diff --git a/buffer/src/main/java/io/netty/buffer/AbstractByteBuf.java b/buffer/src/main/java/io/netty/buffer/AbstractByteBuf.java
index d3ccaea9f0..ae7a0422c7 100644
--- a/buffer/src/main/java/io/netty/buffer/AbstractByteBuf.java
+++ b/buffer/src/main/java/io/netty/buffer/AbstractByteBuf.java
@@ -1032,7 +1032,7 @@ public abstract class AbstractByteBuf implements ByteBuf {
     }
 
     protected final void ensureAccessible() {
-        if (refCnt() <= 0) {
+        if (refCnt() == 0) {
             throw new IllegalBufferAccessException();
         }
     }
diff --git a/buffer/src/main/java/io/netty/buffer/AbstractReferenceCounted.java b/buffer/src/main/java/io/netty/buffer/AbstractReferenceCounted.java
index e9b89936f7..411802fe77 100644
--- a/buffer/src/main/java/io/netty/buffer/AbstractReferenceCounted.java
+++ b/buffer/src/main/java/io/netty/buffer/AbstractReferenceCounted.java
@@ -32,15 +32,18 @@ public abstract class AbstractReferenceCounted implements ReferenceCounted {
 
     @Override
     public final void retain() {
-        do {
+        for (;;) {
             int refCnt = this.refCnt;
-            if (refCnt <= 0) {
+            if (refCnt == 0) {
                 throw new IllegalBufferAccessException();
             }
             if (refCnt == Integer.MAX_VALUE) {
                 throw new IllegalBufferAccessException("refCnt overflow");
             }
-        } while (!refCntUpdater.compareAndSet(this, refCnt, refCnt + 1));
+            if (refCntUpdater.compareAndSet(this, refCnt, refCnt + 1)) {
+                break;
+            }
+        }
     }
 
     @Override
@@ -49,22 +52,25 @@ public abstract class AbstractReferenceCounted implements ReferenceCounted {
             throw new IllegalArgumentException("increment: " + increment + " (expected: > 0)");
         }
 
-        do {
+        for (;;) {
             int refCnt = this.refCnt;
-            if (refCnt <= 0) {
+            if (refCnt == 0) {
                 throw new IllegalBufferAccessException();
             }
             if (refCnt > Integer.MAX_VALUE - increment) {
                 throw new IllegalBufferAccessException("refCnt overflow");
             }
-        } while (!refCntUpdater.compareAndSet(this, refCnt, refCnt + increment));
+            if (refCntUpdater.compareAndSet(this, refCnt, refCnt + increment)) {
+                break;
+            }
+        }
     }
 
     @Override
     public final boolean release() {
         for (;;) {
             int refCnt = this.refCnt;
-            if (refCnt <= 0) {
+            if (refCnt == 0) {
                 throw new IllegalBufferAccessException();
             }
 
diff --git a/buffer/src/main/java/io/netty/buffer/AbstractReferenceCountedByteBuf.java b/buffer/src/main/java/io/netty/buffer/AbstractReferenceCountedByteBuf.java
index fdd66f3d36..8321795e56 100644
--- a/buffer/src/main/java/io/netty/buffer/AbstractReferenceCountedByteBuf.java
+++ b/buffer/src/main/java/io/netty/buffer/AbstractReferenceCountedByteBuf.java
@@ -37,15 +37,18 @@ public abstract class AbstractReferenceCountedByteBuf extends AbstractByteBuf {
 
     @Override
     public final void retain() {
-        do {
+        for (;;) {
             int refCnt = this.refCnt;
-            if (refCnt <= 0) {
+            if (refCnt == 0) {
                 throw new IllegalBufferAccessException();
             }
             if (refCnt == Integer.MAX_VALUE) {
                 throw new IllegalBufferAccessException("refCnt overflow");
             }
-        } while (!refCntUpdater.compareAndSet(this, refCnt, refCnt + 1));
+            if (refCntUpdater.compareAndSet(this, refCnt, refCnt + 1)) {
+                break;
+            }
+        }
     }
 
     @Override
@@ -54,22 +57,25 @@ public abstract class AbstractReferenceCountedByteBuf extends AbstractByteBuf {
             throw new IllegalArgumentException("increment: " + increment + " (expected: > 0)");
         }
 
