diff --git a/akka-io/src/main/resources/reference.conf b/akka-io/src/main/resources/reference.conf
index c48a246f5d..3595cd12f5 100644
--- a/akka-io/src/main/resources/reference.conf
+++ b/akka-io/src/main/resources/reference.conf
@@ -48,10 +48,13 @@ akka {
       # the worker-dispatcher
       batch-accept-limit = 10
 
-      # The number of bytes per thread-local direct buffer used to read or write
-      # network data from the kernel. Those buffer directly add to the footprint
-      # of all threads from the dispatcher which TCP connection actors are using.
-      direct-buffer-size = 524288
+      # The number of bytes per direct buffer in the pool used to read or write
+      # network data from the kernel.
+      direct-buffer-size = 131072
+
+      # The maximal number of direct buffers kept in the direct buffer pool for
+      # reuse.
+      max-direct-buffer-pool-size = 1000
 
       # The duration a connection actor waits for a `Register` message from
       # its commander before aborting the connection.
diff --git a/akka-io/src/main/scala/akka/io/DirectByteBufferPool.scala b/akka-io/src/main/scala/akka/io/DirectByteBufferPool.scala
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..4fd558a162
--- /dev/null
+++ b/akka-io/src/main/scala/akka/io/DirectByteBufferPool.scala
@@ -0,0 +1,67 @@
+package akka.io
+
+import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicInteger
+import java.nio.ByteBuffer
+import annotation.tailrec
+
+trait WithBufferPool {
+  def tcp: TcpExt
+
+  def acquireBuffer(): ByteBuffer =
+    tcp.bufferPool.acquire()
+
+  def acquireBuffer(size: Int): ByteBuffer =
+    tcp.bufferPool.acquire(size)
+
+  def releaseBuffer(buffer: ByteBuffer) =
+    tcp.bufferPool.release(buffer)
+}
+
+/**
+ * A buffer pool which keeps direct buffers of a specified default size.
+ * If a buffer bigger than the default size is requested it is created
+ * but will not be pooled on release.
+ *
+ * This implementation is very loosely based on the one from Netty.
+ */
+class DirectByteBufferPool(bufferSize: Int, maxPoolSize: Int) {
+  private val Unlocked = 0
+  private val Locked = 1
+
+  private[this] val state = new AtomicInteger(Unlocked)
+  @volatile private[this] var pool: List[ByteBuffer] = Nil
+  @volatile private[this] var poolSize: Int = 0
+
+  private[this] def allocate(size: Int): ByteBuffer =
+    ByteBuffer.allocateDirect(size)
+
+  def acquire(size: Int = bufferSize): ByteBuffer = {
+    if (poolSize == 0 || size > bufferSize) allocate(size)
+    else takeBufferFromPool()
+  }
+
+  def release(buf: ByteBuffer): Unit =
+    if (buf.capacity() <= bufferSize && poolSize < maxPoolSize)
+      addBufferToPool(buf)
+
+  @tailrec
+  final def takeBufferFromPool(): ByteBuffer =
+    if (state.compareAndSet(Unlocked, Locked))
+      try pool match {
+        case Nil ⇒ allocate(bufferSize) // we have no more buffer available, so create a new one
+        case buf :: tail ⇒
+          pool = tail
+          poolSize -= 1
+          buf
+      } finally state.set(Unlocked)
+    else takeBufferFromPool() // spin while locked
+
+  @tailrec
+  final def addBufferToPool(buf: ByteBuffer): Unit =
+    if (state.compareAndSet(Unlocked, Locked)) {
+      buf.clear() // ensure that we never have dirty buffers in the pool
+      pool = buf :: pool
+      poolSize += 1
+      state.set(Unlocked)
+    } else addBufferToPool(buf) // spin while locked
+}
diff --git a/akka-io/src/main/scala/akka/io/Tcp.scala b/akka-io/src/main/scala/akka/io/Tcp.scala
index af2c30d0e2..4107ee3e82 100644
--- a/akka-io/src/main/scala/akka/io/Tcp.scala
+++ b/akka-io/src/main/scala/akka/io/Tcp.scala
@@ -220,6 +220,7 @@ class TcpExt(system: ExtendedActorSystem) extends IO.Extension {
     val SelectorAssociationRetries = getInt("selector-association-retries")
     val BatchAcceptLimit = getInt("batch-accept-limit")
     val DirectBufferSize = getInt("direct-buffer-size")
+    val MaxDirectBufferPoolSize = getInt("max-direct-buffer-pool-size")
     val RegisterTimeout =
       if (getString("register-timeout") == "infinite") Duration.Undefined
       else Duration(getMilliseconds("register-timeout"), MILLISECONDS)
@@ -240,4 +241,5 @@ class TcpExt(system: ExtendedActorSystem) extends IO.Extension {
   val manager = system.asInstanceOf[ActorSystemImpl].systemActorOf(
     Props.empty.withDispatcher(Settings.ManagementDispatcher), "IO-TCP")
 
