diff --git a/codec-http2/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/codec/http2/Http2ConnectionHandler.java b/codec-http2/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/codec/http2/Http2ConnectionHandler.java
index a310ec4649..442bc0f192 100644
--- a/codec-http2/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/codec/http2/Http2ConnectionHandler.java
+++ b/codec-http2/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/codec/http2/Http2ConnectionHandler.java
@@ -668,6 +668,7 @@ public class Http2ConnectionHandler extends ByteToMessageDecoder implements Http
     @Override
     public ChannelFuture goAway(final ChannelHandlerContext ctx, final int lastStreamId, final long errorCode,
                                 final ByteBuf debugData, ChannelPromise promise) {
+        boolean release = false;
         try {
             final Http2Connection connection = connection();
             if (connection.goAwaySent() && lastStreamId > connection.remote().lastStreamKnownByPeer()) {
@@ -680,6 +681,7 @@ public class Http2ConnectionHandler extends ByteToMessageDecoder implements Http
             // Need to retain before we write the buffer because if we do it after the refCnt could already be 0 and
             // result in an IllegalRefCountException.
             debugData.retain();
+            release = true;
             ChannelFuture future = frameWriter().writeGoAway(ctx, lastStreamId, errorCode, debugData, promise);
 
             if (future.isDone()) {
@@ -695,7 +697,9 @@ public class Http2ConnectionHandler extends ByteToMessageDecoder implements Http
 
             return future;
         } catch (Throwable cause) { // Make sure to catch Throwable because we are doing a retain() in this method.
-            debugData.release();
+            if (release) {
+                debugData.release();
+            }
             return promise.setFailure(cause);
         }
     }
diff --git a/codec-http2/src/test/java/io/netty/handler/codec/http2/Http2ConnectionHandlerTest.java b/codec-http2/src/test/java/io/netty/handler/codec/http2/Http2ConnectionHandlerTest.java
index 0cb19bd29c..0e23e13ca8 100644
--- a/codec-http2/src/test/java/io/netty/handler/codec/http2/Http2ConnectionHandlerTest.java
+++ b/codec-http2/src/test/java/io/netty/handler/codec/http2/Http2ConnectionHandlerTest.java
@@ -50,7 +50,6 @@ import static io.netty.handler.codec.http2.Http2Stream.State.IDLE;
 import static io.netty.util.CharsetUtil.UTF_8;
 import static org.junit.Assert.assertEquals;
 import static org.junit.Assert.assertFalse;
-import static org.junit.Assert.assertNull;
 import static org.junit.Assert.assertTrue;
 import static org.mockito.Matchers.any;
 import static org.mockito.Matchers.anyBoolean;
@@ -419,21 +418,25 @@ public class Http2ConnectionHandlerTest {
     public void cannotSendGoAwayFrameWithIncreasingLastStreamIds() throws Exception {
         handler = newHandler();
         ByteBuf data = dummyData();
-        long errorCode = Http2Error.INTERNAL_ERROR.code();
+        try {
+            long errorCode = Http2Error.INTERNAL_ERROR.code();
 
-        handler.goAway(ctx, STREAM_ID, errorCode, data.retain(), promise);
-        verify(connection).goAwaySent(eq(STREAM_ID), eq(errorCode), eq(data));
-        verify(frameWriter).writeGoAway(eq(ctx), eq(STREAM_ID), eq(errorCode), eq(data), eq(promise));
-        // The frameWriter is only mocked, so it should not have interacted with the promise.
-        assertFalse(promise.isDone());
+            handler.goAway(ctx, STREAM_ID, errorCode, data.retain(), promise);
+            verify(connection).goAwaySent(eq(STREAM_ID), eq(errorCode), eq(data));
+            verify(frameWriter).writeGoAway(eq(ctx), eq(STREAM_ID), eq(errorCode), eq(data), eq(promise));
+            // The frameWriter is only mocked, so it should not have interacted with the promise.
+            assertFalse(promise.isDone());
 
-        when(connection.goAwaySent()).thenReturn(true);
-        when(remote.lastStreamKnownByPeer()).thenReturn(STREAM_ID);
-        handler.goAway(ctx, STREAM_ID + 2, errorCode, data, promise);
-        assertTrue(promise.isDone());
-        assertFalse(promise.isSuccess());
-        assertEquals(0, data.refCnt());
-        verifyNoMoreInteractions(frameWriter);
+            when(connection.goAwaySent()).thenReturn(true);
+            when(remote.lastStreamKnownByPeer()).thenReturn(STREAM_ID);
+            handler.goAway(ctx, STREAM_ID + 2, errorCode, data, promise);
+            assertTrue(promise.isDone());
+            assertFalse(promise.isSuccess());
+            assertEquals(1, data.refCnt());
+            verifyNoMoreInteractions(frameWriter);
+        } finally {
+            data.release();
+        }
     }
 
     @Test