diff --git a/buffer/src/main/java/io/netty/buffer/ByteBufUtil.java b/buffer/src/main/java/io/netty/buffer/ByteBufUtil.java
index b0ecb35cac..768f558714 100644
--- a/buffer/src/main/java/io/netty/buffer/ByteBufUtil.java
+++ b/buffer/src/main/java/io/netty/buffer/ByteBufUtil.java
@@ -27,6 +27,8 @@ import io.netty.util.internal.SystemPropertyUtil;
 import io.netty.util.internal.logging.InternalLogger;
 import io.netty.util.internal.logging.InternalLoggerFactory;
 
+import java.io.IOException;
+import java.io.OutputStream;
 import java.nio.ByteBuffer;
 import java.nio.ByteOrder;
 import java.nio.CharBuffer;
@@ -64,6 +66,7 @@ public final class ByteBufUtil {
     private static final int MAX_BYTES_PER_CHAR_UTF8 =
             (int) CharsetUtil.encoder(CharsetUtil.UTF_8).maxBytesPerChar();
 
+    static final int WRITE_CHUNK_SIZE = 8192;
     static final ByteBufAllocator DEFAULT_ALLOCATOR;
 
     static {
@@ -1392,5 +1395,43 @@ public final class ByteBufUtil {
         return true;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Read bytes from the given {@link ByteBuffer} into the given {@link OutputStream} using the {@code position} and
+     * {@code length}. The position and limit of the given {@link ByteBuffer} may be adjusted.
+     */
+    static void readBytes(ByteBufAllocator allocator, ByteBuffer buffer, int position, int length, OutputStream out)
+            throws IOException {
+        if (buffer.hasArray()) {
+            out.write(buffer.array(), position + buffer.arrayOffset(), length);
+        } else {
+            int chunkLen = Math.min(length, WRITE_CHUNK_SIZE);
+            buffer.clear().position(position);
+
+            if (allocator.isDirectBufferPooled()) {
+                // if direct buffers are pooled chances are good that heap buffers are pooled as well.
+                ByteBuf tmpBuf = allocator.heapBuffer(chunkLen);
+                try {
+                    byte[] tmp = tmpBuf.array();
+                    int offset = tmpBuf.arrayOffset();
+                    getBytes(buffer, tmp, offset, chunkLen, out, length);
+                } finally {
+                    tmpBuf.release();
+                }
+            } else {
+                getBytes(buffer, new byte[chunkLen], 0, chunkLen, out, length);
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    private static void getBytes(ByteBuffer inBuffer, byte[] in, int inOffset, int inLen, OutputStream out, int outLen)
+            throws IOException {
+        do {
+            int len = Math.min(inLen, outLen);
+            inBuffer.get(in, inOffset, len);
+            out.write(in, inOffset, len);
+            outLen -= len;
+        } while (outLen > 0);
+    }
+
     private ByteBufUtil() { }
 }
diff --git a/buffer/src/main/java/io/netty/buffer/PooledDirectByteBuf.java b/buffer/src/main/java/io/netty/buffer/PooledDirectByteBuf.java
index 7c6192bf07..3c43509c05 100644
--- a/buffer/src/main/java/io/netty/buffer/PooledDirectByteBuf.java
+++ b/buffer/src/main/java/io/netty/buffer/PooledDirectByteBuf.java
@@ -190,17 +190,7 @@ final class PooledDirectByteBuf extends PooledByteBuf<ByteBuffer> {
         if (length == 0) {
             return;
         }
-
-        byte[] tmp = new byte[length];
-        ByteBuffer tmpBuf;
-        if (internal) {
-            tmpBuf = internalNioBuffer();
-        } else {
-            tmpBuf = memory.duplicate();
-        }
-        tmpBuf.clear().position(idx(index));
-        tmpBuf.get(tmp);
-        out.write(tmp);
+        ByteBufUtil.readBytes(alloc(), internal ? internalNioBuffer() : memory.duplicate(), idx(index), length, out);
     }
 
     @Override
diff --git a/buffer/src/main/java/io/netty/buffer/UnpooledDirectByteBuf.java b/buffer/src/main/java/io/netty/buffer/UnpooledDirectByteBuf.java
index 3ce75d1d63..49960b3764 100644
--- a/buffer/src/main/java/io/netty/buffer/UnpooledDirectByteBuf.java
+++ b/buffer/src/main/java/io/netty/buffer/UnpooledDirectByteBuf.java
@@ -491,21 +491,7 @@ public class UnpooledDirectByteBuf extends AbstractReferenceCountedByteBuf {
         if (length == 0) {
             return;
         }
-
-        if (buffer.hasArray()) {
-            out.write(buffer.array(), index + buffer.arrayOffset(), length);
-        } else {
-            byte[] tmp = new byte[length];
-            ByteBuffer tmpBuf;
-            if (internal) {
-                tmpBuf = internalNioBuffer();
-            } else {
-                tmpBuf = buffer.duplicate();
-            }
-            tmpBuf.clear().position(index);
-            tmpBuf.get(tmp);
-            out.write(tmp);
-        }
+        ByteBufUtil.readBytes(alloc(), internal ? internalNioBuffer() : buffer.duplicate(), index, length, out);
     }
 
     @Override
diff --git a/buffer/src/main/java/io/netty/buffer/UnsafeByteBufUtil.java b/buffer/src/main/java/io/netty/buffer/UnsafeByteBufUtil.java
index 1016cc4ab9..7d866d5b43 100644
--- a/buffer/src/main/java/io/netty/buffer/UnsafeByteBufUtil.java
+++ b/buffer/src/main/java/io/netty/buffer/UnsafeByteBufUtil.java
@@ -583,18 +583,34 @@ final class UnsafeByteBufUtil {
     static void getBytes(AbstractByteBuf buf, long addr, int index, OutputStream out, int length) throws IOException {
         buf.checkIndex(index, length);
         if (length != 0) {
-            ByteBuf tmpBuf = buf.alloc().heapBuffer(length);
-            try {
-                byte[] tmp = tmpBuf.array();
-                int offset = tmpBuf.arrayOffset();
-                PlatformDependent.copyMemory(addr, tmp, offset, length);
-                out.write(tmp, offset, length);
-            } finally {
-                tmpBuf.release();
+            int len = Math.min(length, ByteBufUtil.WRITE_CHUNK_SIZE);
+            if (buf.alloc().isDirectBufferPooled()) {
+                // if direct buffers are pooled chances are good that heap buffers are pooled as well.
+                ByteBuf tmpBuf = buf.alloc().heapBuffer(len);
+                try {
+                    byte[] tmp = tmpBuf.array();
+                    int offset = tmpBuf.arrayOffset();
+                    getBytes(addr, tmp, offset, len, out, length);
+                } finally {
+                    tmpBuf.release();
+                }
+            } else {
+                getBytes(addr, new byte[len], 0, len, out, length);
             }
         }
     }
 
+    private static void getBytes(long inAddr, byte[] in, int inOffset, int inLen, OutputStream out, int outLen)
+            throws IOException {
+        do {
+            int len = Math.min(inLen, outLen);
+            PlatformDependent.copyMemory(inAddr, in, inOffset, len);
+            out.write(in, inOffset, len);
+            outLen -= len;
+            inAddr += len;
+        } while (outLen > 0);
+    }
+
     static void setZero(long addr, int length) {
         if (length == 0) {
             return;