diff --git a/buffer/src/main/java/io/netty/buffer/UnpooledDirectByteBuf.java b/buffer/src/main/java/io/netty/buffer/UnpooledDirectByteBuf.java
index 6661e65bc9..897c8f33ff 100644
--- a/buffer/src/main/java/io/netty/buffer/UnpooledDirectByteBuf.java
+++ b/buffer/src/main/java/io/netty/buffer/UnpooledDirectByteBuf.java
@@ -102,6 +102,13 @@ public class UnpooledDirectByteBuf extends AbstractReferenceCountedByteBuf {
         leak = leakDetector.open(this);
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Allocate a new direct {@link ByteBuffer} with the given initialCapacity.
+     */
+    protected ByteBuffer allocateDirect(int initialCapacity) {
+        return ByteBuffer.allocateDirect(initialCapacity);
+    }
+
     private void setByteBuffer(ByteBuffer buffer) {
         ByteBuffer oldBuffer = this.buffer;
         if (oldBuffer != null) {
@@ -140,7 +147,7 @@ public class UnpooledDirectByteBuf extends AbstractReferenceCountedByteBuf {
         int oldCapacity = capacity;
         if (newCapacity > oldCapacity) {
             ByteBuffer oldBuffer = buffer;
-            ByteBuffer newBuffer = ByteBuffer.allocateDirect(newCapacity);
+            ByteBuffer newBuffer = allocateDirect(newCapacity);
             oldBuffer.position(0).limit(oldBuffer.capacity());
             newBuffer.position(0).limit(oldBuffer.capacity());
             newBuffer.put(oldBuffer);
@@ -148,7 +155,7 @@ public class UnpooledDirectByteBuf extends AbstractReferenceCountedByteBuf {
             setByteBuffer(newBuffer);
         } else if (newCapacity < oldCapacity) {
             ByteBuffer oldBuffer = buffer;
-            ByteBuffer newBuffer = ByteBuffer.allocateDirect(newCapacity);
+            ByteBuffer newBuffer = allocateDirect(newCapacity);
             if (readerIndex < newCapacity) {
                 if (writerIndex > newCapacity) {
                     writerIndex(writerIndex = newCapacity);
@@ -553,7 +560,7 @@ public class UnpooledDirectByteBuf extends AbstractReferenceCountedByteBuf {
         }
 
         ByteBuffer dst =
-                src.isDirect()? ByteBuffer.allocateDirect(length) : ByteBuffer.allocate(length);
+                src.isDirect()? allocateDirect(length) : ByteBuffer.allocate(length);
         dst.put(src);
         dst.order(order());
         dst.clear();
diff --git a/buffer/src/main/java/io/netty/buffer/UnpooledUnsafeDirectByteBuf.java b/buffer/src/main/java/io/netty/buffer/UnpooledUnsafeDirectByteBuf.java
index 5373bdac21..f859217c2c 100644
--- a/buffer/src/main/java/io/netty/buffer/UnpooledUnsafeDirectByteBuf.java
+++ b/buffer/src/main/java/io/netty/buffer/UnpooledUnsafeDirectByteBuf.java
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ public class UnpooledUnsafeDirectByteBuf extends AbstractReferenceCountedByteBuf
         }
 
         this.alloc = alloc;
-        setByteBuffer(ByteBuffer.allocateDirect(initialCapacity));
+        setByteBuffer(allocateDirect(initialCapacity));
         leak = leakDetector.open(this);
     }
 
@@ -105,6 +105,13 @@ public class UnpooledUnsafeDirectByteBuf extends AbstractReferenceCountedByteBuf
         leak = leakDetector.open(this);
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Allocate a new direct {@link ByteBuffer} with the given initialCapacity.
+     */
+    protected ByteBuffer allocateDirect(int initialCapacity) {
+        return ByteBuffer.allocateDirect(initialCapacity);
+    }
+
     private void setByteBuffer(ByteBuffer buffer) {
         ByteBuffer oldBuffer = this.buffer;
         if (oldBuffer != null) {
@@ -144,7 +151,7 @@ public class UnpooledUnsafeDirectByteBuf extends AbstractReferenceCountedByteBuf
         int oldCapacity = capacity;
         if (newCapacity > oldCapacity) {
             ByteBuffer oldBuffer = buffer;
-            ByteBuffer newBuffer = ByteBuffer.allocateDirect(newCapacity);
+            ByteBuffer newBuffer = allocateDirect(newCapacity);
             oldBuffer.position(0).limit(oldBuffer.capacity());
             newBuffer.position(0).limit(oldBuffer.capacity());
             newBuffer.put(oldBuffer);
@@ -152,7 +159,7 @@ public class UnpooledUnsafeDirectByteBuf extends AbstractReferenceCountedByteBuf
             setByteBuffer(newBuffer);
         } else if (newCapacity < oldCapacity) {
             ByteBuffer oldBuffer = buffer;
-            ByteBuffer newBuffer = ByteBuffer.allocateDirect(newCapacity);
+            ByteBuffer newBuffer = allocateDirect(newCapacity);
             if (readerIndex < newCapacity) {
                 if (writerIndex > newCapacity) {
                     writerIndex(writerIndex = newCapacity);