diff --git a/transport/src/main/java/io/netty/channel/local/LocalChannel.java b/transport/src/main/java/io/netty/channel/local/LocalChannel.java
index 42d4d7ed69..7492bf455b 100644
--- a/transport/src/main/java/io/netty/channel/local/LocalChannel.java
+++ b/transport/src/main/java/io/netty/channel/local/LocalChannel.java
@@ -104,10 +104,12 @@ public class LocalChannel extends AbstractChannel {
 
     public LocalChannel() {
         super(null);
+        config().setAllocator(new PreferHeapByteBufAllocator(config.getAllocator()));
     }
 
     LocalChannel(LocalServerChannel parent, LocalChannel peer) {
         super(parent);
+        config().setAllocator(new PreferHeapByteBufAllocator(config.getAllocator()));
         this.peer = peer;
         localAddress = parent.localAddress();
         remoteAddress = peer.localAddress();
diff --git a/transport/src/main/java/io/netty/channel/local/LocalServerChannel.java b/transport/src/main/java/io/netty/channel/local/LocalServerChannel.java
index f798e56e05..38f45cc036 100644
--- a/transport/src/main/java/io/netty/channel/local/LocalServerChannel.java
+++ b/transport/src/main/java/io/netty/channel/local/LocalServerChannel.java
@@ -46,6 +46,10 @@ public class LocalServerChannel extends AbstractServerChannel {
     private volatile LocalAddress localAddress;
     private volatile boolean acceptInProgress;
 
+    public LocalServerChannel() {
+        config().setAllocator(new PreferHeapByteBufAllocator(config.getAllocator()));
+    }
+
     @Override
     public ChannelConfig config() {
         return config;
diff --git a/transport/src/main/java/io/netty/channel/local/PreferHeapByteBufAllocator.java b/transport/src/main/java/io/netty/channel/local/PreferHeapByteBufAllocator.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..dd6f1b8f36
--- /dev/null
+++ b/transport/src/main/java/io/netty/channel/local/PreferHeapByteBufAllocator.java
@@ -0,0 +1,132 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2016 The Netty Project
+ *
+ * The Netty Project licenses this file to you under the Apache License,
+ * version 2.0 (the "License"); you may not use this file except in compliance
+ * with the License. You may obtain a copy of the License at:
+ *
+ *   http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS, WITHOUT
+ * WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied. See the
+ * License for the specific language governing permissions and limitations
+ * under the License.
+ */
+package io.netty.channel.local;
+
+import io.netty.buffer.ByteBuf;
+import io.netty.buffer.ByteBufAllocator;
+import io.netty.buffer.CompositeByteBuf;
+
+/**
+ * Wraps another {@link ByteBufAllocator} and use heapbuffers everywhere except when a direct buffer is explicit
+ * requested.
+ */
+final class PreferHeapByteBufAllocator implements ByteBufAllocator {
+    private final ByteBufAllocator allocator;
+
+    PreferHeapByteBufAllocator(ByteBufAllocator allocator) {
+        this.allocator = allocator;
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public ByteBuf buffer() {
+        return allocator.heapBuffer();
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public ByteBuf buffer(int initialCapacity) {
+        return allocator.heapBuffer(initialCapacity);
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public ByteBuf buffer(int initialCapacity, int maxCapacity) {
+        return allocator.heapBuffer(initialCapacity, maxCapacity);
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public ByteBuf ioBuffer() {
+        return allocator.heapBuffer();
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public ByteBuf ioBuffer(int initialCapacity) {
+        return allocator.heapBuffer(initialCapacity);
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public ByteBuf ioBuffer(int initialCapacity, int maxCapacity) {
+        return allocator.heapBuffer(initialCapacity, maxCapacity);
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public ByteBuf heapBuffer() {
+        return allocator.heapBuffer();
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public ByteBuf heapBuffer(int initialCapacity) {
+        return allocator.heapBuffer(initialCapacity);
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public ByteBuf heapBuffer(int initialCapacity, int maxCapacity) {
+        return allocator.heapBuffer(initialCapacity, maxCapacity);
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public ByteBuf directBuffer() {
+        return allocator.directBuffer();
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public ByteBuf directBuffer(int initialCapacity) {
+        return allocator.directBuffer(initialCapacity);
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public ByteBuf directBuffer(int initialCapacity, int maxCapacity) {
+        return allocator.directBuffer(initialCapacity, maxCapacity);
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public CompositeByteBuf compositeBuffer() {
+        return allocator.compositeHeapBuffer();
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public CompositeByteBuf compositeBuffer(int maxNumComponents) {
+        return allocator.compositeHeapBuffer(maxNumComponents);
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public CompositeByteBuf compositeHeapBuffer() {
+        return allocator.compositeHeapBuffer();
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public CompositeByteBuf compositeHeapBuffer(int maxNumComponents) {
+        return allocator.compositeHeapBuffer(maxNumComponents);
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public CompositeByteBuf compositeDirectBuffer() {
+        return allocator.compositeDirectBuffer();
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public CompositeByteBuf compositeDirectBuffer(int maxNumComponents) {
+        return allocator.compositeDirectBuffer(maxNumComponents);
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public boolean isDirectBufferPooled() {
+        return allocator.isDirectBufferPooled();
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public int calculateNewCapacity(int minNewCapacity, int maxCapacity) {
+        return allocator.calculateNewCapacity(minNewCapacity, maxCapacity);
+    }
+}