private long pad0, pad1, pad2, pad3, pad4, pad5, pad6, pad7;
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ final class PoolSubpage<T> {
             return -1;
         }
 
-        final int bitmapIdx = nextAvail;
+        final int bitmapIdx = getNextAvail();
         int q = bitmapIdx >>> 6;
         int r = bitmapIdx & 63;
         assert (bitmap[q] >>> r & 1) == 0;
@@ -95,9 +95,6 @@ final class PoolSubpage<T> {
 
         if (-- numAvail == 0) {
             removeFromPool();
-            nextAvail = -1;
-        } else {
-            nextAvail = findNextAvailable();
         }
 
         return toHandle(bitmapIdx);
@@ -118,8 +115,9 @@ final class PoolSubpage<T> {
         assert (bitmap[q] >>> r & 1) != 0;
         bitmap[q] ^= 1L << r;
 
+        setNextAvail(bitmapIdx);
+
         if (numAvail ++ == 0) {
-            nextAvail = bitmapIdx;
             addToPool();
             return true;
         }
@@ -157,27 +155,47 @@ final class PoolSubpage<T> {
         prev = null;
     }
 
-    private int findNextAvailable() {
-        int newNextAvail = -1;
-        loop:
+    private void setNextAvail(int bitmapIdx) {
+        nextAvail = bitmapIdx;
+    }
+
+    private int getNextAvail() {
+        int nextAvail = this.nextAvail;
+        if (nextAvail >= 0) {
+            this.nextAvail = -1;
+            return nextAvail;
+        }
+        return findNextAvail();
+    }
+
+    private int findNextAvail() {
+        final long[] bitmap = this.bitmap;
+        final int bitmapLength = this.bitmapLength;
         for (int i = 0; i < bitmapLength; i ++) {
             long bits = bitmap[i];
             if (~bits != 0) {
-                for (int j = 0; j < 64; j ++) {
-                    if ((bits & 1) == 0) {
-                        newNextAvail = i << 6 | j;
-                        break loop;
-                    }
-                    bits >>>= 1;
-                }
+                return findNextAvail0(i, bits);
             }
         }
+        return -1;
+    }
 
-        if (newNextAvail < maxNumElems) {
-            return newNextAvail;
-        } else {
-            return -1;
+    private int findNextAvail0(int i, long bits) {
+        final int maxNumElems = this.maxNumElems;
+        final int baseVal = i << 6;
+
+        for (int j = 0; j < 64; j ++) {
+            if ((bits & 1) == 0) {
+                int val = baseVal | j;
+                if (val < maxNumElems) {
+                    return val;
+                } else {
+                    break;
+                }
+            }
+            bits >>>= 1;
         }
+        return -1;
     }
 
     private long toHandle(int bitmapIdx) {