diff --git a/buffer/src/main/java/io/netty/buffer/UnpooledHeapByteBuf.java b/buffer/src/main/java/io/netty/buffer/UnpooledHeapByteBuf.java
index 1adb100634..4e185ea787 100644
--- a/buffer/src/main/java/io/netty/buffer/UnpooledHeapByteBuf.java
+++ b/buffer/src/main/java/io/netty/buffer/UnpooledHeapByteBuf.java
@@ -536,9 +536,7 @@ public class UnpooledHeapByteBuf extends AbstractReferenceCountedByteBuf {
     @Override
     public ByteBuf copy(int index, int length) {
         checkIndex(index, length);
-        byte[] copiedArray = PlatformDependent.allocateUninitializedArray(length);
-        System.arraycopy(array, index, copiedArray, 0, length);
-        return new UnpooledHeapByteBuf(alloc(), copiedArray, maxCapacity());
+        return alloc().heapBuffer(length, maxCapacity()).writeBytes(array, index, length);
     }
 
     private ByteBuffer internalNioBuffer() {