diff --git a/codec/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/codec/ByteToByteDecoder.java b/codec/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/codec/ByteToByteDecoder.java
index 334bcb12e5..31a3cf7e3e 100644
--- a/codec/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/codec/ByteToByteDecoder.java
+++ b/codec/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/codec/ByteToByteDecoder.java
@@ -44,6 +44,28 @@ import io.netty.channel.ChannelInboundByteHandlerAdapter;
  */
 public abstract class ByteToByteDecoder extends ChannelInboundByteHandlerAdapter {
 
+    private volatile boolean singleDecode;
+
+    /**
+     * If set then only one message is decoded on each {@link #inboundBufferUpdated(ChannelHandlerContext)} call.
+     * This may be useful if you need to do some protocol upgrade and want to make sure nothing is mixed up.
+     *
+     * Default is {@code false} as this has performance impacts.
+     */
+    public void setSingleDecode(boolean singleDecode) {
+        this.singleDecode = singleDecode;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * If {@code true} then only one message is decoded on each
+     * {@link #inboundBufferUpdated(ChannelHandlerContext)} call.
+     *
+     * Default is {@code false} as this has performance impacts.
+     */
+    public boolean isSingleDecode() {
+        return singleDecode;
+    }
+
     @Override
     public void inboundBufferUpdated(ChannelHandlerContext ctx, ByteBuf in) throws Exception {
         callDecode(ctx, in, ctx.nextInboundByteBuffer());
@@ -91,7 +113,7 @@ public abstract class ByteToByteDecoder extends ChannelInboundByteHandlerAdapter
                     ctx.fireExceptionCaught(new DecoderException(t));
                 }
             }
-            if (oldInSize == in.readableBytes()) {
+            if (oldInSize == in.readableBytes() || isSingleDecode()) {
                 break;
             }
         }
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 b32b095f57..d82e8c6b23 100644
--- a/codec/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/codec/ByteToMessageDecoder.java
+++ b/codec/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/codec/ByteToMessageDecoder.java
@@ -44,6 +44,28 @@ public abstract class ByteToMessageDecoder
 
     private ChannelHandlerContext ctx;
 
+    private volatile boolean singleDecode;
+
+    /**
+     * If set then only one message is decoded on each {@link #inboundBufferUpdated(ChannelHandlerContext)} call.
+     * This may be useful if you need to do some protocol upgrade and want to make sure nothing is mixed up.
+     *
+     * Default is {@code false} as this has performance impacts.
+     */
+    public void setSingleDecode(boolean singleDecode) {
+        this.singleDecode = singleDecode;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * If {@code true} then only one message is decoded on each
+     * {@link #inboundBufferUpdated(ChannelHandlerContext)} call.
+     *
+     * Default is {@code false} as this has performance impacts.
+     */
+    public boolean isSingleDecode() {
+        return singleDecode;
+    }
+
     @Override
     public void beforeAdd(ChannelHandlerContext ctx) throws Exception {
         this.ctx = ctx;
@@ -109,6 +131,9 @@ public abstract class ByteToMessageDecoder
 
                 if (ChannelHandlerUtil.unfoldAndAdd(ctx, o, true)) {
                     decoded = true;
+                    if (isSingleDecode()) {
+                        break;
+                    }
                 } else {
                     break;
                 }
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 02743758d4..76bc1a0400 100644
--- a/codec/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/codec/ReplayingDecoder.java
+++ b/codec/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/codec/ReplayingDecoder.java
@@ -432,6 +432,9 @@ public abstract class ReplayingDecoder<S> extends ByteToMessageDecoder {
                 // A successful decode
                 if (ChannelHandlerUtil.unfoldAndAdd(ctx, result, true)) {
                     decoded = true;
+                    if (isSingleDecode()) {
+                        break;
+                    }
                 }
             } catch (Throwable t) {
                 if (decoded) {