diff --git a/buffer/src/main/java/io/netty/buffer/PoolArena.java b/buffer/src/main/java/io/netty/buffer/PoolArena.java
index c4370b9ac6..056dd66445 100644
--- a/buffer/src/main/java/io/netty/buffer/PoolArena.java
+++ b/buffer/src/main/java/io/netty/buffer/PoolArena.java
@@ -354,8 +354,7 @@ abstract class PoolArena<T> {
 
     static final class DirectArena extends PoolArena<ByteBuffer> {
 
-        private static final boolean USE_UNSAFE_DIRECTBUF =
-                PlatformDependent.isUnaligned() && PlatformDependent.unsafeHasCopyMethods();
+        private static final boolean USE_UNSAFE_DIRECTBUF = PlatformDependent.unsafeHasCopyMethods();
 
         DirectArena(PooledByteBufAllocator parent, int pageSize, int maxOrder, int pageShifts, int chunkSize) {
             super(parent, pageSize, maxOrder, pageShifts, chunkSize);
@@ -392,7 +391,7 @@ abstract class PoolArena<T> {
                 return;
             }
 
-            if (PlatformDependent.isUnaligned() && PlatformDependent.unsafeHasCopyMethods()) {
+            if (USE_UNSAFE_DIRECTBUF) {
                 PlatformDependent.copyMemory(
                         PlatformDependent.directBufferAddress(src) + srcOffset,
                         PlatformDependent.directBufferAddress(dst) + dstOffset, length);
diff --git a/common/src/main/java/io/netty/util/internal/PlatformDependent.java b/common/src/main/java/io/netty/util/internal/PlatformDependent.java
index ac8cf6729d..466b2ecc9c 100644
--- a/common/src/main/java/io/netty/util/internal/PlatformDependent.java
+++ b/common/src/main/java/io/netty/util/internal/PlatformDependent.java
@@ -53,7 +53,6 @@ public final class PlatformDependent {
     private static final boolean CAN_USE_CHM_V8 = HAS_UNSAFE && JAVA_VERSION < 8;
     private static final boolean CAN_FREE_DIRECT_BUFFER = canFreeDirectBuffer0();
     private static final boolean UNSAFE_HASE_COPY_METHODS = unsafeHasCopyMethods0();
-    private static final boolean IS_UNALIGNED = isUnaligned0();
     private static final long ARRAY_BASE_OFFSET = arrayBaseOffset0();
 
     private static final boolean HAS_JAVASSIST = hasJavassist0();
@@ -109,13 +108,6 @@ public final class PlatformDependent {
         return CAN_FREE_DIRECT_BUFFER;
     }
 
-    /**
-     * Returns {@code true} if and only if {@code java.nio.Bits.unaligned()} is true.
-     */
-    public static boolean isUnaligned() {
-        return IS_UNALIGNED;
-    }
-
     /**
      * Returns {@code true} if unsafe has all needed copy methods which is not the case on latest openjdk6 atm.
      */
@@ -360,14 +352,6 @@ public final class PlatformDependent {
         return PlatformDependent0.canFreeDirectBuffer();
     }
 
-    private static boolean isUnaligned0() {
-        if (!hasUnsafe()) {
-            return false;
-        }
-
-        return PlatformDependent0.isUnaligned();
-    }
-
     private static boolean unsafeHasCopyMethods0() {
         if (!hasUnsafe()) {
             return false;
diff --git a/common/src/main/java/io/netty/util/internal/PlatformDependent0.java b/common/src/main/java/io/netty/util/internal/PlatformDependent0.java
index bdbbb978cd..90b7f87c70 100644
--- a/common/src/main/java/io/netty/util/internal/PlatformDependent0.java
+++ b/common/src/main/java/io/netty/util/internal/PlatformDependent0.java
@@ -31,6 +31,11 @@ final class PlatformDependent0 {
     private static final Unsafe UNSAFE;
     private static final long CLEANER_FIELD_OFFSET;
     private static final long ADDRESS_FIELD_OFFSET;
+    /**
+     * {@code true} if and only if the platform supports unaligned access.
+     *
+     * @see <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Segmentation_fault#Bus_error">Wikipedia on segfault</a>
+     */
     private static final boolean UNALIGNED;
     private static final boolean HAS_COPY_METHODS;
 
