diff --git a/src/main/java/org/jboss/netty/channel/DownstreamMessageEvent.java b/src/main/java/org/jboss/netty/channel/DownstreamMessageEvent.java
index 8b9464db45..9234cbaeab 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/jboss/netty/channel/DownstreamMessageEvent.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/jboss/netty/channel/DownstreamMessageEvent.java
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ public class DownstreamMessageEvent implements MessageEvent {
 
     @Override
     public String toString() {
-        if (getRemoteAddress() == null) {
+        if (getRemoteAddress() == getChannel().getRemoteAddress()) {
             return getChannel().toString() + " WRITE: " +
                    StringUtil.stripControlCharacters(getMessage());
         } else {
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/jboss/netty/channel/UpstreamMessageEvent.java b/src/main/java/org/jboss/netty/channel/UpstreamMessageEvent.java
index 5e64b1ccc7..4d11b67bc2 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/jboss/netty/channel/UpstreamMessageEvent.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/jboss/netty/channel/UpstreamMessageEvent.java
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ public class UpstreamMessageEvent implements MessageEvent {
 
     @Override
     public String toString() {
-        if (getRemoteAddress() == null) {
+        if (getRemoteAddress() == getChannel().getRemoteAddress()) {
             return getChannel().toString() + " RECEIVED: " +
                    StringUtil.stripControlCharacters(getMessage());
         } else {