diff --git a/codec/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/codec/base64/Base64Encoder.java b/codec/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/codec/base64/Base64Encoder.java
index 31c420a8d0..b79b0fbe04 100644
--- a/codec/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/codec/base64/Base64Encoder.java
+++ b/codec/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/codec/base64/Base64Encoder.java
@@ -18,10 +18,11 @@ package io.netty.handler.codec.base64;
 import io.netty.buffer.ByteBuf;
 import io.netty.channel.ChannelHandler.Sharable;
 import io.netty.channel.ChannelHandlerContext;
+import io.netty.channel.ChannelHandlerUtil;
+import io.netty.channel.ChannelOutboundMessageHandlerAdapter;
 import io.netty.channel.ChannelPipeline;
 import io.netty.handler.codec.DelimiterBasedFrameDecoder;
 import io.netty.handler.codec.Delimiters;
-import io.netty.handler.codec.MessageToMessageEncoder;
 
 /**
  * Encodes a {@link ByteBuf} into a Base64-encoded {@link ByteBuf}.
@@ -38,7 +39,7 @@ import io.netty.handler.codec.MessageToMessageEncoder;
  * </pre>
  */
 @Sharable
-public class Base64Encoder extends MessageToMessageEncoder<ByteBuf> {
+public class Base64Encoder extends ChannelOutboundMessageHandlerAdapter<ByteBuf> {
 
     private final boolean breakLines;
     private final Base64Dialect dialect;
@@ -61,8 +62,9 @@ public class Base64Encoder extends MessageToMessageEncoder<ByteBuf> {
     }
 
     @Override
-    protected Object encode(ChannelHandlerContext ctx,
+    public void flush(ChannelHandlerContext ctx,
             ByteBuf msg) throws Exception {
-        return Base64.encode(msg, msg.readerIndex(), msg.readableBytes(), breakLines, dialect);
+        ByteBuf buf = Base64.encode(msg, msg.readerIndex(), msg.readableBytes(), breakLines, dialect);
+        ChannelHandlerUtil.addToNextOutboundBuffer(ctx, buf);
     }
 }
diff --git a/codec/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/codec/bytes/ByteArrayEncoder.java b/codec/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/codec/bytes/ByteArrayEncoder.java
index e954f88dd1..14470abccf 100644
--- a/codec/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/codec/bytes/ByteArrayEncoder.java
+++ b/codec/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/codec/bytes/ByteArrayEncoder.java
@@ -15,7 +15,6 @@
  */
 package io.netty.handler.codec.bytes;
 
-import io.netty.buffer.BufType;
 import io.netty.buffer.ByteBuf;
 import io.netty.buffer.Unpooled;
 import io.netty.channel.ChannelHandlerContext;
@@ -50,22 +49,13 @@ import io.netty.handler.codec.LengthFieldPrepender;
  */
 public class ByteArrayEncoder extends ChannelOutboundMessageHandlerAdapter<byte[]> {
 
-    private final BufType nextBufferType;
-
-    public ByteArrayEncoder(BufType nextBufferType) {
-        if (nextBufferType == null) {
-            throw new NullPointerException("nextBufferType");
-        }
-        this.nextBufferType = nextBufferType;
-    }
-
     @Override
     public void flush(ChannelHandlerContext ctx, byte[] msg) throws Exception {
         if (msg.length == 0) {
             return;
         }
 
-        switch (nextBufferType) {
+        switch (ctx.nextOutboundBufferType()) {
             case BYTE:
                 ctx.nextOutboundByteBuffer().writeBytes(msg);
                 break;
diff --git a/codec/src/test/java/io/netty/handler/codec/bytes/ByteArrayEncoderTest.java b/codec/src/test/java/io/netty/handler/codec/bytes/ByteArrayEncoderTest.java
index d1ed582cef..313f36686f 100644
--- a/codec/src/test/java/io/netty/handler/codec/bytes/ByteArrayEncoderTest.java
+++ b/codec/src/test/java/io/netty/handler/codec/bytes/ByteArrayEncoderTest.java
@@ -15,7 +15,6 @@
  */
 package io.netty.handler.codec.bytes;
 
-import io.netty.buffer.BufType;
 import io.netty.buffer.ByteBuf;
 import io.netty.channel.embedded.EmbeddedMessageChannel;
 import org.junit.Before;
@@ -35,7 +34,7 @@ public class ByteArrayEncoderTest {
 
