diff --git a/common/src/main/java/io/netty/util/ConstantPool.java b/common/src/main/java/io/netty/util/ConstantPool.java
index 1a9945f5ef..a5ac009396 100644
--- a/common/src/main/java/io/netty/util/ConstantPool.java
+++ b/common/src/main/java/io/netty/util/ConstantPool.java
@@ -55,31 +55,24 @@ public abstract class ConstantPool<T extends Constant<T>> {
      * @param name the name of the {@link Constant}
      */
     public T valueOf(String name) {
-        if (name == null) {
-            throw new NullPointerException("name");
-        }
-
-        if (name.isEmpty()) {
-            throw new IllegalArgumentException("empty name");
-        }
+        T c;
 
         synchronized (constants) {
-            T c = constants.get(name);
-            if (c == null) {
-                c = newConstant(nextId, name);
-                constants.put(name, c);
-                nextId ++;
+            if (exists(name)) {
+                c = constants.get(name);
+            } else {
+                c = newInstance0(name);
             }
-
-            return c;
         }
+
+        return c;
     }
 
     /**
      * Returns {@code true} if a {@link AttributeKey} exists for the given {@code name}.
      */
     public boolean exists(String name) {
-        ObjectUtil.checkNotNull(name, "name");
+        checkNotNullAndNotEmpty(name);
         synchronized (constants) {
             return constants.containsKey(name);
         }
@@ -91,25 +84,33 @@ public abstract class ConstantPool<T extends Constant<T>> {
      */
     @SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
     public T newInstance(String name) {
-        if (name == null) {
-            throw new NullPointerException("name");
+        if (exists(name)) {
+            throw new IllegalArgumentException(String.format("'%s' is already in use", name));
         }
 
+        T c = newInstance0(name);
+
+        return c;
+    }
+
+    // Be careful that this dose not check whether the argument is null or empty.
+    private T newInstance0(String name) {
+        synchronized (constants) {
+            T c = newConstant(nextId, name);
+            constants.put(name, c);
+            nextId++;
+            return c;
+        }
+    }
+
+    private String checkNotNullAndNotEmpty(String name) {
+        ObjectUtil.checkNotNull(name, "name");
+
         if (name.isEmpty()) {
             throw new IllegalArgumentException("empty name");
         }
 
-        synchronized (constants) {
-            T c = constants.get(name);
-            if (c == null) {
-                c = newConstant(nextId, name);
-                constants.put(name, c);
-                nextId ++;
-            } else {
-                throw new IllegalArgumentException(String.format("'%s' is already in use", name));
-            }
-            return c;
-        }
+        return name;
     }
 
     protected abstract T newConstant(int id, String name);