diff --git a/rsocket-core/src/main/java/io/rsocket/util/DefaultPayload.java b/rsocket-core/src/main/java/io/rsocket/util/DefaultPayload.java
index 58f282110..d59b9fe97 100644
--- a/rsocket-core/src/main/java/io/rsocket/util/DefaultPayload.java
+++ b/rsocket-core/src/main/java/io/rsocket/util/DefaultPayload.java
@@ -99,13 +99,18 @@ public static Payload create(ByteBuf data) {
   }
 
   public static Payload create(ByteBuf data, @Nullable ByteBuf metadata) {
-    return create(data.nioBuffer(), metadata == null ? null : metadata.nioBuffer());
+    try {
+      return create(data.nioBuffer(), metadata == null ? null : metadata.nioBuffer());
+    } finally {
+      data.release();
+      if (metadata != null) {
+        metadata.release();
+      }
+    }
   }
 
   public static Payload create(Payload payload) {
-    return create(
-        Unpooled.copiedBuffer(payload.sliceData()),
-        payload.hasMetadata() ? Unpooled.copiedBuffer(payload.sliceMetadata()) : null);
+    return create(payload.getData(), payload.hasMetadata() ? payload.getMetadata() : null);
   }
 
   @Override
diff --git a/rsocket-core/src/test/java/io/rsocket/frame/SetupFrameCodecTest.java b/rsocket-core/src/test/java/io/rsocket/frame/SetupFrameCodecTest.java
index 9607ad327..3317b4618 100644
--- a/rsocket-core/src/test/java/io/rsocket/frame/SetupFrameCodecTest.java
+++ b/rsocket-core/src/test/java/io/rsocket/frame/SetupFrameCodecTest.java
@@ -25,8 +25,8 @@ void testEncodingNoResume() {
     assertEquals(0, SetupFrameCodec.resumeToken(frame).readableBytes());
     assertEquals("metadata_type", SetupFrameCodec.metadataMimeType(frame));
     assertEquals("data_type", SetupFrameCodec.dataMimeType(frame));
-    assertEquals(metadata, SetupFrameCodec.metadata(frame));
-    assertEquals(data, SetupFrameCodec.data(frame));
+    assertEquals(payload.metadata(), SetupFrameCodec.metadata(frame));
+    assertEquals(payload.data(), SetupFrameCodec.data(frame));
     assertEquals(SetupFrameCodec.CURRENT_VERSION, SetupFrameCodec.version(frame));
     frame.release();
   }
@@ -49,8 +49,8 @@ void testEncodingResume() {
     assertEquals(token, SetupFrameCodec.resumeToken(frame));
     assertEquals("metadata_type", SetupFrameCodec.metadataMimeType(frame));
     assertEquals("data_type", SetupFrameCodec.dataMimeType(frame));
-    assertEquals(metadata, SetupFrameCodec.metadata(frame));
-    assertEquals(data, SetupFrameCodec.data(frame));
+    assertEquals(payload.metadata(), SetupFrameCodec.metadata(frame));
+    assertEquals(payload.data(), SetupFrameCodec.data(frame));
     assertEquals(SetupFrameCodec.CURRENT_VERSION, SetupFrameCodec.version(frame));
     frame.release();
   }
diff --git a/rsocket-core/src/test/java/io/rsocket/util/DefaultPayloadTest.java b/rsocket-core/src/test/java/io/rsocket/util/DefaultPayloadTest.java
index 6bae0886b..3f97ab9dc 100644
--- a/rsocket-core/src/test/java/io/rsocket/util/DefaultPayloadTest.java
+++ b/rsocket-core/src/test/java/io/rsocket/util/DefaultPayloadTest.java
@@ -19,9 +19,13 @@
 import static org.hamcrest.MatcherAssert.assertThat;
 import static org.hamcrest.Matchers.equalTo;
 
+import io.netty.buffer.ByteBuf;
+import io.netty.buffer.ByteBufAllocator;
 import io.netty.buffer.Unpooled;
 import io.rsocket.Payload;
+import io.rsocket.buffer.LeaksTrackingByteBufAllocator;
 import java.nio.ByteBuffer;
+import java.util.concurrent.ThreadLocalRandom;
 import org.assertj.core.api.Assertions;
 import org.junit.Test;
 
@@ -74,4 +78,32 @@ public void shouldIndicateThatItHasMetadata2() {
 
     Assertions.assertThat(payload.hasMetadata()).isTrue();
   }
+
+  @Test
+  public void shouldReleaseGivenByteBufDataAndMetadataUpOnPayloadCreation() {
+    LeaksTrackingByteBufAllocator allocator =
+        LeaksTrackingByteBufAllocator.instrument(ByteBufAllocator.DEFAULT);
+    for (byte i = 0; i < 126; i++) {
+      ByteBuf data = allocator.buffer();
+      data.writeByte(i);
+
+      boolean metadataPresent = ThreadLocalRandom.current().nextBoolean();
+      ByteBuf metadata = null;
+      if (metadataPresent) {
+        metadata = allocator.buffer();
+        metadata.writeByte(i + 1);
+      }
+
+      Payload payload = DefaultPayload.create(data, metadata);
+
+      Assertions.assertThat(payload.getData()).isEqualTo(ByteBuffer.wrap(new byte[] {i}));
+
+      Assertions.assertThat(payload.getMetadata())
+          .isEqualTo(
+              metadataPresent
+                  ? ByteBuffer.wrap(new byte[] {(byte) (i + 1)})
+                  : DefaultPayload.EMPTY_BUFFER);
+      allocator.assertHasNoLeaks();
+    }
+  }
 }