diff --git a/buffer/src/main/java/io/netty/buffer/ByteBufUtil.java b/buffer/src/main/java/io/netty/buffer/ByteBufUtil.java
index 8ca9ad69cc..f463a4d495 100644
--- a/buffer/src/main/java/io/netty/buffer/ByteBufUtil.java
+++ b/buffer/src/main/java/io/netty/buffer/ByteBufUtil.java
@@ -16,8 +16,6 @@
 package io.netty.buffer;
 
 import io.netty.util.CharsetUtil;
-import io.netty.util.ReferenceCountUtil;
-import io.netty.util.ReferenceCounted;
 
 import java.nio.ByteBuffer;
 import java.nio.ByteOrder;
@@ -43,52 +41,6 @@ public final class ByteBufUtil {
         }
     }
 
-    /**
-     * Try to call {@link ReferenceCounted#retain()} if the specified message implements {@link ReferenceCounted}.
-     * If the specified message doesn't implement {@link ReferenceCounted}, this method does nothing.
-     *
-     * @deprecated use {@link ReferenceCountUtil#retain(Object)}
-     */
-    @SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
-    @Deprecated
-    public static <T> T retain(T msg) {
-        return ReferenceCountUtil.retain(msg);
-    }
-
-    /**
-     * Try to call {@link ReferenceCounted#retain()} if the specified message implements {@link ReferenceCounted}.
-     * If the specified message doesn't implement {@link ReferenceCounted}, this method does nothing.
-     *
-     * @deprecated use {@link ReferenceCountUtil#retain(Object, int)}
-     */
-    @SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
-    @Deprecated
-    public static <T> T retain(T msg, int increment) {
-        return ReferenceCountUtil.retain(msg, increment);
-    }
-
-    /**
-     * Try to call {@link ReferenceCounted#release()} if the specified message implements {@link ReferenceCounted}.
-     * If the specified message doesn't implement {@link ReferenceCounted}, this method does nothing.
-     *
-     * @deprecated use {@link ReferenceCountUtil#release(Object)}
-     */
-    @Deprecated
-    public static boolean release(Object msg) {
-        return ReferenceCountUtil.release(msg);
-    }
-
-    /**
-     * Try to call {@link ReferenceCounted#release()} if the specified message implements {@link ReferenceCounted}.
-     * If the specified message doesn't implement {@link ReferenceCounted}, this method does nothing.
-     *
-     * @deprecated use {@link ReferenceCountUtil#release(Object, int)}
-     */
-    @Deprecated
-    public static boolean release(Object msg, int decrement) {
-        return ReferenceCountUtil.release(msg, decrement);
-    }
-
     /**
      * Returns a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hex_dump">hex dump</a>
      * of the specified buffer's readable bytes.
diff --git a/transport/src/main/java/io/netty/channel/socket/nio/NioDatagramChannel.java b/transport/src/main/java/io/netty/channel/socket/nio/NioDatagramChannel.java
index def2ea368a..1c98316afa 100755
--- a/transport/src/main/java/io/netty/channel/socket/nio/NioDatagramChannel.java
+++ b/transport/src/main/java/io/netty/channel/socket/nio/NioDatagramChannel.java
@@ -17,7 +17,6 @@ package io.netty.channel.socket.nio;
 
 import io.netty.buffer.ByteBuf;
 import io.netty.buffer.ByteBufHolder;
-import io.netty.buffer.ByteBufUtil;
 import io.netty.channel.AddressedEnvelope;
 import io.netty.channel.Channel;
 import io.netty.channel.ChannelException;
@@ -30,6 +29,7 @@ import io.netty.channel.nio.AbstractNioMessageChannel;
 import io.netty.channel.socket.DatagramChannelConfig;
 import io.netty.channel.socket.DatagramPacket;
 import io.netty.channel.socket.InternetProtocolFamily;
+import io.netty.util.ReferenceCountUtil;
 import io.netty.util.internal.PlatformDependent;
 import io.netty.util.internal.StringUtil;
 
@@ -255,8 +255,7 @@ public final class NioDatagramChannel
         } else if (m instanceof ByteBuf) {
             data = (ByteBuf) m;
         } else {
-            ByteBufUtil.release(o);
-            throw new ChannelException("unsupported message type: " + StringUtil.simpleClassName(o));
+            throw new UnsupportedOperationException("unsupported message type: " + StringUtil.simpleClassName(0));
         }
 
         int dataLen = data.readableBytes();
@@ -293,7 +292,7 @@ public final class NioDatagramChannel
         }
 
         // Wrote a packet - free the message.
-        ByteBufUtil.release(o);
+        ReferenceCountUtil.release(o);
 
         if (index + 1 == msgs.size()) {
             // Wrote the outbound buffer completely - clear OP_WRITE.
diff --git a/transport/src/main/java/io/netty/channel/socket/oio/OioDatagramChannel.java b/transport/src/main/java/io/netty/channel/socket/oio/OioDatagramChannel.java
index 1d329105e7..54a69e84d4 100755
--- a/transport/src/main/java/io/netty/channel/socket/oio/OioDatagramChannel.java
+++ b/transport/src/main/java/io/netty/channel/socket/oio/OioDatagramChannel.java
@@ -17,7 +17,6 @@ package io.netty.channel.socket.oio;
 
 import io.netty.buffer.ByteBuf;
 import io.netty.buffer.ByteBufHolder;
-import io.netty.buffer.ByteBufUtil;
 import io.netty.channel.AddressedEnvelope;
 import io.netty.channel.Channel;
 import io.netty.channel.ChannelException;
@@ -31,6 +30,7 @@ import io.netty.channel.socket.DatagramChannel;
 import io.netty.channel.socket.DatagramChannelConfig;
 import io.netty.channel.socket.DatagramPacket;
 import io.netty.channel.socket.DefaultDatagramChannelConfig;
+import io.netty.util.ReferenceCountUtil;
 import io.netty.util.internal.EmptyArrays;
 import io.netty.util.internal.PlatformDependent;
 import io.netty.util.internal.StringUtil;
@@ -263,27 +263,23 @@ public class OioDatagramChannel extends AbstractOioMessageChannel
         } else if (m instanceof ByteBuf) {
             data = (ByteBuf) m;
         } else {
-            ByteBufUtil.release(o);
-            throw new ChannelException("unsupported message type: " + StringUtil.simpleClassName(o));
+            throw new UnsupportedOperationException("unsupported message type: " + StringUtil.simpleClassName(o));
         }
 
-        try {
-            int length = data.readableBytes();
-            if (remoteAddress != null) {
-                tmpPacket.setSocketAddress(remoteAddress);
-            }
-            if (data.hasArray()) {
-                tmpPacket.setData(data.array(), data.arrayOffset() + data.readerIndex(), length);
-            } else {
-                byte[] tmp = new byte[length];
-                data.getBytes(data.readerIndex(), tmp);
-                tmpPacket.setData(tmp);
-            }
-            socket.send(tmpPacket);
-            return 1;
-        } finally {
-            ByteBufUtil.release(o);
+        int length = data.readableBytes();
+        if (remoteAddress != null) {
+            tmpPacket.setSocketAddress(remoteAddress);
         }
+        if (data.hasArray()) {
+            tmpPacket.setData(data.array(), data.arrayOffset() + data.readerIndex(), length);
+        } else {
+            byte[] tmp = new byte[length];
+            data.getBytes(data.readerIndex(), tmp);
+            tmpPacket.setData(tmp);
+        }
+        socket.send(tmpPacket);
+        ReferenceCountUtil.release(o);
+        return 1;
     }
 
     @Override