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 16310dede7..2699e7dcbd 100644
--- a/codec/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/codec/ByteToMessageDecoder.java
+++ b/codec/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/codec/ByteToMessageDecoder.java
@@ -107,9 +107,6 @@ public abstract class ByteToMessageDecoder
     protected void callDecode(ChannelHandlerContext ctx, ByteBuf in) {
         boolean wasNull = false;
         OutputMessageBuf out = OutputMessageBuf.get();
-
-        assert out.isEmpty();
-
         try {
             while (in.isReadable()) {
                 try {
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 5c7dda5b3a..ab212d0618 100644
--- a/codec/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/codec/MessageToMessageEncoder.java
+++ b/codec/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/codec/MessageToMessageEncoder.java
@@ -48,7 +48,6 @@ public abstract class MessageToMessageEncoder<I> extends ChannelOutboundMessageH
     @Override
     public final void flush(ChannelHandlerContext ctx, I msg) throws Exception {
         OutputMessageBuf out = OutputMessageBuf.get();
-
         try {
             encode(ctx, msg, out);
         } catch (CodecException e) {
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 eeaaef2f39..fc9844eede 100644
--- a/codec/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/codec/OutputMessageBuf.java
+++ b/codec/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/codec/OutputMessageBuf.java
@@ -35,8 +35,7 @@ final class OutputMessageBuf extends DefaultMessageBuf<Object> {
                 @Override
                 public OutputMessageBuf get() {
                     OutputMessageBuf buf = super.get();
-                    // Just to be sure
-                    buf.clear();
+                    assert buf.isEmpty();
                     return buf;
                 }
             };
@@ -46,6 +45,7 @@ final class OutputMessageBuf extends DefaultMessageBuf<Object> {
     }
 
     private OutputMessageBuf() {
+        super(2);
     }
 
     @Override
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 c0f6246dce..a69a520433 100644
--- a/codec/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/codec/ReplayingDecoder.java
+++ b/codec/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/codec/ReplayingDecoder.java
@@ -364,7 +364,6 @@ public abstract class ReplayingDecoder<S> extends ByteToMessageDecoder {
     @Override
     public void channelInactive(ChannelHandlerContext ctx) throws Exception {
         OutputMessageBuf out = OutputMessageBuf.get();
-
         try {
             replayable.terminate();
             ByteBuf in = cumulation;
@@ -396,8 +395,6 @@ public abstract class ReplayingDecoder<S> extends ByteToMessageDecoder {
         boolean wasNull = false;
         ByteBuf in = cumulation;
         OutputMessageBuf out = OutputMessageBuf.get();
-        assert out.isEmpty();
-
         try {
             while (in.isReadable()) {
                 try {