diff --git a/codec/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/codec/ByteToMessageDecoder.java b/codec/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/codec/ByteToMessageDecoder.java
index 8d9f7deb8d..a4ccb5aee4 100644
--- a/codec/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/codec/ByteToMessageDecoder.java
+++ b/codec/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/codec/ByteToMessageDecoder.java
@@ -207,18 +207,23 @@ public abstract class ByteToMessageDecoder extends ChannelInboundHandlerAdapter
 
     @Override
     public final void handlerRemoved(ChannelHandlerContext ctx) throws Exception {
-        ByteBuf buf = internalBuffer();
-        int readable = buf.readableBytes();
-        if (readable > 0) {
-            ByteBuf bytes = buf.readBytes(readable);
-            buf.release();
-            ctx.fireChannelRead(bytes);
-        } else {
-            buf.release();
+        ByteBuf buf = cumulation;
+        if (buf != null) {
+            // Directly set this to null so we are sure we not access it in any other method here anymore.
+            cumulation = null;
+
+            int readable = buf.readableBytes();
+            if (readable > 0) {
+                ByteBuf bytes = buf.readBytes(readable);
+                buf.release();
+                ctx.fireChannelRead(bytes);
+            } else {
+                buf.release();
+            }
+
+            numReads = 0;
+            ctx.fireChannelReadComplete();
         }
-        cumulation = null;
-        numReads = 0;
-        ctx.fireChannelReadComplete();
         handlerRemoved0(ctx);
     }
 
diff --git a/codec/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/codec/ReplayingDecoder.java b/codec/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/codec/ReplayingDecoder.java
index 1fa42b242c..e3116b38af 100644
--- a/codec/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/codec/ReplayingDecoder.java
+++ b/codec/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/codec/ReplayingDecoder.java
@@ -21,7 +21,6 @@ import io.netty.channel.ChannelHandler;
 import io.netty.channel.ChannelHandlerContext;
 import io.netty.channel.ChannelPipeline;
 import io.netty.util.Signal;
-import io.netty.util.internal.RecyclableArrayList;
 import io.netty.util.internal.StringUtil;
 
 import java.util.List;