     @Before
     public void setUp() {
-        ch = new EmbeddedMessageChannel(new ByteArrayEncoder(BufType.MESSAGE));
+        ch = new EmbeddedMessageChannel(new ByteArrayEncoder());
     }
 
     @Test
diff --git a/handler/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/stream/ChunkedWriteHandler.java b/handler/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/stream/ChunkedWriteHandler.java
index 90fe10b1b9..2d2eb478fa 100644
--- a/handler/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/stream/ChunkedWriteHandler.java
+++ b/handler/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/stream/ChunkedWriteHandler.java
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ import io.netty.channel.ChannelFuture;
 import io.netty.channel.ChannelFutureListener;
 import io.netty.channel.ChannelHandler;
 import io.netty.channel.ChannelHandlerContext;
+import io.netty.channel.ChannelHandlerUtil;
 import io.netty.channel.ChannelOutboundMessageHandler;
 import io.netty.channel.ChannelPipeline;
 import io.netty.channel.ChannelPromise;
@@ -308,7 +309,7 @@ public class ChunkedWriteHandler
                     });
                 }
             } else {
-                ctx.nextOutboundMessageBuffer().add(currentEvent);
+                ChannelHandlerUtil.addToNextOutboundBuffer(ctx, currentEvent);
                 this.currentEvent = null;
             }
 
diff --git a/testsuite/src/test/java/io/netty/testsuite/transport/socket/SocketSslEchoTest.java b/testsuite/src/test/java/io/netty/testsuite/transport/socket/SocketSslEchoTest.java
index 43438a3574..61ae81ddac 100644
--- a/testsuite/src/test/java/io/netty/testsuite/transport/socket/SocketSslEchoTest.java
+++ b/testsuite/src/test/java/io/netty/testsuite/transport/socket/SocketSslEchoTest.java
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ package io.netty.testsuite.transport.socket;
 
 import io.netty.bootstrap.Bootstrap;
 import io.netty.bootstrap.ServerBootstrap;
+import io.netty.buffer.BufUtil;
 import io.netty.buffer.ByteBuf;
 import io.netty.buffer.Unpooled;
 import io.netty.channel.Channel;
@@ -25,8 +26,13 @@ import io.netty.channel.ChannelFutureListener;
 import io.netty.channel.ChannelHandlerContext;
 import io.netty.channel.ChannelInboundByteHandlerAdapter;
 import io.netty.channel.ChannelInitializer;
+import io.netty.channel.ChannelOperationHandlerAdapter;
+import io.netty.channel.ChannelOutboundMessageHandlerAdapter;
+import io.netty.channel.ChannelPromise;
 import io.netty.channel.socket.SocketChannel;
+import io.netty.handler.codec.ByteToByteEncoder;
 import io.netty.handler.ssl.SslHandler;
+import io.netty.handler.stream.ChunkedWriteHandler;
 import io.netty.testsuite.util.BogusSslContextFactory;
 import org.junit.Test;
 
@@ -54,6 +60,20 @@ public class SocketSslEchoTest extends AbstractSocketTest {
     }
 
     public void testSslEcho(ServerBootstrap sb, Bootstrap cb) throws Throwable {
+        testSslEcho0(sb, cb, false);
+    }
+
+
+    @Test
+    public void testSslEchoWithChunkHandler() throws Throwable {
+        run();
+    }
+
+    public void testSslEchoWithChunkHandler(ServerBootstrap sb, Bootstrap cb) throws Throwable {
+        testSslEcho0(sb, cb, true);
+    }
+
+    private void testSslEcho0(ServerBootstrap sb, Bootstrap cb, final boolean chunkWriteHandler) throws Throwable {
         final EchoHandler sh = new EchoHandler(true);
         final EchoHandler ch = new EchoHandler(false);
 
