diff --git a/codec/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/codec/ByteToMessageDecoder.java b/codec/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/codec/ByteToMessageDecoder.java
index 46bd380948..4455eb70b3 100644
--- a/codec/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/codec/ByteToMessageDecoder.java
+++ b/codec/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/codec/ByteToMessageDecoder.java
@@ -279,21 +279,24 @@ public abstract class ByteToMessageDecoder extends ChannelInboundHandlerAdapter
             } catch (Exception e) {
                 throw new DecoderException(e);
             } finally {
-                if (cumulation != null && !cumulation.isReadable()) {
-                    numReads = 0;
-                    cumulation.release();
-                    cumulation = null;
-                } else if (++ numReads >= discardAfterReads) {
-                    // We did enough reads already try to discard some bytes so we not risk to see a OOME.
-                    // See https://github.com/netty/netty/issues/4275
-                    numReads = 0;
-                    discardSomeReadBytes();
-                }
+                try {
+                    if (cumulation != null && !cumulation.isReadable()) {
+                        numReads = 0;
+                        cumulation.release();
+                        cumulation = null;
+                    } else if (++numReads >= discardAfterReads) {
+                        // We did enough reads already try to discard some bytes so we not risk to see a OOME.
+                        // See https://github.com/netty/netty/issues/4275
+                        numReads = 0;
+                        discardSomeReadBytes();
+                    }
 
-                int size = out.size();
-                firedChannelRead |= out.insertSinceRecycled();
-                fireChannelRead(ctx, out, size);
-                out.recycle();
+                    int size = out.size();
+                    firedChannelRead |= out.insertSinceRecycled();
+                    fireChannelRead(ctx, out, size);
+                } finally {
+                    out.recycle();
+                }
             }
         } else {
             ctx.fireChannelRead(msg);
diff --git a/codec/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/codec/MessageToMessageDecoder.java b/codec/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/codec/MessageToMessageDecoder.java
index ec828e2e32..595a2fabda 100644
--- a/codec/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/codec/MessageToMessageDecoder.java
+++ b/codec/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/codec/MessageToMessageDecoder.java
@@ -97,11 +97,14 @@ public abstract class MessageToMessageDecoder<I> extends ChannelInboundHandlerAd
         } catch (Exception e) {
             throw new DecoderException(e);
         } finally {
-            int size = out.size();
-            for (int i = 0; i < size; i ++) {
-                ctx.fireChannelRead(out.getUnsafe(i));
+            try {
+                int size = out.size();
+                for (int i = 0; i < size; i++) {
+                    ctx.fireChannelRead(out.getUnsafe(i));
+                }
+            } finally {
+                out.recycle();
             }
-            out.recycle();
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/codec/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/codec/MessageToMessageEncoder.java b/codec/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/codec/MessageToMessageEncoder.java
index 439dc8cb19..ddb001a833 100644
--- a/codec/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/codec/MessageToMessageEncoder.java
+++ b/codec/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/codec/MessageToMessageEncoder.java
@@ -92,9 +92,6 @@ public abstract class MessageToMessageEncoder<I> extends ChannelOutboundHandlerA
                 }
 
                 if (out.isEmpty()) {
-                    out.recycle();
-                    out = null;
-
                     throw new EncoderException(
                             StringUtil.simpleClassName(this) + " must produce at least one message.");
                 }
@@ -107,19 +104,22 @@ public abstract class MessageToMessageEncoder<I> extends ChannelOutboundHandlerA
             throw new EncoderException(t);
         } finally {
             if (out != null) {
-                final int sizeMinusOne = out.size() - 1;
-                if (sizeMinusOne == 0) {
-                    ctx.write(out.getUnsafe(0), promise);
-                } else if (sizeMinusOne > 0) {
-                    // Check if we can use a voidPromise for our extra writes to reduce GC-Pressure
-                    // See https://github.com/netty/netty/issues/2525
-                    if (promise == ctx.voidPromise()) {
-                        writeVoidPromise(ctx, out);
-                    } else {
-                        writePromiseCombiner(ctx, out, promise);
+                try {
+                    final int sizeMinusOne = out.size() - 1;
+                    if (sizeMinusOne == 0) {
+                        ctx.write(out.getUnsafe(0), promise);
+                    } else if (sizeMinusOne > 0) {
+                        // Check if we can use a voidPromise for our extra writes to reduce GC-Pressure
+                        // See https://github.com/netty/netty/issues/2525
+                        if (promise == ctx.voidPromise()) {
+                            writeVoidPromise(ctx, out);
+                        } else {
+                            writePromiseCombiner(ctx, out, promise);
+                        }
                     }
+                } finally {
+                    out.recycle();
                 }
-                out.recycle();
             }
         }
     }