+  val bufferPool = new DirectByteBufferPool(Settings.DirectBufferSize, Settings.MaxDirectBufferPoolSize)
 }
diff --git a/akka-io/src/main/scala/akka/io/TcpConnection.scala b/akka-io/src/main/scala/akka/io/TcpConnection.scala
index f7589dd6d3..03069f0d01 100644
--- a/akka-io/src/main/scala/akka/io/TcpConnection.scala
+++ b/akka-io/src/main/scala/akka/io/TcpConnection.scala
@@ -14,24 +14,24 @@ import akka.actor._
 import akka.util.ByteString
 import Tcp._
 import annotation.tailrec
+import java.nio.ByteBuffer
 
 /**
  * Base class for TcpIncomingConnection and TcpOutgoingConnection.
  */
 abstract class TcpConnection(val selector: ActorRef,
-                             val channel: SocketChannel) extends Actor with ThreadLocalDirectBuffer with ActorLogging {
+                             val channel: SocketChannel) extends Actor with ActorLogging with WithBufferPool {
   val tcp = Tcp(context.system)
 
   channel.configureBlocking(false)
 
-  var pendingWrite: Write = Write.Empty // a write "queue" of size 1 for holding one unfinished write command
-  var pendingWriteCommander: ActorRef = null
+  var pendingWrite: PendingWrite = null
 
   // Needed to send the ConnectionClosed message in the postStop handler.
   // First element is the handler, second the particular close message.
   var closedMessage: (ActorRef, ConnectionClosed) = null
 
-  def writePending = pendingWrite ne Write.Empty
+  def writePending = pendingWrite ne null
 
   def registerTimeout = tcp.Settings.RegisterTimeout
   def traceLoggingEnabled = tcp.Settings.TraceLogging
@@ -74,8 +74,8 @@ abstract class TcpConnection(val selector: ActorRef,
         sender ! write.ack
 
     case write: Write ⇒
-      pendingWriteCommander = sender
-      pendingWrite = write
+      pendingWrite = createWrite(write)
+
       doWrite(handler)
     case ChannelWritable   ⇒ doWrite(handler)
 
@@ -119,16 +119,17 @@ abstract class TcpConnection(val selector: ActorRef,
   }
 
   def doRead(handler: ActorRef): Unit = {
-    val buffer = directBuffer()
+    val buffer = acquireBuffer()
 
     try {
-      log.debug("Trying to read from channel")
       val readBytes = channel.read(buffer)
       buffer.flip()
 
       if (readBytes > 0) {
         if (traceLoggingEnabled) log.debug("Read {} bytes", readBytes)
         handler ! Received(ByteString(buffer))
+        releaseBuffer(buffer)
+
         if (readBytes == buffer.capacity())
           // directly try reading more because we exhausted our buffer
           self ! ChannelReadable
@@ -147,23 +148,16 @@ abstract class TcpConnection(val selector: ActorRef,
   }
 
   def doWrite(handler: ActorRef): Unit = {
-    val write = pendingWrite
-    val data = write.data
-
-    val buffer = directBuffer()
-    data.copyToBuffer(buffer)
-    buffer.flip()
-
     try {
-      val writtenBytes = channel.write(buffer)
-      if (traceLoggingEnabled) log.debug("Wrote {} bytes", writtenBytes)
-      pendingWrite = consume(write, writtenBytes)
+      val writtenBytes = channel.write(pendingWrite.buffer)
+      if (traceLoggingEnabled) log.debug("Wrote {} bytes to channel", writtenBytes)
 
