diff --git a/handler/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/traffic/AbstractTrafficShapingHandler.java b/handler/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/traffic/AbstractTrafficShapingHandler.java
index 05586e0a33..35343e80ef 100644
--- a/handler/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/traffic/AbstractTrafficShapingHandler.java
+++ b/handler/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/traffic/AbstractTrafficShapingHandler.java
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
 package io.netty.handler.traffic;
 
 import io.netty.buffer.ByteBuf;
+import io.netty.buffer.ByteBufHolder;
 import io.netty.channel.ChannelDuplexHandler;
 import io.netty.channel.ChannelHandlerContext;
 import io.netty.channel.ChannelPromise;
@@ -279,9 +280,9 @@ public abstract class AbstractTrafficShapingHandler extends ChannelDuplexHandler
     public void write(final ChannelHandlerContext ctx, final Object msg, ChannelPromise promise)
             throws Exception {
         long curtime = System.currentTimeMillis();
-        long size = ((ByteBuf) msg).readableBytes();
+        long size = calculateSize(msg);
 
-        if (trafficCounter != null) {
+        if (size > -1 && trafficCounter != null) {
             trafficCounter.bytesWriteFlowControl(size);
             if (writeLimit == 0) {
                 ctx.write(msg);
@@ -327,4 +328,21 @@ public abstract class AbstractTrafficShapingHandler extends ChannelDuplexHandler
                 " Read Limit: " + readLimit + " and Counter: " +
                 (trafficCounter != null? trafficCounter.toString() : "none");
     }
+
+    /**
+     * Calculate the size of the given {@link Object}.
+     *
+     * This implementation supports {@link ByteBuf} and {@link ByteBufHolder}. Sub-classes may override this.
+     * @param msg       the msg for which the size should be calculated
+     * @return size     the size of the msg or {@code -1} if unknown.
+     */
+    protected long calculateSize(Object msg) {
+        if (msg instanceof ByteBuf) {
+            return ((ByteBuf) msg).readableBytes();
+        }
+        if (msg instanceof ByteBufHolder) {
+            return ((ByteBufHolder) msg).content().readableBytes();
+        }
+        return -1;
+    }
 }