-        do {
+        for (;;) {
             int refCnt = this.refCnt;
-            if (refCnt <= 0) {
+            if (refCnt == 0) {
                 throw new IllegalBufferAccessException();
             }
             if (refCnt > Integer.MAX_VALUE - increment) {
                 throw new IllegalBufferAccessException("refCnt overflow");
             }
-        } while (!refCntUpdater.compareAndSet(this, refCnt, refCnt + increment));
+            if (refCntUpdater.compareAndSet(this, refCnt, refCnt + increment)) {
+                break;
+            }
+        }
     }
 
     @Override
     public final boolean release() {
         for (;;) {
             int refCnt = this.refCnt;
-            if (refCnt <= 0) {
+            if (refCnt == 0) {
                 throw new IllegalBufferAccessException();
             }
 
diff --git a/codec-http/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/codec/spdy/DefaultSpdyDataFrame.java b/codec-http/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/codec/spdy/DefaultSpdyDataFrame.java
index 4edbf1bb4d..6702613ef0 100644
--- a/codec-http/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/codec/spdy/DefaultSpdyDataFrame.java
+++ b/codec-http/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/codec/spdy/DefaultSpdyDataFrame.java
@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@ public class DefaultSpdyDataFrame extends DefaultByteBufHolder implements SpdyDa
         buf.append(streamId);
         buf.append(StringUtil.NEWLINE);
         buf.append("--> Size = ");
-        if (refCnt() <= 0) {
+        if (refCnt() == 0) {
             buf.append("(freed)");
         } else {
             buf.append(data().readableBytes());
diff --git a/transport-sctp/src/main/java/io/netty/channel/sctp/SctpMessage.java b/transport-sctp/src/main/java/io/netty/channel/sctp/SctpMessage.java
index 117ad9a545..f2f93b3ea2 100644
--- a/transport-sctp/src/main/java/io/netty/channel/sctp/SctpMessage.java
+++ b/transport-sctp/src/main/java/io/netty/channel/sctp/SctpMessage.java
@@ -137,7 +137,7 @@ public final class SctpMessage extends DefaultByteBufHolder {
 
     @Override
     public String toString() {
-        if (refCnt() <= 0) {
+        if (refCnt() == 0) {
             return "SctpFrame{" +
                     "streamIdentifier=" + streamIdentifier + ", protocolIdentifier=" + protocolIdentifier +
                     ", data=(FREED)}";
diff --git a/transport/src/main/java/io/netty/channel/socket/DatagramPacket.java b/transport/src/main/java/io/netty/channel/socket/DatagramPacket.java
index dcfe373a50..d8a7c44cbd 100644
--- a/transport/src/main/java/io/netty/channel/socket/DatagramPacket.java
+++ b/transport/src/main/java/io/netty/channel/socket/DatagramPacket.java
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ public final class DatagramPacket extends DefaultByteBufHolder {
 
     @Override
     public String toString() {
-        if (refCnt() <= 0) {
+        if (refCnt() == 0) {
             return "DatagramPacket{remoteAddress=" + remoteAddress().toString() +
                     ", data=(FREED)}";
         }
diff --git a/transport/src/main/java/io/netty/channel/socket/aio/AioSocketChannel.java b/transport/src/main/java/io/netty/channel/socket/aio/AioSocketChannel.java
index 14e6051ee0..a706190423 100755
--- a/transport/src/main/java/io/netty/channel/socket/aio/AioSocketChannel.java
+++ b/transport/src/main/java/io/netty/channel/socket/aio/AioSocketChannel.java
@@ -254,7 +254,7 @@ public class AioSocketChannel extends AbstractAioChannel implements SocketChanne
         try {
             if (buf.isReadable()) {
                 for (;;) {
-                    if (buf.refCnt() <= 0) {
+                    if (buf.refCnt() == 0) {
                         break;
                     }
                     // Ensure the readerIndex of the buffer is 0 before beginning an async write.
@@ -370,7 +370,7 @@ public class AioSocketChannel extends AbstractAioChannel implements SocketChanne
             channel.writeInProgress = false;
 
             ByteBuf buf = channel.unsafe().directOutboundContext().outboundByteBuffer();
-            if (buf.refCnt() <= 0) {
+            if (buf.refCnt() == 0) {
                 return;
             }