diff --git a/testsuite/src/main/java/io/netty/testsuite/transport/socket/SocketEchoTest.java b/testsuite/src/main/java/io/netty/testsuite/transport/socket/SocketEchoTest.java
index 0ffea64a98..87840824ee 100644
--- a/testsuite/src/main/java/io/netty/testsuite/transport/socket/SocketEchoTest.java
+++ b/testsuite/src/main/java/io/netty/testsuite/transport/socket/SocketEchoTest.java
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ import io.netty.channel.Channel;
 import io.netty.channel.ChannelHandlerAdapter;
 import io.netty.channel.ChannelHandlerContext;
 import io.netty.channel.ChannelInitializer;
+import io.netty.channel.ChannelOption;
 import io.netty.channel.SimpleChannelInboundHandler;
 import io.netty.util.concurrent.DefaultEventExecutorGroup;
 import io.netty.util.concurrent.EventExecutorGroup;
@@ -150,6 +151,8 @@ public class SocketEchoTest extends AbstractSocketTest {
             });
             cb.handler(ch);
         }
+        sb.childOption(ChannelOption.AUTO_READ, autoRead);
+        cb.option(ChannelOption.AUTO_READ, autoRead);
 
         Channel sc = sb.bind().sync().channel();
         Channel cc = cb.connect().sync().channel();
@@ -227,6 +230,9 @@ public class SocketEchoTest extends AbstractSocketTest {
         public void channelActive(ChannelHandlerContext ctx)
                 throws Exception {
             channel = ctx.channel();
+            if (!autoRead) {
+                ctx.read();
+            }
         }
 
         @Override
diff --git a/testsuite/src/main/java/io/netty/testsuite/transport/socket/SocketFileRegionTest.java b/testsuite/src/main/java/io/netty/testsuite/transport/socket/SocketFileRegionTest.java
index 0bf64d066b..9c039c8551 100644
--- a/testsuite/src/main/java/io/netty/testsuite/transport/socket/SocketFileRegionTest.java
+++ b/testsuite/src/main/java/io/netty/testsuite/transport/socket/SocketFileRegionTest.java
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ import io.netty.buffer.Unpooled;
 import io.netty.channel.Channel;
 import io.netty.channel.ChannelHandler;
 import io.netty.channel.ChannelHandlerContext;
+import io.netty.channel.ChannelOption;
 import io.netty.channel.DefaultFileRegion;
 import io.netty.channel.FileRegion;
 import io.netty.channel.SimpleChannelInboundHandler;
@@ -84,6 +85,9 @@ public class SocketFileRegionTest extends AbstractSocketTest {
 
     private static void testFileRegion0(
             ServerBootstrap sb, Bootstrap cb, boolean voidPromise, final boolean autoRead) throws Throwable {
+        sb.childOption(ChannelOption.AUTO_READ, autoRead);
+        cb.option(ChannelOption.AUTO_READ, autoRead);
+
         final int bufferSize = 1024;
         final File file = File.createTempFile("netty-", ".tmp");
         file.deleteOnExit();
@@ -108,6 +112,15 @@ public class SocketFileRegionTest extends AbstractSocketTest {
         out.close();
 
         ChannelHandler ch = new SimpleChannelInboundHandler<Object>() {
+
+            @Override
+            public void channelActive(ChannelHandlerContext ctx)
+                    throws Exception {
+                if (!autoRead) {
+                    ctx.read();
+                }
+            }
+
             @Override
             public void messageReceived(ChannelHandlerContext ctx, Object msg) throws Exception {
             }
@@ -193,6 +206,9 @@ public class SocketFileRegionTest extends AbstractSocketTest {
         public void channelActive(ChannelHandlerContext ctx)
                 throws Exception {
             channel = ctx.channel();
+            if (!autoRead) {
+                ctx.read();
+            }
         }
 
