diff --git a/transport/src/main/java/io/netty/channel/DefaultChannelPipeline.java b/transport/src/main/java/io/netty/channel/DefaultChannelPipeline.java
index aaa35ed8f4..c5d8bb8d89 100644
--- a/transport/src/main/java/io/netty/channel/DefaultChannelPipeline.java
+++ b/transport/src/main/java/io/netty/channel/DefaultChannelPipeline.java
@@ -675,7 +675,7 @@ final class DefaultChannelPipeline implements ChannelPipeline {
     @Override
     public ChannelHandlerContext firstContext() {
         DefaultChannelHandlerContext first = head.next;
-        if (first == head) {
+        if (first == tail) {
             return null;
         }
         return head.next;
diff --git a/transport/src/test/java/io/netty/channel/DefaultChannelPipelineTest.java b/transport/src/test/java/io/netty/channel/DefaultChannelPipelineTest.java
index c783a8d79c..9958fe20e9 100644
--- a/transport/src/test/java/io/netty/channel/DefaultChannelPipelineTest.java
+++ b/transport/src/test/java/io/netty/channel/DefaultChannelPipelineTest.java
@@ -524,6 +524,30 @@ public class DefaultChannelPipelineTest {
         assertEquals(0, buffer.refCnt());
     }
 
+    @Test
+    public void testFirstContextEmptyPipeline() throws Exception {
+        ChannelPipeline pipeline = new LocalChannel().pipeline();
+        assertNull(pipeline.firstContext());
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void testLastContextEmptyPipeline() throws Exception {
+        ChannelPipeline pipeline = new LocalChannel().pipeline();
+        assertNull(pipeline.lastContext());
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void testFirstHandlerEmptyPipeline() throws Exception {
+        ChannelPipeline pipeline = new LocalChannel().pipeline();
+        assertNull(pipeline.first());
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void testLastHandlerEmptyPipeline() throws Exception {
+        ChannelPipeline pipeline = new LocalChannel().pipeline();
+        assertNull(pipeline.last());
+    }
+
     private static int next(DefaultChannelHandlerContext ctx) {
         DefaultChannelHandlerContext next = ctx.next;
         if (next == null) {