diff --git a/src/main/java/org/jboss/netty/channel/socket/nio/DefaultNioSocketChannelConfig.java b/src/main/java/org/jboss/netty/channel/socket/nio/DefaultNioSocketChannelConfig.java
index fba4fa15d5..4904ee1f72 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/jboss/netty/channel/socket/nio/DefaultNioSocketChannelConfig.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/jboss/netty/channel/socket/nio/DefaultNioSocketChannelConfig.java
@@ -44,10 +44,11 @@ class DefaultNioSocketChannelConfig extends DefaultSocketChannelConfig
     private static final InternalLogger logger =
         InternalLoggerFactory.getInstance(DefaultNioSocketChannelConfig.class);
 
+    private static final ReceiveBufferSizePredictor UNUSED_PREDICTOR =
+        new DefaultReceiveBufferSizePredictor();
+
     private volatile int writeBufferHighWaterMark = 64 * 1024;
     private volatile int writeBufferLowWaterMark  = 32 * 1024;
-    private volatile ReceiveBufferSizePredictor predictor =
-        new DefaultReceiveBufferSizePredictor();
     private volatile int writeSpinCount = 16;
 
     DefaultNioSocketChannelConfig(Socket socket) {
@@ -115,15 +116,15 @@ class DefaultNioSocketChannelConfig extends DefaultSocketChannelConfig
     }
 
     public ReceiveBufferSizePredictor getReceiveBufferSizePredictor() {
-        return predictor;
+        logger.warn(
+                "Detected an access to a deprecated configuration parameter: " +
+                "receiveBufferSizePredictor");
+        return UNUSED_PREDICTOR;
     }
 
     public void setReceiveBufferSizePredictor(
             ReceiveBufferSizePredictor predictor) {
-        if (predictor == null) {
-            throw new NullPointerException("predictor");
-        }
-        this.predictor = predictor;
+        getReceiveBufferSizePredictor();
     }
 
     public boolean isReadWriteFair() {
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/jboss/netty/channel/socket/nio/NioSocketChannelConfig.java b/src/main/java/org/jboss/netty/channel/socket/nio/NioSocketChannelConfig.java
index 7bae8d5bed..77b08c0631 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/jboss/netty/channel/socket/nio/NioSocketChannelConfig.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/jboss/netty/channel/socket/nio/NioSocketChannelConfig.java
@@ -86,20 +86,24 @@ public interface NioSocketChannelConfig extends SocketChannelConfig {
      */
     void setWriteSpinCount(int writeSpinCount);
 
-    // TODO Deprecate receiveBufferSizePredictor
     /**
+     * @deprecated Works fine without prediction since 3.1.
+     *
      * Returns the {@link ReceiveBufferSizePredictor} which predicts the
      * number of readable bytes in the socket receive buffer.  The default
      * predictor is {@link DefaultReceiveBufferSizePredictor}.
-     * .
      */
+    @Deprecated
     ReceiveBufferSizePredictor getReceiveBufferSizePredictor();
 
     /**
+     * @deprecated Works fine without prediction since 3.1.
+     *
      * Sets the {@link ReceiveBufferSizePredictor} which predicts the
      * number of readable bytes in the socket receive buffer.  The default
      * predictor is {@link DefaultReceiveBufferSizePredictor}.
      */
+    @Deprecated
     void setReceiveBufferSizePredictor(ReceiveBufferSizePredictor predictor);
 
     /**
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/jboss/netty/example/discard/DiscardClient.java b/src/main/java/org/jboss/netty/example/discard/DiscardClient.java
index af15efe863..31e3f39401 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/jboss/netty/example/discard/DiscardClient.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/jboss/netty/example/discard/DiscardClient.java
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ import java.net.InetSocketAddress;
 import java.util.concurrent.Executors;
 
 import org.jboss.netty.bootstrap.ClientBootstrap;
+import org.jboss.netty.buffer.DirectChannelBufferFactory;
 import org.jboss.netty.channel.ChannelFactory;
 import org.jboss.netty.channel.ChannelFuture;
 import org.jboss.netty.channel.socket.nio.NioClientSocketChannelFactory;
@@ -73,6 +74,7 @@ public class DiscardClient {
         bootstrap.getPipeline().addLast("handler", handler);
         bootstrap.setOption("tcpNoDelay", true);
         bootstrap.setOption("keepAlive", true);
+        bootstrap.setOption("bufferFactory", DirectChannelBufferFactory.getInstance());
 
         // Start the connection attempt.
         ChannelFuture future = bootstrap.connect(new InetSocketAddress(host, port));
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/jboss/netty/example/discard/DiscardServer.java b/src/main/java/org/jboss/netty/example/discard/DiscardServer.java
index 205c67d172..919e1b5d74 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/jboss/netty/example/discard/DiscardServer.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/jboss/netty/example/discard/DiscardServer.java
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ import java.net.InetSocketAddress;
 import java.util.concurrent.Executors;
 
 import org.jboss.netty.bootstrap.ServerBootstrap;
+import org.jboss.netty.buffer.DirectChannelBufferFactory;
 import org.jboss.netty.channel.ChannelFactory;
 import org.jboss.netty.channel.socket.nio.NioServerSocketChannelFactory;
 
@@ -52,6 +53,7 @@ public class DiscardServer {
         bootstrap.getPipeline().addLast("handler", handler);
         bootstrap.setOption("child.tcpNoDelay", true);
         bootstrap.setOption("child.keepAlive", true);
+        bootstrap.setOption("child.bufferFactory", DirectChannelBufferFactory.getInstance());
 
         // Bind and start to accept incoming connections.
         bootstrap.bind(new InetSocketAddress(8080));