diff --git a/codec/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/codec/ByteToMessageDecoder.java b/codec/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/codec/ByteToMessageDecoder.java
index 51dcad6473..16310dede7 100644
--- a/codec/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/codec/ByteToMessageDecoder.java
+++ b/codec/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/codec/ByteToMessageDecoder.java
@@ -18,7 +18,6 @@ package io.netty.handler.codec;
 import io.netty.buffer.ByteBuf;
 import io.netty.buffer.MessageBuf;
 import io.netty.channel.ChannelHandlerContext;
-import io.netty.channel.ChannelHandlerUtil;
 import io.netty.channel.ChannelInboundByteHandler;
 import io.netty.channel.ChannelInboundByteHandlerAdapter;
 
@@ -98,22 +97,7 @@ public abstract class ByteToMessageDecoder
                 throw new DecoderException(t);
             }
         } finally {
-            boolean decoded = false;
-            if (out.containsByteBuf()) {
-                for (;;) {
-                    Object msg = out.poll();
-                    if (msg == null) {
-                        break;
-                    }
-                    decoded = true;
-                    ChannelHandlerUtil.addToNextInboundBuffer(ctx, msg);
-                }
-            } else {
-                if (out.drainTo(ctx.nextInboundMessageBuffer()) > 0) {
-                    decoded = true;
-                }
-            }
-            if (decoded) {
+            if (out.drainToNextInbound(ctx)) {
                 ctx.fireInboundBufferUpdated();
             }
             ctx.fireChannelInactive();
@@ -122,7 +106,6 @@ public abstract class ByteToMessageDecoder
 
     protected void callDecode(ChannelHandlerContext ctx, ByteBuf in) {
         boolean wasNull = false;
-        boolean decoded = false;
         OutputMessageBuf out = OutputMessageBuf.get();
 
         assert out.isEmpty();
@@ -160,22 +143,7 @@ public abstract class ByteToMessageDecoder
                 }
             }
         } finally {
-            if (out.containsByteBuf()) {
-                for (;;) {
-                    Object msg = out.poll();
-                    if (msg == null) {
-                        break;
-                    }
-                    decoded = true;
-                    ChannelHandlerUtil.addToNextInboundBuffer(ctx, msg);
-                }
-            } else {
-                if (out.drainTo(ctx.nextInboundMessageBuffer()) > 0) {
-                    decoded = true;
-                }
-            }
-
-            if (decoded) {
+            if (out.drainToNextInbound(ctx)) {
                 decodeWasNull = false;
                 ctx.fireInboundBufferUpdated();
             } else {
diff --git a/codec/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/codec/MessageToMessageDecoder.java b/codec/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/codec/MessageToMessageDecoder.java
index ea17a58475..4efa56ded3 100644
--- a/codec/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/codec/MessageToMessageDecoder.java
+++ b/codec/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/codec/MessageToMessageDecoder.java
@@ -17,7 +17,6 @@ package io.netty.handler.codec;
 
 import io.netty.buffer.MessageBuf;
 import io.netty.channel.ChannelHandlerContext;
-import io.netty.channel.ChannelHandlerUtil;
 import io.netty.channel.ChannelInboundMessageHandler;
 import io.netty.channel.ChannelInboundMessageHandlerAdapter;
 
@@ -54,17 +53,7 @@ public abstract class MessageToMessageDecoder<I> extends ChannelInboundMessageHa
         try {
             decode(ctx, msg, out);
         } finally {
-            if (out.containsByteBuf()) {
-                for (;;) {
-                    Object decoded = out.poll();
-                    if (decoded == null) {
-                        break;
-                    }
-                    ChannelHandlerUtil.addToNextInboundBuffer(ctx, decoded);
-                }
-            } else {
-                out.drainTo(ctx.nextInboundMessageBuffer());
-            }
+            out.drainToNextInbound(ctx);
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/codec/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/codec/MessageToMessageEncoder.java b/codec/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/codec/MessageToMessageEncoder.java
index 50790f56e3..5c7dda5b3a 100644
--- a/codec/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/codec/MessageToMessageEncoder.java
+++ b/codec/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/codec/MessageToMessageEncoder.java
@@ -17,7 +17,6 @@ package io.netty.handler.codec;
 
 import io.netty.buffer.MessageBuf;
 import io.netty.channel.ChannelHandlerContext;
-import io.netty.channel.ChannelHandlerUtil;
 import io.netty.channel.ChannelOutboundMessageHandlerAdapter;
 
