diff --git a/src/main/java/org/jboss/netty/buffer/AbstractChannelBuffer.java b/src/main/java/org/jboss/netty/buffer/AbstractChannelBuffer.java
index 2cb5ba3f92..cdd118aa65 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/jboss/netty/buffer/AbstractChannelBuffer.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/jboss/netty/buffer/AbstractChannelBuffer.java
@@ -40,7 +40,6 @@ import java.util.NoSuchElementException;
  */
 public abstract class AbstractChannelBuffer implements ChannelBuffer {
 
-    private int hashCode;
     private int readerIndex;
     private int writerIndex;
     private int markedReaderIndex;
@@ -406,6 +405,10 @@ public abstract class AbstractChannelBuffer implements ChannelBuffer {
         return new ByteBuffer[] { toByteBuffer(index, length) };
     }
 
+    public String toString(String charsetName) {
+        return toString(readerIndex, readableBytes(), charsetName);
+    }
+
     public int indexOf(int fromIndex, int toIndex, byte value) {
         return ChannelBuffers.indexOf(this, fromIndex, toIndex, value);
     }
@@ -416,14 +419,7 @@ public abstract class AbstractChannelBuffer implements ChannelBuffer {
 
     @Override
     public int hashCode() {
-        if (hashCode != 0) {
-            return hashCode;
-        }
-        return hashCode = ChannelBuffers.hashCode(this);
-    }
-
-    protected void clearHashCode() {
-        hashCode = 0;
+        return ChannelBuffers.hashCode(this);
     }
 
     @Override
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/jboss/netty/buffer/ByteBufferBackedChannelBuffer.java b/src/main/java/org/jboss/netty/buffer/ByteBufferBackedChannelBuffer.java
index cbc9060ae9..22794f8e86 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/jboss/netty/buffer/ByteBufferBackedChannelBuffer.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/jboss/netty/buffer/ByteBufferBackedChannelBuffer.java
@@ -26,10 +26,12 @@ import java.io.EOFException;
 import java.io.IOException;
 import java.io.InputStream;
 import java.io.OutputStream;
+import java.io.UnsupportedEncodingException;
 import java.nio.ByteBuffer;
 import java.nio.ByteOrder;
 import java.nio.channels.GatheringByteChannel;
 import java.nio.channels.ScatteringByteChannel;
+import java.nio.charset.UnsupportedCharsetException;
 
 
 public class ByteBufferBackedChannelBuffer extends AbstractChannelBuffer {
@@ -234,6 +236,26 @@ public class ByteBufferBackedChannelBuffer extends AbstractChannelBuffer {
         }
     }
 
+    public String toString(int index, int length, String charsetName) {
+        if (!buffer.isReadOnly() && buffer.hasArray()) {
+            try {
+                return new String(
+                        buffer.array(), index + buffer.arrayOffset(), length,
+                        charsetName);
+            } catch (UnsupportedEncodingException e) {
+                throw new UnsupportedCharsetException(charsetName);
+            }
+        } else {
+            byte[] tmp = new byte[length];
+            ((ByteBuffer) buffer.duplicate().position(index)).get(tmp);
+            try {
+                return new String(tmp, charsetName);
+            } catch (UnsupportedEncodingException e) {
+                throw new UnsupportedCharsetException(charsetName);
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
     public ChannelBuffer slice(int index, int length) {
         if (index == 0 && length == capacity()) {
             return duplicate();
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/jboss/netty/buffer/ChannelBuffer.java b/src/main/java/org/jboss/netty/buffer/ChannelBuffer.java
index 41677dabea..d5355ecf4a 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/jboss/netty/buffer/ChannelBuffer.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/jboss/netty/buffer/ChannelBuffer.java
@@ -648,6 +648,9 @@ public interface ChannelBuffer extends Comparable<ChannelBuffer> {
     ByteBuffer[] toByteBuffers();
     ByteBuffer[] toByteBuffers(int index, int length);
 