@@ -66,6 +86,9 @@ public class SocketSslEchoTest extends AbstractSocketTest {
             @Override
             public void initChannel(SocketChannel sch) throws Exception {
                 sch.pipeline().addFirst("ssl", new SslHandler(sse));
+                if (chunkWriteHandler) {
+                    sch.pipeline().addLast(new ChunkedWriteHandler());
+                }
                 sch.pipeline().addLast("handler", sh);
             }
         });
@@ -74,6 +97,9 @@ public class SocketSslEchoTest extends AbstractSocketTest {
             @Override
             public void initChannel(SocketChannel sch) throws Exception {
                 sch.pipeline().addFirst("ssl", new SslHandler(cse));
+                if (chunkWriteHandler) {
+                    sch.pipeline().addLast(new ChunkedWriteHandler());
+                }
                 sch.pipeline().addLast("handler", ch);
             }
         });
@@ -81,15 +107,9 @@ public class SocketSslEchoTest extends AbstractSocketTest {
         Channel sc = sb.bind().sync().channel();
         Channel cc = cb.connect().sync().channel();
         ChannelFuture hf = cc.pipeline().get(SslHandler.class).handshake();
-        final ChannelFuture firstByteWriteFuture =
-                cc.write(Unpooled.wrappedBuffer(data, 0, FIRST_MESSAGE_SIZE));
+        cc.write(Unpooled.wrappedBuffer(data, 0, FIRST_MESSAGE_SIZE));
         final AtomicBoolean firstByteWriteFutureDone = new AtomicBoolean();
-        hf.addListener(new ChannelFutureListener() {
-            @Override
-            public void operationComplete(ChannelFuture future) throws Exception {
-                firstByteWriteFutureDone.set(firstByteWriteFuture.isDone());
-            }
-        });
+
         hf.sync();
 
         assertFalse(firstByteWriteFutureDone.get());
diff --git a/transport/src/main/java/io/netty/channel/ChannelHandlerContext.java b/transport/src/main/java/io/netty/channel/ChannelHandlerContext.java
index 18b34b6691..85176854f4 100755
--- a/transport/src/main/java/io/netty/channel/ChannelHandlerContext.java
+++ b/transport/src/main/java/io/netty/channel/ChannelHandlerContext.java
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
 package io.netty.channel;
 
 
+import io.netty.buffer.BufType;
 import io.netty.buffer.ByteBuf;
 import io.netty.buffer.MessageBuf;
 import io.netty.util.Attribute;
@@ -225,25 +226,35 @@ public interface ChannelHandlerContext
     <T> MessageBuf<T> outboundMessageBuffer();
 
     /**
-     * Return the {@link ByteBuf} of the next {@link ChannelHandlerContext}.
+     * Return the {@link ByteBuf} of the next {@link ChannelInboundByteHandler} in the pipeline.
      */
     ByteBuf nextInboundByteBuffer();
 
     /**
-     * Return the {@link MessageBuf} of the next {@link ChannelHandlerContext}.
+     * Return the {@link MessageBuf} of the next {@link ChannelInboundMessageHandler} in the pipeline.
      */
     MessageBuf<Object> nextInboundMessageBuffer();
 
     /**
-     * Return the {@link ByteBuf} of the next {@link ChannelHandlerContext}.
+     * Return the {@link ByteBuf} of the next {@link ChannelOutboundByteHandler} in the pipeline.
      */
     ByteBuf nextOutboundByteBuffer();
 
     /**
-     * Return the {@link MessageBuf} of the next {@link ChannelHandlerContext}.
+     * Return the {@link MessageBuf} of the next {@link ChannelOutboundMessageHandler} in the pipeline.
      */
     MessageBuf<Object> nextOutboundMessageBuffer();
 
+    /**
+     * Return the {@link BufType} of the next {@link ChannelInboundHandler} in the pipeline.
+     */
+    BufType nextInboundBufferType();
+
+    /**
+     * Return the {@link BufType} of the next {@link ChannelOutboundHandler} in the pipeline.
+     */
+    BufType nextOutboundBufferType();
+
     @Override
     ChannelHandlerContext fireChannelRegistered();
 
diff --git a/transport/src/main/java/io/netty/channel/ChannelHandlerUtil.java b/transport/src/main/java/io/netty/channel/ChannelHandlerUtil.java
index 6693705f2c..ca68e6cc8c 100644
--- a/transport/src/main/java/io/netty/channel/ChannelHandlerUtil.java
+++ b/transport/src/main/java/io/netty/channel/ChannelHandlerUtil.java
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
 
 package io.netty.channel;
 
+import io.netty.buffer.BufType;
 import io.netty.buffer.BufUtil;
 import io.netty.buffer.ByteBuf;
 import io.netty.buffer.MessageBuf;
@@ -84,8 +85,6 @@ public final class ChannelHandlerUtil {
             SingleOutboundMessageHandler<T> handler) throws Exception {
 
