diff --git a/codec/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/codec/compression/Bzip2Decoder.java b/codec/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/codec/compression/Bzip2Decoder.java
index f845e74495..3e922be90b 100644
--- a/codec/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/codec/compression/Bzip2Decoder.java
+++ b/codec/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/codec/compression/Bzip2Decoder.java
@@ -276,17 +276,26 @@ public class Bzip2Decoder extends ByteToMessageDecoder {
                     if (!decoded) {
                         return;
                     }
-                    int blockLength = blockDecompressor.blockLength();
-                    ByteBuf uncompressed = ctx.alloc().buffer(blockLength);
-                    int uncByte;
-                    while ((uncByte = blockDecompressor.read()) >= 0) {
-                        uncompressed.writeByte(uncByte);
+                    
+                    final int blockLength = blockDecompressor.blockLength();
+                    final ByteBuf uncompressed = ctx.alloc().buffer(blockLength);
+                    boolean success = false;
+                    try {
+                        int uncByte;
+                        while ((uncByte = blockDecompressor.read()) >= 0) {
+                            uncompressed.writeByte(uncByte);
+                        }
+
+                        int currentBlockCRC = blockDecompressor.checkCRC();
+                        streamCRC = (streamCRC << 1 | streamCRC >>> 31) ^ currentBlockCRC;
+
+                        out.add(uncompressed);
+                        success = true;
+                    } finally {
+                        if (!success) {
+                            uncompressed.release();
+                        }
                     }
-
-                    int currentBlockCRC = blockDecompressor.checkCRC();
-                    streamCRC = (streamCRC << 1 | streamCRC >>> 31) ^ currentBlockCRC;
-
-                    out.add(uncompressed);
                     currentState = State.INIT_BLOCK;
                     break;
                 case EOF:
diff --git a/codec/src/test/java/io/netty/handler/codec/compression/Bzip2DecoderTest.java b/codec/src/test/java/io/netty/handler/codec/compression/Bzip2DecoderTest.java
index 0ad19b95ee..58812f077a 100644
--- a/codec/src/test/java/io/netty/handler/codec/compression/Bzip2DecoderTest.java
+++ b/codec/src/test/java/io/netty/handler/codec/compression/Bzip2DecoderTest.java
@@ -119,7 +119,18 @@ public class Bzip2DecoderTest {
                               0x4E, 0x14, 0x24, 0x1D, (byte) 0xDD, (byte) 0xF2, (byte) 0xB0, 0x00 };
 
         ByteBuf in = Unpooled.wrappedBuffer(data);
-        channel.writeInbound(in);
+        try {
+            channel.writeInbound(in);
+        } finally {
+            for (;;) {
+                ByteBuf inflated = channel.readInbound();
+                if (inflated == null) {
+                    break;
+                }
+                inflated.release();
+            }
+            channel.finish();
+        }
     }
 
     @Test