+    String toString(String charsetName);
+    String toString(int index, int length, String charsetName);
+
     /**
      * Returns a hash code which was calculated from the content of this
      * buffer.  If there's a byte array which is
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/jboss/netty/buffer/ChannelBuffers.java b/src/main/java/org/jboss/netty/buffer/ChannelBuffers.java
index 08a747a704..ab524c2f1b 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/jboss/netty/buffer/ChannelBuffers.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/jboss/netty/buffer/ChannelBuffers.java
@@ -22,8 +22,10 @@
  */
 package org.jboss.netty.buffer;
 
+import java.io.UnsupportedEncodingException;
 import java.nio.ByteBuffer;
 import java.nio.ByteOrder;
+import java.nio.charset.UnsupportedCharsetException;
 
 
 /**
@@ -241,6 +243,14 @@ public class ChannelBuffers {
         return wrappedBuffer(wrappedBuffers);
     }
 
+    public static ChannelBuffer wrappedBuffer(String string, String charsetName) {
+        try {
+            return wrappedBuffer(string.getBytes(charsetName));
+        } catch (UnsupportedEncodingException e) {
+            throw new UnsupportedCharsetException(charsetName);
+        }
+    }
+
     public static ChannelBuffer copiedBuffer(byte[] array) {
         return copiedBuffer(BIG_ENDIAN, array);
     }
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/jboss/netty/buffer/CompositeChannelBuffer.java b/src/main/java/org/jboss/netty/buffer/CompositeChannelBuffer.java
index 800ea9e00c..0c0ac09f56 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/jboss/netty/buffer/CompositeChannelBuffer.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/jboss/netty/buffer/CompositeChannelBuffer.java
@@ -25,10 +25,12 @@ package org.jboss.netty.buffer;
 import java.io.IOException;
 import java.io.InputStream;
 import java.io.OutputStream;
+import java.io.UnsupportedEncodingException;
 import java.nio.ByteBuffer;
 import java.nio.ByteOrder;
 import java.nio.channels.GatheringByteChannel;
 import java.nio.channels.ScatteringByteChannel;
+import java.nio.charset.UnsupportedCharsetException;
 import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.List;
 
@@ -418,6 +420,10 @@ public class CompositeChannelBuffer extends AbstractChannelBuffer {
     }
 
     public ByteBuffer toByteBuffer(int index, int length) {
+        if (slices.length == 1) {
+            return slices[0].toByteBuffer(index, length);
+        }
+
         ByteBuffer[] buffers = toByteBuffers(index, length);
         ByteBuffer merged = ByteBuffer.allocate(length);
         for (ByteBuffer b: buffers) {
@@ -450,6 +456,35 @@ public class CompositeChannelBuffer extends AbstractChannelBuffer {
         return buffers.toArray(new ByteBuffer[buffers.size()]);
     }
 
+    public String toString(int index, int length, String charsetName) {
+        int sliceId = sliceId(index);
+        if (index + length <= indices[sliceId + 1]) {
+            return slices[sliceId].toString(
+                    index - indices[sliceId], length, charsetName);
+        }
+
+        byte[] data = new byte[length];
+        int dataIndex = 0;
+        int i = sliceId;
+
+        while (length > 0) {
+            ChannelBuffer s = slices[i];
+            int adjustment = indices[i];
+            int localLength = Math.min(length, s.capacity() - (index - adjustment));
+            s.getBytes(index - adjustment, data, dataIndex, localLength);
+            index += localLength;
+            dataIndex += localLength;
+            length -= localLength;
+            i ++;
+        }
+
+        try {
+            return new String(data, charsetName);
+        } catch (UnsupportedEncodingException e) {
+            throw new UnsupportedCharsetException(charsetName);
+        }
+    }
+
     private int sliceId(int index) {
         int lastSliceId = this.lastSliceId;
         if (index >= indices[lastSliceId]) {
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/jboss/netty/buffer/DuplicatedChannelBuffer.java b/src/main/java/org/jboss/netty/buffer/DuplicatedChannelBuffer.java
index f26305511b..520a620c24 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/jboss/netty/buffer/DuplicatedChannelBuffer.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/jboss/netty/buffer/DuplicatedChannelBuffer.java
@@ -166,4 +166,8 @@ public class DuplicatedChannelBuffer extends AbstractChannelBuffer implements Wr
     public ByteBuffer toByteBuffer(int index, int length) {
         return buffer.toByteBuffer(index, length);
     }
+
+    public String toString(int index, int length, String charsetName) {
+        return buffer.toString(index, length, charsetName);
+    }
 }
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/jboss/netty/buffer/DynamicChannelBuffer.java b/src/main/java/org/jboss/netty/buffer/DynamicChannelBuffer.java
index 78191753a5..8ea8f7e61c 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/jboss/netty/buffer/DynamicChannelBuffer.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/jboss/netty/buffer/DynamicChannelBuffer.java
@@ -231,6 +231,10 @@ public class DynamicChannelBuffer extends AbstractChannelBuffer {
         return buffer.toByteBuffer(index, length);
     }
 