         @Override
diff --git a/testsuite/src/main/java/io/netty/testsuite/transport/socket/SocketFixedLengthEchoTest.java b/testsuite/src/main/java/io/netty/testsuite/transport/socket/SocketFixedLengthEchoTest.java
index ec1a2a6030..9683d31121 100644
--- a/testsuite/src/main/java/io/netty/testsuite/transport/socket/SocketFixedLengthEchoTest.java
+++ b/testsuite/src/main/java/io/netty/testsuite/transport/socket/SocketFixedLengthEchoTest.java
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ import io.netty.buffer.Unpooled;
 import io.netty.channel.Channel;
 import io.netty.channel.ChannelHandlerContext;
 import io.netty.channel.ChannelInitializer;
+import io.netty.channel.ChannelOption;
 import io.netty.channel.SimpleChannelInboundHandler;
 import io.netty.handler.codec.FixedLengthFrameDecoder;
 import org.junit.Test;
@@ -63,6 +64,7 @@ public class SocketFixedLengthEchoTest extends AbstractSocketTest {
         final EchoHandler sh = new EchoHandler(autoRead);
         final EchoHandler ch = new EchoHandler(autoRead);
 
+        sb.childOption(ChannelOption.AUTO_READ, autoRead);
         sb.childHandler(new ChannelInitializer<Channel>() {
             @Override
             public void initChannel(Channel sch) throws Exception {
@@ -71,6 +73,7 @@ public class SocketFixedLengthEchoTest extends AbstractSocketTest {
             }
         });
 
+        cb.option(ChannelOption.AUTO_READ, autoRead);
         cb.handler(new ChannelInitializer<Channel>() {
             @Override
             public void initChannel(Channel sch) throws Exception {
@@ -148,6 +151,9 @@ public class SocketFixedLengthEchoTest extends AbstractSocketTest {
         @Override
         public void channelActive(ChannelHandlerContext ctx) throws Exception {
             channel = ctx.channel();
+            if (!autoRead) {
+                ctx.read();
+            }
         }
 
         @Override
diff --git a/testsuite/src/main/java/io/netty/testsuite/transport/socket/SocketGatheringWriteTest.java b/testsuite/src/main/java/io/netty/testsuite/transport/socket/SocketGatheringWriteTest.java
index 65abc6a322..7880991142 100644
--- a/testsuite/src/main/java/io/netty/testsuite/transport/socket/SocketGatheringWriteTest.java
+++ b/testsuite/src/main/java/io/netty/testsuite/transport/socket/SocketGatheringWriteTest.java
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ import io.netty.buffer.Unpooled;
 import io.netty.channel.Channel;
 import io.netty.channel.ChannelFuture;
 import io.netty.channel.ChannelHandlerContext;
+import io.netty.channel.ChannelOption;
 import io.netty.channel.SimpleChannelInboundHandler;
 import io.netty.testsuite.util.TestUtils;
 import io.netty.util.internal.StringUtil;
@@ -104,6 +105,9 @@ public class SocketGatheringWriteTest extends AbstractSocketTest {
 
     private void testGatheringWrite0(
             ServerBootstrap sb, Bootstrap cb, byte[] data, boolean composite, boolean autoRead) throws Throwable {
+        sb.childOption(ChannelOption.AUTO_READ, autoRead);
+        cb.option(ChannelOption.AUTO_READ, autoRead);
+
         final TestHandler sh = new TestHandler(autoRead);
         final TestHandler ch = new TestHandler(autoRead);
 
@@ -190,6 +194,9 @@ public class SocketGatheringWriteTest extends AbstractSocketTest {
         public void channelActive(ChannelHandlerContext ctx)
                 throws Exception {
             channel = ctx.channel();
+            if (!autoRead) {
+                ctx.read();
+            }
         }
 
         @Override
diff --git a/testsuite/src/main/java/io/netty/testsuite/transport/socket/SocketObjectEchoTest.java b/testsuite/src/main/java/io/netty/testsuite/transport/socket/SocketObjectEchoTest.java
index 64e39bc12a..5debf7376d 100644
--- a/testsuite/src/main/java/io/netty/testsuite/transport/socket/SocketObjectEchoTest.java
+++ b/testsuite/src/main/java/io/netty/testsuite/transport/socket/SocketObjectEchoTest.java
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ import io.netty.channel.Channel;
 import io.netty.channel.ChannelHandlerAdapter;
 import io.netty.channel.ChannelHandlerContext;
 import io.netty.channel.ChannelInitializer;
+import io.netty.channel.ChannelOption;
 import io.netty.handler.codec.serialization.ClassResolvers;
 import io.netty.handler.codec.serialization.ObjectDecoder;
 import io.netty.handler.codec.serialization.ObjectEncoder;
@@ -68,6 +69,9 @@ public class SocketObjectEchoTest extends AbstractSocketTest {
     }
 
     private static void testObjectEcho(ServerBootstrap sb, Bootstrap cb, boolean autoRead) throws Throwable {
+        sb.childOption(ChannelOption.AUTO_READ, autoRead);
+        cb.option(ChannelOption.AUTO_READ, autoRead);
+
         final EchoHandler sh = new EchoHandler(autoRead);
         final EchoHandler ch = new EchoHandler(autoRead);
 
