diff --git a/buffer/src/main/java/io/netty/buffer/AbstractByteBuf.java b/buffer/src/main/java/io/netty/buffer/AbstractByteBuf.java
index b67d3d1b97..3f97be30c8 100644
--- a/buffer/src/main/java/io/netty/buffer/AbstractByteBuf.java
+++ b/buffer/src/main/java/io/netty/buffer/AbstractByteBuf.java
@@ -903,10 +903,6 @@ public abstract class AbstractByteBuf extends ByteBuf {
 
     @Override
     public ByteBuf slice(int index, int length) {
-        if (length == 0) {
-            return Unpooled.EMPTY_BUFFER;
-        }
-
         return new SlicedByteBuf(this, index, length);
     }
 
diff --git a/buffer/src/test/java/io/netty/buffer/AbstractByteBufTest.java b/buffer/src/test/java/io/netty/buffer/AbstractByteBufTest.java
index 71f4ae9d42..0eabfef988 100644
--- a/buffer/src/test/java/io/netty/buffer/AbstractByteBufTest.java
+++ b/buffer/src/test/java/io/netty/buffer/AbstractByteBufTest.java
@@ -2456,6 +2456,22 @@ public abstract class AbstractByteBufTest {
         }
     }
 
+    @Test
+    public void testSliceRelease() {
+        ByteBuf buf = newBuffer(8);
+        assertEquals(1, buf.refCnt());
+        assertTrue(buf.slice().release());
+        assertEquals(0, buf.refCnt());
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void testDuplicateRelease() {
+        ByteBuf buf = newBuffer(8);
+        assertEquals(1, buf.refCnt());
+        assertTrue(buf.duplicate().release());
+        assertEquals(0, buf.refCnt());
+    }
+
     // Test-case trying to reproduce:
     // https://github.com/netty/netty/issues/2843
     @Test