         MessageBuf<Object> in = ctx.outboundMessageBuffer();
-        MessageBuf<Object> out = null;
-
         final int inSize = in.size();
         if (inSize == 0) {
             ctx.flush(promise);
@@ -102,10 +101,7 @@ public final class ChannelHandlerUtil {
                 }
 
                 if (!handler.acceptOutboundMessage(msg)) {
-                    if (out == null) {
-                        out = ctx.nextOutboundMessageBuffer();
-                    }
-                    out.add(msg);
+                    addToNextOutboundBuffer(ctx, msg);
                     processed ++;
                     continue;
                 }
@@ -205,6 +201,35 @@ public final class ChannelHandlerUtil {
                 throw new IllegalStateException();
         }
     }
+
+    /**
+     * Add the msg to the next outbound buffer in the {@link ChannelPipeline}. This takes special care of
+     * msgs that are of type {@link ByteBuf}.
+     */
+    public static boolean addToNextOutboundBuffer(ChannelHandlerContext ctx, Object msg) {
+        if (msg instanceof ByteBuf) {
+            if (ctx.nextOutboundBufferType() == BufType.BYTE) {
+                ctx.nextOutboundByteBuffer().writeBytes((ByteBuf) msg);
+                return true;
+            }
+        }
+        return ctx.nextOutboundMessageBuffer().add(msg);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Add the msg to the next inbound buffer in the {@link ChannelPipeline}. This takes special care of
+     * msgs that are of type {@link ByteBuf}.
+     */
+    public static boolean addToNextInboundBuffer(ChannelHandlerContext ctx, Object msg) {
+        if (msg instanceof ByteBuf) {
+            if (ctx.nextInboundBufferType() == BufType.BYTE) {
+                ctx.nextInboundByteBuffer().writeBytes((ByteBuf) msg);
+                return true;
+            }
+        }
+        return ctx.nextInboundMessageBuffer().add(msg);
+    }
+
     private ChannelHandlerUtil() { }
 
     public interface SingleInboundMessageHandler<T> {
diff --git a/transport/src/main/java/io/netty/channel/ChannelInboundMessageHandler.java b/transport/src/main/java/io/netty/channel/ChannelInboundMessageHandler.java
index 5217fdb958..9b55ceb8b9 100644
--- a/transport/src/main/java/io/netty/channel/ChannelInboundMessageHandler.java
+++ b/transport/src/main/java/io/netty/channel/ChannelInboundMessageHandler.java
@@ -15,10 +15,15 @@
  */
 package io.netty.channel;
 
+import io.netty.buffer.ByteBuf;
 import io.netty.buffer.MessageBuf;
 
 /**
  * Special {@link ChannelInboundHandler} which store the inbound data in a {@link MessageBuf} for futher processing.
+ *
+ * If your {@link ChannelOutboundMessageHandler} handles messages of type {@link ByteBuf} or {@link Object}
+ * and you want to add a {@link ByteBuf} to the next buffer in the {@link ChannelPipeline} use
+ * {@link ChannelHandlerUtil#addToNextInboundBuffer(ChannelHandlerContext, Object)}.
  */
 public interface ChannelInboundMessageHandler<I> extends ChannelInboundHandler {
 
diff --git a/transport/src/main/java/io/netty/channel/ChannelInboundMessageHandlerAdapter.java b/transport/src/main/java/io/netty/channel/ChannelInboundMessageHandlerAdapter.java
index b59ccdfc5c..f601fb31d3 100644
--- a/transport/src/main/java/io/netty/channel/ChannelInboundMessageHandlerAdapter.java
+++ b/transport/src/main/java/io/netty/channel/ChannelInboundMessageHandlerAdapter.java
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
  */
 package io.netty.channel;
 
+import io.netty.buffer.ByteBuf;
 import io.netty.buffer.MessageBuf;
 import io.netty.buffer.Unpooled;
 import io.netty.channel.ChannelHandlerUtil.SingleInboundMessageHandler;
@@ -41,6 +42,10 @@ import io.netty.util.internal.TypeParameterMatcher;
  *     }
  * </pre>
  *
+ * If your {@link ChannelInboundMessageHandlerAdapter} handles messages of type {@link ByteBuf} or {@link Object}
+ * and you want to add a {@link ByteBuf} to the next buffer in the {@link ChannelPipeline} use
+ * {@link ChannelHandlerUtil#addToNextInboundBuffer(ChannelHandlerContext, Object)}.
+ *
  * @param <I>   The type of the messages to handle
  */
 public abstract class ChannelInboundMessageHandlerAdapter<I>
diff --git a/transport/src/main/java/io/netty/channel/ChannelOutboundMessageHandler.java b/transport/src/main/java/io/netty/channel/ChannelOutboundMessageHandler.java
index 8e81991dad..eb2a1ad4be 100644
--- a/transport/src/main/java/io/netty/channel/ChannelOutboundMessageHandler.java
+++ b/transport/src/main/java/io/netty/channel/ChannelOutboundMessageHandler.java
@@ -15,12 +15,17 @@
  */
 package io.netty.channel;
 
