diff --git a/transport/src/main/java/io/netty/channel/AbstractChannel.java b/transport/src/main/java/io/netty/channel/AbstractChannel.java
index 3db6779343..c7d15f6945 100644
--- a/transport/src/main/java/io/netty/channel/AbstractChannel.java
+++ b/transport/src/main/java/io/netty/channel/AbstractChannel.java
@@ -370,7 +370,7 @@ public abstract class AbstractChannel extends DefaultAttributeMap implements Cha
         private final Runnable flushLaterTask = new FlushLater();
 
         @Override
-        public ChannelBufferHolder<Object> out() {
+        public ChannelBufferHolder<Object> directOutbound() {
             return outbound;
         }
 
@@ -548,7 +548,7 @@ public abstract class AbstractChannel extends DefaultAttributeMap implements Cha
             if (eventLoop().inEventLoop()) {
                 // Append flush future to the notification list.
                 if (future != voidFuture) {
-                    long checkpoint = writeCounter + out().size();
+                    long checkpoint = writeCounter + directOutbound().size();
                     if (future instanceof FlushCheckpoint) {
                         FlushCheckpoint cp = (FlushCheckpoint) future;
                         cp.flushCheckpoint(checkpoint);
@@ -602,7 +602,7 @@ public abstract class AbstractChannel extends DefaultAttributeMap implements Cha
             inFlushNow = true;
             try {
                 Throwable cause = null;
-                ChannelBufferHolder<Object> out = out();
+                ChannelBufferHolder<Object> out = directOutbound();
                 int oldSize = out.size();
                 try {
                     doFlush(out);
diff --git a/transport/src/main/java/io/netty/channel/Channel.java b/transport/src/main/java/io/netty/channel/Channel.java
index a1ecc993a0..f11ac0c84d 100644
--- a/transport/src/main/java/io/netty/channel/Channel.java
+++ b/transport/src/main/java/io/netty/channel/Channel.java
@@ -174,7 +174,7 @@ public interface Channel extends AttributeMap, ChannelOutboundInvoker, ChannelFu
     Unsafe unsafe();
 
     public interface Unsafe {
-        ChannelBufferHolder<Object> out();
+        ChannelBufferHolder<Object> directOutbound();
         ChannelFuture voidFuture();
 
         SocketAddress localAddress();
diff --git a/transport/src/main/java/io/netty/channel/DefaultChannelPipeline.java b/transport/src/main/java/io/netty/channel/DefaultChannelPipeline.java
index e0028f3a68..579043eb74 100644
--- a/transport/src/main/java/io/netty/channel/DefaultChannelPipeline.java
+++ b/transport/src/main/java/io/netty/channel/DefaultChannelPipeline.java
@@ -585,7 +585,7 @@ public class DefaultChannelPipeline implements ChannelPipeline {
         if (ctx != null) {
             return ctx.outbound();
         }
-        return channel().unsafe().out();
+        return channel().unsafe().directOutbound();
     }
 
     @Override
@@ -1187,7 +1187,7 @@ public class DefaultChannelPipeline implements ChannelPipeline {
             for (;;) {
                 ctx = nextOutboundContext(ctx.prev);
                 if (ctx == null) {
-                    ChannelBufferHolder<Object> lastOut = channel().unsafe().out();
+                    ChannelBufferHolder<Object> lastOut = channel().unsafe().directOutbound();
                     if (lastOut.hasByteBuffer()) {
                         return lastOut.byteBuffer();
                     } else {
@@ -1207,7 +1207,7 @@ public class DefaultChannelPipeline implements ChannelPipeline {
             for (;;) {
                 ctx = nextOutboundContext(ctx.prev);
                 if (ctx == null) {
-                    ChannelBufferHolder<Object> lastOut = channel().unsafe().out();
+                    ChannelBufferHolder<Object> lastOut = channel().unsafe().directOutbound();
                     if (lastOut.hasMessageBuffer()) {
                         return lastOut.messageBuffer();
                     } else {