diff --git a/transport/src/main/java/io/netty/channel/ChannelOutboundBuffer.java b/transport/src/main/java/io/netty/channel/ChannelOutboundBuffer.java
index 1c12ece1fd..dc36b71c71 100644
--- a/transport/src/main/java/io/netty/channel/ChannelOutboundBuffer.java
+++ b/transport/src/main/java/io/netty/channel/ChannelOutboundBuffer.java
@@ -22,12 +22,15 @@ package io.netty.channel;
 import io.netty.buffer.ByteBuf;
 import io.netty.buffer.ByteBufAllocator;
 import io.netty.buffer.ByteBufHolder;
+import io.netty.buffer.UnpooledByteBufAllocator;
+import io.netty.buffer.UnpooledDirectByteBuf;
 import io.netty.buffer.Unpooled;
 import io.netty.channel.socket.nio.NioSocketChannel;
 import io.netty.util.Recycler;
 import io.netty.util.Recycler.Handle;
 import io.netty.util.ReferenceCountUtil;
 import io.netty.util.internal.PlatformDependent;
+import io.netty.util.internal.SystemPropertyUtil;
 import io.netty.util.internal.logging.InternalLogger;
 import io.netty.util.internal.logging.InternalLoggerFactory;
 
@@ -47,6 +50,13 @@ public final class ChannelOutboundBuffer {
 
     private static final int INITIAL_CAPACITY = 32;
 
+    private static final int threadLocalDirectBufferSize;
+
+    static {
+        threadLocalDirectBufferSize = SystemPropertyUtil.getInt("io.netty.threadLocalDirectBufferSize", 64 * 1024);
+        logger.debug("-Dio.netty.threadLocalDirectBufferSize: {}", threadLocalDirectBufferSize);
+    }
+
     private static final Recycler<ChannelOutboundBuffer> RECYCLER = new Recycler<ChannelOutboundBuffer>() {
         @Override
         protected ChannelOutboundBuffer newObject(Handle<ChannelOutboundBuffer> handle) {
@@ -236,9 +246,14 @@ public final class ChannelOutboundBuffer {
     }
 
     public Object current() {
+        return current(true);
+    }
+
+    public Object current(boolean preferDirect) {
         if (isEmpty()) {
             return null;
         } else {
+            // TODO: Think of a smart way to handle ByteBufHolder messages
             Entry entry = buffer[flushed];
             if (!entry.cancelled && !entry.promise.setUncancellable()) {
                 // Was cancelled so make sure we free up memory and notify about the freed bytes
@@ -246,7 +261,36 @@ public final class ChannelOutboundBuffer {
                 decrementPendingOutboundBytes(pending);
             }
 
-            return entry.msg;
+            Object msg = entry.msg;
+            if (threadLocalDirectBufferSize <= 0 || !preferDirect) {
+                return msg;
+            }
+            if (msg instanceof ByteBuf) {
+                ByteBuf buf = (ByteBuf) msg;
+                if (buf.isDirect()) {
+                    return buf;
+                } else {
+                    int readableBytes = buf.readableBytes();
+                    if (readableBytes == 0) {
+                        return buf;
+                    }
+
+                    // Non-direct buffers are copied into JDK's own internal direct buffer on every I/O.
+                    // We can do a better job by using our pooled allocator. If the current allocator does not
+                    // pool a direct buffer, we use a ThreadLocal based pool.
+                    ByteBufAllocator alloc = channel.alloc();
+                    ByteBuf directBuf;
+                    if (alloc.isDirectBufferPooled()) {
+                        directBuf = alloc.directBuffer(readableBytes);
+                    } else {
+                        directBuf = ThreadLocalPooledByteBuf.newInstance();
+                    }
+                    directBuf.writeBytes(buf, buf.readerIndex(), readableBytes);
+                    current(directBuf);
+                    return directBuf;
+                }
+            }
+            return msg;
         }
     }
 
@@ -354,6 +398,7 @@ public final class ChannelOutboundBuffer {
             }
 
             Entry entry = buffer[i];
+
             if (!entry.cancelled) {
                 if (!entry.promise.setUncancellable()) {
                     // Was cancelled so make sure we free up memory and notify about the freed bytes
@@ -376,7 +421,7 @@ public final class ChannelOutboundBuffer {
                             this.nioBuffers = nioBuffers =
                                     expandNioBufferArray(nioBuffers, neededSpace, nioBufferCount);
                         }
-                        if (buf.isDirect() || !alloc.isDirectBufferPooled()) {
+                        if (buf.isDirect() || threadLocalDirectBufferSize <= 0) {
                             if (count == 1) {
                                 ByteBuffer nioBuf = entry.buf;
                                 if (nioBuf == null) {
@@ -421,7 +466,12 @@ public final class ChannelOutboundBuffer {
 
     private static int fillBufferArrayNonDirect(Entry entry, ByteBuf buf, int readerIndex, int readableBytes,
                                       ByteBufAllocator alloc, ByteBuffer[] nioBuffers, int nioBufferCount) {
-        ByteBuf directBuf = alloc.directBuffer(readableBytes);
+        ByteBuf directBuf;
+        if (alloc.isDirectBufferPooled()) {
+            directBuf = alloc.directBuffer(readableBytes);
+        } else {
+            directBuf = ThreadLocalPooledByteBuf.newInstance();
+        }
         directBuf.writeBytes(buf, readerIndex, readableBytes);
         buf.release();
         entry.msg = directBuf;
@@ -638,4 +688,36 @@ public final class ChannelOutboundBuffer {
             cancelled = false;
         }
     }
+
+    static final class ThreadLocalPooledByteBuf extends UnpooledDirectByteBuf {
+        private final Recycler.Handle<ThreadLocalPooledByteBuf> handle;
+
+        private static final Recycler<ThreadLocalPooledByteBuf> RECYCLER = new Recycler<ThreadLocalPooledByteBuf>() {
+            @Override
+            protected ThreadLocalPooledByteBuf newObject(Handle<ThreadLocalPooledByteBuf> handle) {
+                return new ThreadLocalPooledByteBuf(handle);
+            }
+        };
+
+        private ThreadLocalPooledByteBuf(Recycler.Handle<ThreadLocalPooledByteBuf> handle) {
+            super(UnpooledByteBufAllocator.DEFAULT, 256, Integer.MAX_VALUE);
+            this.handle = handle;
+        }
+
+        static ThreadLocalPooledByteBuf newInstance() {
+            ThreadLocalPooledByteBuf buf = RECYCLER.get();
+            buf.setRefCnt(1);
+            return buf;
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        protected void deallocate() {
+            if (capacity() > threadLocalDirectBufferSize) {
+                super.deallocate();
+            } else {
+                clear();
+                RECYCLER.recycle(this, handle);
+            }
+        }
+    }
 }