diff --git a/codec/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/codec/LengthFieldPrepender.java b/codec/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/codec/LengthFieldPrepender.java
index dd8e0e834c..0bfd23759f 100644
--- a/codec/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/codec/LengthFieldPrepender.java
+++ b/codec/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/codec/LengthFieldPrepender.java
@@ -19,6 +19,8 @@ import io.netty.buffer.ByteBuf;
 import io.netty.channel.ChannelHandler.Sharable;
 import io.netty.channel.ChannelHandlerContext;
 
+import java.util.List;
+
 
 /**
  * An encoder that prepends the length of the message.  The length value is
@@ -47,7 +49,7 @@ import io.netty.channel.ChannelHandlerContext;
  * </pre>
  */
 @Sharable
-public class LengthFieldPrepender extends MessageToByteEncoder<ByteBuf> {
+public class LengthFieldPrepender extends MessageToMessageEncoder<ByteBuf> {
 
     private final int lengthFieldLength;
     private final boolean lengthIncludesLengthFieldLength;
@@ -128,7 +130,7 @@ public class LengthFieldPrepender extends MessageToByteEncoder<ByteBuf> {
     }
 
     @Override
-    protected void encode(ChannelHandlerContext ctx, ByteBuf msg, ByteBuf out) throws Exception {
+    protected void encode(ChannelHandlerContext ctx, ByteBuf msg, List<Object> out) throws Exception {
         int length = msg.readableBytes() + lengthAdjustment;
         if (lengthIncludesLengthFieldLength) {
             length += lengthFieldLength;
@@ -145,32 +147,31 @@ public class LengthFieldPrepender extends MessageToByteEncoder<ByteBuf> {
                 throw new IllegalArgumentException(
                         "length does not fit into a byte: " + length);
             }
-            out.writeByte((byte) length);
+            out.add(ctx.alloc().buffer(1).writeByte((byte) length));
             break;
         case 2:
             if (length >= 65536) {
                 throw new IllegalArgumentException(
                         "length does not fit into a short integer: " + length);
             }
-            out.writeShort((short) length);
+            out.add(ctx.alloc().buffer(2).writeShort((short) length));
             break;
         case 3:
             if (length >= 16777216) {
                 throw new IllegalArgumentException(
                         "length does not fit into a medium integer: " + length);
             }
-            out.writeMedium(length);
+            out.add(ctx.alloc().buffer(3).writeMedium(length));
             break;
         case 4:
-            out.writeInt(length);
+            out.add(ctx.alloc().buffer(4).writeInt(length));
             break;
         case 8:
-            out.writeLong(length);
+            out.add(ctx.alloc().buffer(8).writeLong(length));
             break;
         default:
             throw new Error("should not reach here");
         }
-
-        out.writeBytes(msg, msg.readerIndex(), msg.readableBytes());
+        out.add(msg.retain());
     }
 }
diff --git a/codec/src/test/java/io/netty/handler/codec/frame/LengthFieldPrependerTest.java b/codec/src/test/java/io/netty/handler/codec/frame/LengthFieldPrependerTest.java
index c02affe905..92984cf917 100644
--- a/codec/src/test/java/io/netty/handler/codec/frame/LengthFieldPrependerTest.java
+++ b/codec/src/test/java/io/netty/handler/codec/frame/LengthFieldPrependerTest.java
@@ -24,7 +24,6 @@ import org.junit.Before;
 import org.junit.Test;
 
 import static io.netty.buffer.Unpooled.*;
-import static org.hamcrest.core.Is.*;
 import static org.junit.Assert.*;
 
 public class LengthFieldPrependerTest {
@@ -40,8 +39,13 @@ public class LengthFieldPrependerTest {
     public void testPrependLength() throws Exception {
         final EmbeddedChannel ch = new EmbeddedChannel(new LengthFieldPrepender(4));
         ch.writeOutbound(msg);
-        final ByteBuf buf = (ByteBuf) ch.readOutbound();
-        assertThat(buf, is(wrappedBuffer(new byte[]{0, 0, 0, 1, 'A'})));
+        ByteBuf buf = (ByteBuf) ch.readOutbound();
+        assertEquals(4, buf.readableBytes());
+        assertEquals(msg.readableBytes(), buf.readInt());
+        buf.release();
+
+        buf = (ByteBuf) ch.readOutbound();
+        assertSame(buf, msg);
         buf.release();
     }
 
@@ -49,8 +53,13 @@ public class LengthFieldPrependerTest {
     public void testPrependLengthIncludesLengthFieldLength() throws Exception {
         final EmbeddedChannel ch = new EmbeddedChannel(new LengthFieldPrepender(4, true));
         ch.writeOutbound(msg);
-        final ByteBuf buf = (ByteBuf) ch.readOutbound();
-        assertThat(buf, is(wrappedBuffer(new byte[]{0, 0, 0, 5, 'A'})));
+        ByteBuf buf = (ByteBuf) ch.readOutbound();
+        assertEquals(4, buf.readableBytes());
+        assertEquals(5, buf.readInt());
+        buf.release();
+
+        buf = (ByteBuf) ch.readOutbound();
+        assertSame(buf, msg);
         buf.release();
     }
 
@@ -58,8 +67,13 @@ public class LengthFieldPrependerTest {
     public void testPrependAdjustedLength() throws Exception {
         final EmbeddedChannel ch = new EmbeddedChannel(new LengthFieldPrepender(4, -1));
         ch.writeOutbound(msg);
-        final ByteBuf buf = (ByteBuf) ch.readOutbound();
-        assertThat(buf, is(wrappedBuffer(new byte[]{0, 0, 0, 0, 'A'})));
+        ByteBuf buf = (ByteBuf) ch.readOutbound();
+        assertEquals(4, buf.readableBytes());
+        assertEquals(msg.readableBytes() - 1, buf.readInt());
+        buf.release();
+
+        buf = (ByteBuf) ch.readOutbound();
+        assertSame(buf, msg);
         buf.release();
     }