+
+    public String toString(int index, int length, String charsetName) {
+        return buffer.toString(index, length, charsetName);
+    }
     private void ensureWritableBytes(int requestedBytes) {
         if (requestedBytes <= writableBytes()) {
             return;
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/jboss/netty/buffer/HeapChannelBuffer.java b/src/main/java/org/jboss/netty/buffer/HeapChannelBuffer.java
index 5542814e15..84d652f0d6 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/jboss/netty/buffer/HeapChannelBuffer.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/jboss/netty/buffer/HeapChannelBuffer.java
@@ -26,9 +26,11 @@ import java.io.EOFException;
 import java.io.IOException;
 import java.io.InputStream;
 import java.io.OutputStream;
+import java.io.UnsupportedEncodingException;
 import java.nio.ByteBuffer;
 import java.nio.channels.GatheringByteChannel;
 import java.nio.channels.ScatteringByteChannel;
+import java.nio.charset.UnsupportedCharsetException;
 
 /**
  *
@@ -151,4 +153,12 @@ public abstract class HeapChannelBuffer extends AbstractChannelBuffer {
     public ByteBuffer toByteBuffer(int index, int length) {
         return ByteBuffer.wrap(array, index, length);
     }
+
+    public String toString(int index, int length, String charsetName) {
+        try {
+            return new String(array, index, length, charsetName);
+        } catch (UnsupportedEncodingException e) {
+            throw new UnsupportedCharsetException(charsetName);
+        }
+    }
 }
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/jboss/netty/buffer/ReadOnlyChannelBuffer.java b/src/main/java/org/jboss/netty/buffer/ReadOnlyChannelBuffer.java
index 8a95a27d8a..629dbfdafd 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/jboss/netty/buffer/ReadOnlyChannelBuffer.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/jboss/netty/buffer/ReadOnlyChannelBuffer.java
@@ -165,6 +165,10 @@ public class ReadOnlyChannelBuffer extends AbstractChannelBuffer implements Wrap
         return buffer.toByteBuffer(index, length).asReadOnlyBuffer();
     }
 
+    public String toString(int index, int length, String charsetName) {
+        return buffer.toString(index, length, charsetName);
+    }
+
     public int capacity() {
         return buffer.capacity();
     }
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/jboss/netty/buffer/SlicedChannelBuffer.java b/src/main/java/org/jboss/netty/buffer/SlicedChannelBuffer.java
index 69ec6194e0..cab48c3968 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/jboss/netty/buffer/SlicedChannelBuffer.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/jboss/netty/buffer/SlicedChannelBuffer.java
@@ -193,6 +193,11 @@ public class SlicedChannelBuffer extends AbstractChannelBuffer implements Wrappe
         return buffer.toByteBuffer(index + adjustment, length);
     }
 