-      if (writePending) selector ! WriteInterest // still data to write
-      else if (write.wantsAck) {
-        pendingWriteCommander ! write.ack
-        pendingWriteCommander = null
-      } // everything written
+      if (pendingWrite.hasData) selector ! WriteInterest // still data to write
+      else if (pendingWrite.wantsAck) { // everything written
+        pendingWrite.commander ! pendingWrite.ack
+        releaseBuffer(pendingWrite.buffer)
+        pendingWrite = null
+      }
     } catch {
       case e: IOException ⇒ handleError(handler, e)
     }
@@ -239,7 +233,7 @@ abstract class TcpConnection(val selector: ActorRef,
       closedMessage._1 ! msg
 
       if (writePending)
-        pendingWriteCommander ! msg
+        pendingWrite.commander ! msg
     }
 
     if (channel.isOpen)
@@ -249,13 +243,15 @@ abstract class TcpConnection(val selector: ActorRef,
   override def postRestart(reason: Throwable): Unit =
     throw new IllegalStateException("Restarting not supported for connection actors.")
 
-  /** Returns a new write with `numBytes` removed from the front */
-  def consume(write: Write, numBytes: Int): Write =
-    numBytes match {
-      case 0                           ⇒ write
-      case x if x == write.data.length ⇒ Write.Empty
-      case _ ⇒
-        require(numBytes > 0 && numBytes < write.data.length)
-        write.copy(data = write.data.drop(numBytes))
-    }
+  private[TcpConnection] case class PendingWrite(commander: ActorRef, ack: AnyRef, buffer: ByteBuffer) {
+    def hasData = buffer.remaining() > 0
+    def wantsAck = ack ne NoAck
+  }
+  def createWrite(write: Write): PendingWrite = {
+    val buffer = acquireBuffer(write.data.length)
+    write.data.copyToBuffer(buffer)
+    buffer.flip()
+
+    PendingWrite(sender, write.ack, buffer)
+  }
 }
diff --git a/akka-io/src/main/scala/akka/io/ThreadLocalDirectBuffer.scala b/akka-io/src/main/scala/akka/io/ThreadLocalDirectBuffer.scala
deleted file mode 100644
index ab0b38510c..0000000000
--- a/akka-io/src/main/scala/akka/io/ThreadLocalDirectBuffer.scala
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,32 +0,0 @@
-/**
- * Copyright (C) 2009-2013 Typesafe Inc. <http://www.typesafe.com>
- */
-
-package akka.io
-
-import java.nio.ByteBuffer
-import akka.actor.Actor
-
-/**
- * Allows an actor to get a thread local direct buffer of a size defined in the
- * configuration of the actor system. An underlying assumption is that all of
- * the threads which call `getDirectBuffer` are owned by the actor system.
- */
-trait ThreadLocalDirectBuffer { _: Actor ⇒
-  def directBuffer(): ByteBuffer = {
-    val result = ThreadLocalDirectBuffer.threadLocalBuffer.get()
-    if (result == null) {
-      val size = Tcp(context.system).Settings.DirectBufferSize
-      val newBuffer = ByteBuffer.allocateDirect(size)
-      ThreadLocalDirectBuffer.threadLocalBuffer.set(newBuffer)
-      newBuffer
-    } else {
-      result.clear()
-      result
-    }
-  }
-}
-
-object ThreadLocalDirectBuffer {
-  private val threadLocalBuffer = new ThreadLocal[ByteBuffer]
-}