@@ -159,6 +163,9 @@ public class SocketObjectEchoTest extends AbstractSocketTest {
         public void channelActive(ChannelHandlerContext ctx)
                 throws Exception {
             channel = ctx.channel();
+            if (!autoRead) {
+                ctx.read();
+            }
         }
 
         @Override
diff --git a/testsuite/src/main/java/io/netty/testsuite/transport/socket/SocketSpdyEchoTest.java b/testsuite/src/main/java/io/netty/testsuite/transport/socket/SocketSpdyEchoTest.java
index 2dcffcef2c..698c6be09e 100644
--- a/testsuite/src/main/java/io/netty/testsuite/transport/socket/SocketSpdyEchoTest.java
+++ b/testsuite/src/main/java/io/netty/testsuite/transport/socket/SocketSpdyEchoTest.java
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ import io.netty.channel.Channel;
 import io.netty.channel.ChannelHandlerAdapter;
 import io.netty.channel.ChannelHandlerContext;
 import io.netty.channel.ChannelInitializer;
+import io.netty.channel.ChannelOption;
 import io.netty.channel.SimpleChannelInboundHandler;
 import io.netty.channel.socket.SocketChannel;
 import io.netty.handler.codec.spdy.SpdyFrameCodec;
@@ -176,6 +177,9 @@ public class SocketSpdyEchoTest extends AbstractSocketTest {
             throw new IllegalArgumentException("unknown version");
         }
 
+        sb.childOption(ChannelOption.AUTO_READ, autoRead);
+        cb.option(ChannelOption.AUTO_READ, autoRead);
+
         final SpdyEchoTestServerHandler sh = new SpdyEchoTestServerHandler(autoRead);
         final SpdyEchoTestClientHandler ch = new SpdyEchoTestClientHandler(frames.copy(), autoRead);
 
@@ -233,6 +237,13 @@ public class SocketSpdyEchoTest extends AbstractSocketTest {
             this.autoRead = autoRead;
         }
 
+        @Override
+        public void channelActive(ChannelHandlerContext ctx) throws Exception {
+            if (!autoRead) {
+                ctx.read();
+            }
+        }
+
         @Override
         public void channelRead(ChannelHandlerContext ctx, Object msg) throws Exception {
             ctx.write(msg);
@@ -267,6 +278,12 @@ public class SocketSpdyEchoTest extends AbstractSocketTest {
             this.frames = frames;
             this.autoRead = autoRead;
         }
+        @Override
+        public void channelActive(ChannelHandlerContext ctx) throws Exception {
+            if (!autoRead) {
+                ctx.read();
+            }
+        }
 
         @Override
         public void messageReceived(ChannelHandlerContext ctx, ByteBuf in) throws Exception {
diff --git a/testsuite/src/main/java/io/netty/testsuite/transport/socket/SocketSslEchoTest.java b/testsuite/src/main/java/io/netty/testsuite/transport/socket/SocketSslEchoTest.java
index 1319b6c248..fd25854235 100644
--- a/testsuite/src/main/java/io/netty/testsuite/transport/socket/SocketSslEchoTest.java
+++ b/testsuite/src/main/java/io/netty/testsuite/transport/socket/SocketSslEchoTest.java
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ import io.netty.channel.ChannelFuture;
 import io.netty.channel.ChannelHandler.Sharable;
 import io.netty.channel.ChannelHandlerContext;
 import io.netty.channel.ChannelInitializer;
+import io.netty.channel.ChannelOption;
 import io.netty.channel.SimpleChannelInboundHandler;
 import io.netty.handler.ssl.JdkSslClientContext;
 import io.netty.handler.ssl.JdkSslServerContext;
@@ -209,6 +210,9 @@ public class SocketSslEchoTest extends AbstractSocketTest {
     public void testSslEcho(ServerBootstrap sb, Bootstrap cb) throws Throwable {
         reset();
 
+        sb.childOption(ChannelOption.AUTO_READ, autoRead);
+        cb.option(ChannelOption.AUTO_READ, autoRead);
+
         sb.childHandler(new ChannelInitializer<Channel>() {
             @Override
             @SuppressWarnings("deprecation")
@@ -394,6 +398,13 @@ public class SocketSslEchoTest extends AbstractSocketTest {
             this.exception = exception;
         }
 