+    public String toString(int index, int length, String charsetName) {
+        checkIndex(index, length);
+        return buffer.toString(index + adjustment, length, charsetName);
+    }
+
     private void checkIndex(int index) {
         if (index < 0 || index >= capacity()) {
             throw new IndexOutOfBoundsException();
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/jboss/netty/buffer/TruncatedChannelBuffer.java b/src/main/java/org/jboss/netty/buffer/TruncatedChannelBuffer.java
index a4b000c94d..9f0c4687f7 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/jboss/netty/buffer/TruncatedChannelBuffer.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/jboss/netty/buffer/TruncatedChannelBuffer.java
@@ -187,6 +187,11 @@ public class TruncatedChannelBuffer extends AbstractChannelBuffer implements Wra
         return buffer.toByteBuffer(index, length);
     }
 
+    public String toString(int index, int length, String charsetName) {
+        checkIndex(index, length);
+        return buffer.toString(index, length, charsetName);
+    }
+
     private void checkIndex(int index) {
         if (index < 0 || index >= capacity()) {
             throw new IndexOutOfBoundsException();
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/jboss/netty/handler/codec/replay/ReplayingDecoderBuffer.java b/src/main/java/org/jboss/netty/handler/codec/replay/ReplayingDecoderBuffer.java
index 3e99085266..8b4e5f58c1 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/jboss/netty/handler/codec/replay/ReplayingDecoderBuffer.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/jboss/netty/handler/codec/replay/ReplayingDecoderBuffer.java
@@ -394,6 +394,16 @@ class ReplayingDecoderBuffer implements ChannelBuffer {
         return buffer.toByteBuffers(index, length);
     }
 
+    public String toString(int index, int length, String charsetName) {
+        checkIndex(index, length);
+        return buffer.toString(index, length, charsetName);
+    }
+
+    public String toString(String charsetName) {
+        reject();
+        return null;
+    }
+
     @Override
     public String toString() {
         return buffer.toString();
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/jboss/netty/handler/codec/string/StringDecoder.java b/src/main/java/org/jboss/netty/handler/codec/string/StringDecoder.java
index 39387e810c..294f3fef7e 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/jboss/netty/handler/codec/string/StringDecoder.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/jboss/netty/handler/codec/string/StringDecoder.java
@@ -73,9 +73,8 @@ public class StringDecoder implements ChannelUpstreamHandler {
             return;
         }
 
-        ChannelBuffer src = (ChannelBuffer) e.getMessage();
-        byte[] dst = new byte[src.readableBytes()];
-        src.getBytes(src.readerIndex(), dst);
-        fireMessageReceived(context, e.getChannel(), new String(dst, charsetName));
+        fireMessageReceived(
+                context, e.getChannel(),
+                ((ChannelBuffer) e.getMessage()).toString(charsetName));
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/jboss/netty/handler/codec/string/StringEncoder.java b/src/main/java/org/jboss/netty/handler/codec/string/StringEncoder.java
index 1333fba586..f54bd351a1 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/jboss/netty/handler/codec/string/StringEncoder.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/jboss/netty/handler/codec/string/StringEncoder.java
@@ -22,11 +22,11 @@
  */
 package org.jboss.netty.handler.codec.string;
 
+import static org.jboss.netty.buffer.ChannelBuffers.*;
 import static org.jboss.netty.channel.Channels.*;
 
 import java.nio.charset.Charset;
 
-import org.jboss.netty.buffer.ChannelBuffers;
 import org.jboss.netty.channel.ChannelDownstreamHandler;
 import org.jboss.netty.channel.ChannelEvent;
 import org.jboss.netty.channel.ChannelHandlerContext;
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ public class StringEncoder implements ChannelDownstreamHandler {
             return;
         }
 
-        String src = (String) e.getMessage();
-        write(context, e.getChannel(), e.getFuture(), ChannelBuffers.wrappedBuffer(src.getBytes(charsetName)));
+        write(context, e.getChannel(), e.getFuture(),
+                wrappedBuffer(String.valueOf(e.getMessage()), charsetName));
     }
 }