 /**
@@ -61,19 +60,7 @@ public abstract class MessageToMessageEncoder<I> extends ChannelOutboundMessageH
                 throw new EncoderException(cause);
             }
         } finally {
-            if (out.containsByteBuf()) {
-                for (;;) {
-                    Object encoded = out.poll();
-                    if (encoded == null) {
-                        break;
-                    }
-                    // Handle special case when the encoded output is a ByteBuf and the next handler in the pipeline
-                    // accept bytes. Related to #1222
-                    ChannelHandlerUtil.addToNextOutboundBuffer(ctx, encoded);
-                }
-            } else {
-                out.drainTo(ctx.nextOutboundMessageBuffer());
-            }
+            out.drainToNextOutbound(ctx);
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/codec/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/codec/OutputMessageBuf.java b/codec/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/codec/OutputMessageBuf.java
index b60a2541a0..eeaaef2f39 100644
--- a/codec/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/codec/OutputMessageBuf.java
+++ b/codec/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/codec/OutputMessageBuf.java
@@ -15,11 +15,15 @@
  */
 package io.netty.handler.codec;
 
+import io.netty.buffer.BufType;
 import io.netty.buffer.ByteBuf;
 import io.netty.buffer.DefaultMessageBuf;
+import io.netty.buffer.MessageBuf;
+import io.netty.channel.ChannelHandlerContext;
 
 final class OutputMessageBuf extends DefaultMessageBuf<Object> {
     private int byteBufs;
+    private int nonByteBufs;
 
     private static final ThreadLocal<OutputMessageBuf> output =
             new ThreadLocal<OutputMessageBuf>() {
@@ -47,8 +51,12 @@ final class OutputMessageBuf extends DefaultMessageBuf<Object> {
     @Override
     public boolean offer(Object e) {
         boolean added =  super.offer(e);
-        if (added && e instanceof ByteBuf) {
-            byteBufs++;
+        if (added) {
+            if (e instanceof ByteBuf) {
+                byteBufs++;
+            } else {
+                nonByteBufs++;
+            }
         }
         return added;
     }
@@ -57,8 +65,12 @@ final class OutputMessageBuf extends DefaultMessageBuf<Object> {
     public boolean remove(Object o) {
         boolean removed = super.remove(o);
 
-        if (removed && o instanceof ByteBuf) {
-            byteBufs--;
+        if (removed) {
+            if (o instanceof ByteBuf) {
+                byteBufs--;
+            } else {
+                nonByteBufs--;
+            }
         }
         return removed;
     }
@@ -66,8 +78,13 @@ final class OutputMessageBuf extends DefaultMessageBuf<Object> {
     @Override
     public Object poll() {
         Object o = super.poll();
+        if (o == null) {
+            return o;
+        }
         if (o instanceof ByteBuf) {
             byteBufs--;
+        } else {
+            nonByteBufs--;
         }
         return o;
     }
@@ -76,9 +93,84 @@ final class OutputMessageBuf extends DefaultMessageBuf<Object> {
     public void clear() {
         super.clear();
         byteBufs = 0;
+        nonByteBufs = 0;
     }
 
