diff --git a/codec/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/codec/ByteToMessageCodec.java b/codec/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/codec/ByteToMessageCodec.java
index f4fd4b4ea9..ec0064b790 100644
--- a/codec/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/codec/ByteToMessageCodec.java
+++ b/codec/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/codec/ByteToMessageCodec.java
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
 package io.netty.handler.codec;
 
 import io.netty.buffer.ByteBuf;
+import io.netty.buffer.ChannelBuf;
 import io.netty.buffer.MessageBuf;
 import io.netty.channel.ChannelFuture;
 import io.netty.channel.ChannelHandlerAdapter;
@@ -69,6 +70,16 @@ public abstract class ByteToMessageCodec<INBOUND_OUT, OUTBOUND_IN>
         encoder.flush(ctx, future);
     }
 
+    @Override
+    public void freeInboundBuffer(ChannelHandlerContext ctx, ChannelBuf buf) throws Exception {
+        decoder.freeInboundBuffer(ctx, buf);
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public void freeOutboundBuffer(ChannelHandlerContext ctx, ChannelBuf buf) throws Exception {
+        encoder.freeOutboundBuffer(ctx, buf);
+    }
+
     public abstract void encode(
             ChannelHandlerContext ctx,
             OUTBOUND_IN msg, ByteBuf out) throws Exception;
diff --git a/codec/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/codec/MessageToMessageCodec.java b/codec/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/codec/MessageToMessageCodec.java
index dc24337c3f..7ee86b8792 100644
--- a/codec/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/codec/MessageToMessageCodec.java
+++ b/codec/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/codec/MessageToMessageCodec.java
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ public abstract class MessageToMessageCodec<INBOUND_IN, INBOUND_OUT, OUTBOUND_IN
 
     @Override
     public void freeInboundBuffer(ChannelHandlerContext ctx, ChannelBuf buf) throws Exception {
-        // Nothing to free
+        buf.unsafe().free();
     }
 
     @Override
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ public abstract class MessageToMessageCodec<INBOUND_IN, INBOUND_OUT, OUTBOUND_IN
 
     @Override
     public void freeOutboundBuffer(ChannelHandlerContext ctx, ChannelBuf buf) throws Exception {
-        // Nothing to free
+        buf.unsafe().free();
     }
 
     @Override