diff --git a/src/main/java/org/jboss/netty/channel/ChannelLocal.java b/src/main/java/org/jboss/netty/channel/ChannelLocal.java
index 32abb6ae6a..72342323f3 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/jboss/netty/channel/ChannelLocal.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/jboss/netty/channel/ChannelLocal.java
@@ -40,13 +40,31 @@ public class ChannelLocal<T> {
     private final ConcurrentMap<Channel, T> map =
         new ConcurrentIdentityWeakKeyHashMap<Channel, T>();
 
+
+    private final ChannelFutureListener remover = new ChannelFutureListener() {
+        @Override
+        public void operationComplete(ChannelFuture future) throws Exception {
+            remove(future.getChannel());
+        }
+    };
+
+    private final boolean removeOnClose;
+    
     /**
-     * Creates a {@link Channel} local variable.
+     * Creates a {@link Channel} local variable by calling {@link #ChannelLocal(boolean)} with <code>false</code> as parameter
      */
     public ChannelLocal() {
-        super();
+        this(false);
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Creates a {@link Channel} local variable.
+     *
+     * @param removeOnClose if <code>true</code> the {@link ChannelLocal} will remove a {@link Channel} from it own once the {@link Channel} was closed.
+     */
+    public ChannelLocal(boolean removeOnClose) {
+        this.removeOnClose = removeOnClose;
+    }
     /**
      * Returns the initial value of the variable.  By default, it returns
      * {@code null}.  Override it to change the initial value.
@@ -88,7 +106,11 @@ public class ChannelLocal<T> {
             if (channel == null) {
                 throw new NullPointerException("channel");
             }
-            return map.put(channel, value);
+            T old = map.put(channel, value);
+            if (removeOnClose) {
+                channel.getCloseFuture().addListener(remover);
+            }
+            return old;
         }
     }
 
@@ -105,7 +127,12 @@ public class ChannelLocal<T> {
             if (channel == null) {
                 throw new NullPointerException("channel");
             }
-            return map.putIfAbsent(channel, value);
+            T mapping = map.putIfAbsent(channel, value);
+            
+            if (removeOnClose && mapping == null) {
+                channel.getCloseFuture().addListener(remover);
+            }
+            return mapping;
         }
     }
 
@@ -126,6 +153,9 @@ public class ChannelLocal<T> {
         if (removed == null) {
             return initialValue(channel);
         } else {
+            if (removeOnClose) {
+                channel.getCloseFuture().removeListener(remover);
+            }
             return removed;
         }
     }