@@ -120,10 +125,6 @@ final class PlatformDependent0 {
     }
 
     static long directBufferAddress(ByteBuffer buffer) {
-        if (!isUnaligned()) {
-            throw new Error();
-        }
-
         return getLong(buffer, ADDRESS_FIELD_OFFSET);
     }
 
@@ -137,10 +138,6 @@ final class PlatformDependent0 {
         }
     }
 
-    static boolean isUnaligned() {
-        return UNALIGNED;
-    }
-
     static boolean hasCopyMethods() {
         return HAS_COPY_METHODS;
     }
@@ -166,15 +163,37 @@ final class PlatformDependent0 {
     }
 
     static short getShort(long address) {
-        return UNSAFE.getShort(address);
+        if (UNALIGNED) {
+            return UNSAFE.getShort(address);
+        } else {
+            return (short)(getByte(address) << 8 | getByte(address + 1) & 0xff);
+        }
     }
 
     static int getInt(long address) {
-        return UNSAFE.getInt(address);
+        if (UNALIGNED) {
+            return UNSAFE.getInt(address);
+        } else {
+            return getByte(address) << 24 |
+                  (getByte(address + 1) & 0xff) << 16 |
+                  (getByte(address + 2) & 0xff) <<  8 |
+                   getByte(address + 3) & 0xff;
+        }
     }
 
     static long getLong(long address) {
-        return UNSAFE.getLong(address);
+        if (UNALIGNED) {
+            return UNSAFE.getLong(address);
+        } else {
+            return (long) getByte(address) << 56 |
+                  ((long) getByte(address + 1) & 0xff) << 48 |
+                  ((long) getByte(address + 2) & 0xff) << 40 |
+                  ((long) getByte(address + 3) & 0xff) << 32 |
+                  ((long) getByte(address + 4) & 0xff) << 24 |
+                  ((long) getByte(address + 5) & 0xff) << 16 |
+                  ((long) getByte(address + 6) & 0xff) <<  8 |
+                   (long) getByte(address + 7) & 0xff;
+        }
     }
 
     static void putByte(long address, byte value) {
@@ -182,15 +201,38 @@ final class PlatformDependent0 {
     }
 
     static void putShort(long address, short value) {
-        UNSAFE.putShort(address, value);
+        if (UNALIGNED) {
+            UNSAFE.putShort(address, value);
+        } else {
+            putByte(address, (byte) (value >>> 8));
+            putByte(address + 1, (byte) value);
+        }
     }
 
     static void putInt(long address, int value) {
-        UNSAFE.putInt(address, value);
+        if (UNALIGNED) {
+            UNSAFE.putInt(address, value);
+        } else {
+            putByte(address, (byte) (value >>> 24));
+            putByte(address + 1, (byte) (value >>> 16));
+            putByte(address + 2, (byte) (value >>> 8));
+            putByte(address + 3, (byte) value);
+        }
     }
 
     static void putLong(long address, long value) {
-        UNSAFE.putLong(address, value);
+        if (UNALIGNED) {
+            UNSAFE.putLong(address, value);
+        } else {
+            putByte(address, (byte) (value >>> 56));
+            putByte(address + 1, (byte) (value >>> 48));
+            putByte(address + 2, (byte) (value >>> 40));
+            putByte(address + 3, (byte) (value >>> 32));
+            putByte(address + 4, (byte) (value >>> 24));
+            putByte(address + 5, (byte) (value >>> 16));
+            putByte(address + 6, (byte) (value >>> 8));
+            putByte(address + 7, (byte) value);
+        }
     }
 
     static void copyMemory(long srcAddr, long dstAddr, long length) {