+import io.netty.buffer.ByteBuf;
 import io.netty.buffer.MessageBuf;
 
 /**
  * ChannelOutboundHandler implementation which operates on messages of a specific type
  * by pass them in a {@link MessageBuf} and consume then from there.
  *
+ * If your {@link ChannelOutboundMessageHandler} handles messages of type {@link ByteBuf} or {@link Object}
+ * and you want to add a {@link ByteBuf} to the next buffer in the {@link ChannelPipeline} use
+ * {@link ChannelHandlerUtil#addToNextOutboundBuffer(ChannelHandlerContext, Object)}.
+ *
  * @param <I>   the message type
  */
 public interface ChannelOutboundMessageHandler<I> extends ChannelOutboundHandler {
diff --git a/transport/src/main/java/io/netty/channel/ChannelOutboundMessageHandlerAdapter.java b/transport/src/main/java/io/netty/channel/ChannelOutboundMessageHandlerAdapter.java
index 34f550286c..ed090219d8 100644
--- a/transport/src/main/java/io/netty/channel/ChannelOutboundMessageHandlerAdapter.java
+++ b/transport/src/main/java/io/netty/channel/ChannelOutboundMessageHandlerAdapter.java
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
  */
 package io.netty.channel;
 
+import io.netty.buffer.ByteBuf;
 import io.netty.buffer.MessageBuf;
 import io.netty.buffer.Unpooled;
 import io.netty.channel.ChannelHandlerUtil.SingleOutboundMessageHandler;
@@ -24,6 +25,10 @@ import io.netty.util.internal.TypeParameterMatcher;
 /**
  * Abstract base class which handles messages of a specific type.
  *
+ * If your {@link ChannelOutboundMessageHandlerAdapter} handles messages of type {@link ByteBuf} or {@link Object}
+ * and you want to add a {@link ByteBuf} to the next buffer in the {@link ChannelPipeline} use
+ * {@link ChannelHandlerUtil#addToNextOutboundBuffer(ChannelHandlerContext, Object)}.
+ *
  * @param <I>   The type of the messages to handle
  */
 public abstract class ChannelOutboundMessageHandlerAdapter<I>
diff --git a/transport/src/main/java/io/netty/channel/DefaultChannelHandlerContext.java b/transport/src/main/java/io/netty/channel/DefaultChannelHandlerContext.java
index e853ad1e01..fa10b1caa9 100755
--- a/transport/src/main/java/io/netty/channel/DefaultChannelHandlerContext.java
+++ b/transport/src/main/java/io/netty/channel/DefaultChannelHandlerContext.java
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
 package io.netty.channel;
 
 import io.netty.buffer.Buf;
+import io.netty.buffer.BufType;
 import io.netty.buffer.ByteBuf;
 import io.netty.buffer.ByteBufAllocator;
 import io.netty.buffer.MessageBuf;
@@ -1622,6 +1623,34 @@ final class DefaultChannelHandlerContext extends DefaultAttributeMap implements
         return ctx;
     }
 
+    @Override
+    public BufType nextInboundBufferType() {
+        DefaultChannelHandlerContext ctx = this;
+        do {
+            ctx = ctx.next;
+        } while (!(ctx.handler() instanceof ChannelInboundHandler));
+
+        if (ctx.handler() instanceof ChannelInboundByteHandler) {
+            return BufType.BYTE;
+        }  else {
+            return BufType.MESSAGE;
+        }
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public BufType nextOutboundBufferType() {
+        DefaultChannelHandlerContext ctx = this;
+        do {
+            ctx = ctx.prev;
+        } while (!(ctx.handler() instanceof ChannelOutboundHandler));
+
+        if (ctx.handler() instanceof ChannelOutboundByteHandler) {
+            return BufType.BYTE;
+        }  else {
+            return BufType.MESSAGE;
+        }
+    }
+
     private DefaultChannelHandlerContext findContextOutbound() {
         DefaultChannelHandlerContext ctx = this;
         do {