+        @Override
+        public void channelActive(ChannelHandlerContext ctx) throws Exception {
+            if (!autoRead) {
+                ctx.read();
+            }
+        }
+
         @Override
         public final void channelReadComplete(ChannelHandlerContext ctx) throws Exception {
             try {
diff --git a/testsuite/src/main/java/io/netty/testsuite/transport/socket/SocketStartTlsTest.java b/testsuite/src/main/java/io/netty/testsuite/transport/socket/SocketStartTlsTest.java
index eb3630381e..4c57cfff84 100644
--- a/testsuite/src/main/java/io/netty/testsuite/transport/socket/SocketStartTlsTest.java
+++ b/testsuite/src/main/java/io/netty/testsuite/transport/socket/SocketStartTlsTest.java
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ import io.netty.buffer.PooledByteBufAllocator;
 import io.netty.channel.Channel;
 import io.netty.channel.ChannelHandlerContext;
 import io.netty.channel.ChannelInitializer;
+import io.netty.channel.ChannelOption;
 import io.netty.channel.ChannelPipeline;
 import io.netty.channel.SimpleChannelInboundHandler;
 import io.netty.handler.codec.LineBasedFrameDecoder;
@@ -142,6 +143,9 @@ public class SocketStartTlsTest extends AbstractSocketTest {
     }
 
     private void testStartTls(ServerBootstrap sb, Bootstrap cb, boolean autoRead) throws Throwable {
+        sb.childOption(ChannelOption.AUTO_READ, autoRead);
+        cb.option(ChannelOption.AUTO_READ, autoRead);
+
         final EventExecutorGroup executor = SocketStartTlsTest.executor;
         SSLEngine sse = serverCtx.newEngine(PooledByteBufAllocator.DEFAULT);
         SSLEngine cse = clientCtx.newEngine(PooledByteBufAllocator.DEFAULT);
@@ -235,6 +239,9 @@ public class SocketStartTlsTest extends AbstractSocketTest {
         @Override
         public void channelActive(ChannelHandlerContext ctx)
                 throws Exception {
+            if (!autoRead) {
+                ctx.read();
+            }
             ctx.writeAndFlush("StartTlsRequest\n");
         }
 
@@ -287,6 +294,9 @@ public class SocketStartTlsTest extends AbstractSocketTest {
         @Override
         public void channelActive(ChannelHandlerContext ctx) throws Exception {
             channel = ctx.channel();
+            if (!autoRead) {
+                ctx.read();
+            }
         }
 
         @Override
diff --git a/testsuite/src/main/java/io/netty/testsuite/transport/socket/SocketStringEchoTest.java b/testsuite/src/main/java/io/netty/testsuite/transport/socket/SocketStringEchoTest.java
index c21d9e06f9..59e1ba6184 100644
--- a/testsuite/src/main/java/io/netty/testsuite/transport/socket/SocketStringEchoTest.java
+++ b/testsuite/src/main/java/io/netty/testsuite/transport/socket/SocketStringEchoTest.java
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ import io.netty.bootstrap.ServerBootstrap;
 import io.netty.channel.Channel;
 import io.netty.channel.ChannelHandlerContext;
 import io.netty.channel.ChannelInitializer;
+import io.netty.channel.ChannelOption;
 import io.netty.channel.SimpleChannelInboundHandler;
 import io.netty.handler.codec.DelimiterBasedFrameDecoder;
 import io.netty.handler.codec.Delimiters;
@@ -70,6 +71,9 @@ public class SocketStringEchoTest extends AbstractSocketTest {
     }
 
     private static void testStringEcho(ServerBootstrap sb, Bootstrap cb, boolean autoRead) throws Throwable {
+        sb.childOption(ChannelOption.AUTO_READ, autoRead);
+        cb.option(ChannelOption.AUTO_READ, autoRead);
+
         final StringEchoHandler sh = new StringEchoHandler(autoRead);
         final StringEchoHandler ch = new StringEchoHandler(autoRead);
 
@@ -160,6 +164,9 @@ public class SocketStringEchoTest extends AbstractSocketTest {
         @Override
         public void channelActive(ChannelHandlerContext ctx) throws Exception {
             channel = ctx.channel();
+            if (!autoRead) {
+                ctx.read();
+            }
         }
 
         @Override