-    public boolean containsByteBuf() {
+    private boolean containsByteBuf() {
         return byteBufs > 0;
     }
+
+    private boolean containsNonByteBuf() {
+       return nonByteBufs > 0;
+    }
+
+    public boolean drainToNextInbound(ChannelHandlerContext ctx) {
+        if (containsByteBuf() && ctx.nextInboundBufferType() == BufType.BYTE) {
+            ByteBuf buf = ctx.nextInboundByteBuffer();
+            boolean drained = false;
+            if (!containsNonByteBuf()) {
+                for (;;) {
+                    Object o = poll();
+                    if (o == null) {
+                        break;
+                    }
+                    buf.writeBytes((ByteBuf) o);
+                    drained = true;
+                }
+            } else {
+                // mixed case
+                MessageBuf<Object> msgBuf = ctx.nextInboundMessageBuffer();
+                for (;;) {
+                    Object o = poll();
+                    if (o == null) {
+                        break;
+                    }
+                    if (o instanceof ByteBuf) {
+                        buf.writeBytes((ByteBuf) o);
+                    } else {
+                        msgBuf.add(o);
+                    }
+                    drained = true;
+                }
+            }
+            return drained;
+        } else {
+            return drainTo(ctx.nextInboundMessageBuffer()) > 0;
+        }
+    }
+
+    public boolean drainToNextOutbound(ChannelHandlerContext ctx) {
+        if (containsByteBuf() && ctx.nextOutboundBufferType() == BufType.BYTE) {
+            ByteBuf buf = ctx.nextOutboundByteBuffer();
+            boolean drained = false;
+            if (!containsNonByteBuf()) {
+                for (;;) {
+                    Object o = poll();
+                    if (o == null) {
+                        break;
+                    }
+                    buf.writeBytes((ByteBuf) o);
+                    drained = true;
+                }
+            } else {
+                // mixed case
+                MessageBuf<Object> msgBuf = ctx.nextOutboundMessageBuffer();
+                for (;;) {
+                    Object o = poll();
+                    if (o == null) {
+                        break;
+                    }
+                    if (o instanceof ByteBuf) {
+                        buf.writeBytes((ByteBuf) o);
+                    } else {
+                        msgBuf.add(o);
+                    }
+                    drained = true;
+                }
+            }
+            return drained;
+        } else {
+            return drainTo(ctx.nextOutboundMessageBuffer()) > 0;
+        }
+    }
 }
diff --git a/codec/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/codec/ReplayingDecoder.java b/codec/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/codec/ReplayingDecoder.java
index 979fcdfaee..c0f6246dce 100644
--- a/codec/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/codec/ReplayingDecoder.java
+++ b/codec/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/codec/ReplayingDecoder.java
@@ -18,7 +18,6 @@ package io.netty.handler.codec;
 import io.netty.buffer.ByteBuf;
 import io.netty.channel.ChannelHandler;
 import io.netty.channel.ChannelHandlerContext;
-import io.netty.channel.ChannelHandlerUtil;
 import io.netty.channel.ChannelPipeline;
 import io.netty.util.Signal;
 
@@ -384,23 +383,7 @@ public abstract class ReplayingDecoder<S> extends ByteToMessageDecoder {
                 throw new DecoderException(t);
             }
         } finally {
-
-            boolean decoded = false;
-            if (out.containsByteBuf()) {
-                for (;;) {
-                    Object msg = out.poll();
-                    if (msg == null) {
-                        break;
-                    }
-                    decoded = true;
-                    ChannelHandlerUtil.addToNextInboundBuffer(ctx, msg);
-                }
-            } else {
-                if (out.drainTo(ctx.nextInboundMessageBuffer()) > 0) {
-                    decoded = true;
-                }
-            }
-            if (decoded) {
+            if (out.drainToNextInbound(ctx)) {
                 ctx.fireInboundBufferUpdated();
             }
 
@@ -413,8 +396,6 @@ public abstract class ReplayingDecoder<S> extends ByteToMessageDecoder {
         boolean wasNull = false;
         ByteBuf in = cumulation;
         OutputMessageBuf out = OutputMessageBuf.get();
-        boolean decoded = false;
-
         assert out.isEmpty();
 
         try {
@@ -465,21 +446,7 @@ public abstract class ReplayingDecoder<S> extends ByteToMessageDecoder {
                 }
             }
         } finally {
-            if (out.containsByteBuf()) {
-                for (;;) {
-                    Object msg = out.poll();
-                    if (msg == null) {
-                        break;
-                    }
-                    decoded = true;
-                    ChannelHandlerUtil.addToNextInboundBuffer(ctx, msg);
-                }
-            } else {
-                if (out.drainTo(ctx.nextInboundMessageBuffer()) > 0) {
-                    decoded = true;
-                }
-            }
-            if (decoded) {
+            if (out.drainToNextInbound(ctx)) {
                 decodeWasNull = false;
                 ctx.fireInboundBufferUpdated();
             } else {