diff --git a/handler/src/test/java/io/netty/handler/flow/FlowControlHandlerTest.java b/handler/src/test/java/io/netty/handler/flow/FlowControlHandlerTest.java
index 6e5d4c5348b..c1ef8e6dfbf 100644
--- a/handler/src/test/java/io/netty/handler/flow/FlowControlHandlerTest.java
+++ b/handler/src/test/java/io/netty/handler/flow/FlowControlHandlerTest.java
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@
 import java.net.SocketAddress;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Queue;
+import java.util.concurrent.Callable;
 import java.util.concurrent.CountDownLatch;
 import java.util.concurrent.Exchanger;
 import java.util.concurrent.LinkedBlockingQueue;
@@ -215,25 +216,43 @@ public void channelRead(ChannelHandlerContext ctx, Object msg) {
     @Test
     public void testFlowAutoReadOn() throws Exception {
         final CountDownLatch latch = new CountDownLatch(3);
+        final Exchanger<Channel> peerRef = new Exchanger<Channel>();
 
         ChannelInboundHandlerAdapter handler = new ChannelDuplexHandler() {
+
+            @Override
+            public void channelActive(ChannelHandlerContext ctx) throws Exception {
+                peerRef.exchange(ctx.channel(), 1L, SECONDS);
+                super.channelActive(ctx);
+            }
+
             @Override
             public void channelRead(ChannelHandlerContext ctx, Object msg) {
+                ReferenceCountUtil.release(msg);
                 latch.countDown();
             }
         };
 
-        FlowControlHandler flow = new FlowControlHandler();
+        final FlowControlHandler flow = new FlowControlHandler();
         Channel server = newServer(true, flow, handler);
         Channel client = newClient(server.localAddress());
         try {
+            // The client connection on the server side
+            Channel peer = peerRef.exchange(null, 1L, SECONDS);
+
             // Write the message
             client.writeAndFlush(newOneMessage())
                 .syncUninterruptibly();
 
             // We should receive 3 messages
             assertTrue(latch.await(1L, SECONDS));
-            assertTrue(flow.isQueueEmpty());
+
+            assertTrue(peer.eventLoop().submit(new Callable<Boolean>() {
+                @Override
+                public Boolean call() {
+                    return flow.isQueueEmpty();
+                }
+            }).get());
         } finally {
             client.close();
             server.close();
@@ -292,7 +311,7 @@ public void channelRead(ChannelHandlerContext ctx, Object msg) throws Interrupte
             }
         };
 
-        FlowControlHandler flow = new FlowControlHandler();
+        final FlowControlHandler flow = new FlowControlHandler();
         Channel server = newServer(true, flow, handler);
         Channel client = newClient(server.localAddress());
         try {
@@ -314,7 +333,13 @@ public void channelRead(ChannelHandlerContext ctx, Object msg) throws Interrupte
             peer.config().setAutoRead(true);
             setAutoReadLatch2.countDown();
             assertTrue(msgRcvLatch3.await(1L, SECONDS));
-            assertTrue(flow.isQueueEmpty());
+
+            assertTrue(peer.eventLoop().submit(new Callable<Boolean>() {
+                @Override
+                public Boolean call() {
+                    return flow.isQueueEmpty();
+                }
+            }).get());
         } finally {
             client.close();
             server.close();
@@ -348,7 +373,7 @@ public void channelRead(ChannelHandlerContext ctx, Object msg) {
             }
         };
 
-        FlowControlHandler flow = new FlowControlHandler();
+        final FlowControlHandler flow = new FlowControlHandler();
         Channel server = newServer(false, flow, handler);
         Channel client = newClient(server.localAddress());
         try {
@@ -370,7 +395,13 @@ public void channelRead(ChannelHandlerContext ctx, Object msg) {
             // channelRead(3)
             peer.read();
             assertTrue(msgRcvLatch3.await(1L, SECONDS));
-            assertTrue(flow.isQueueEmpty());
+
+            assertTrue(peer.eventLoop().submit(new Callable<Boolean>() {
+                @Override
+                public Boolean call() {
+                    return flow.isQueueEmpty();
+                }
+            }).get());
         } finally {
             client.close();
             server.close();
@@ -401,7 +432,7 @@ public void exceptionCaught(ChannelHandlerContext ctx, Throwable cause) {
             }
         };
 
-        FlowControlHandler flow = new FlowControlHandler();
+        final FlowControlHandler flow = new FlowControlHandler();
         Channel server = newServer(false, flow, handler);
         Channel client = newClient(server.localAddress());
         try {
@@ -415,7 +446,13 @@ public void exceptionCaught(ChannelHandlerContext ctx, Throwable cause) {
             // channelRead(1)
             peer.read();
             assertTrue(latch.await(1L, SECONDS));
-            assertTrue(flow.isQueueEmpty());
+
+            assertTrue(peer.eventLoop().submit(new Callable<Boolean>() {
+                @Override
+                public Boolean call() {
+                    return flow.isQueueEmpty();
+                }
+            }).get());
 
             Throwable cause = causeRef.get();
             if (cause != null) {
@@ -485,11 +522,14 @@ public void userEventTriggered(ChannelHandlerContext ctx, Object evt) {
 
     @Test
     public void testRemoveFlowControl() throws Exception {
+        final Exchanger<Channel> peerRef = new Exchanger<Channel>();
+
         final CountDownLatch latch = new CountDownLatch(3);
 
         ChannelInboundHandlerAdapter handler = new ChannelDuplexHandler() {
             @Override
             public void channelActive(ChannelHandlerContext ctx) throws Exception {
+                peerRef.exchange(ctx.channel(), 1L, SECONDS);
                 //do the first read
                 ctx.read();
                 super.channelActive(ctx);
@@ -501,7 +541,7 @@ public void channelRead(ChannelHandlerContext ctx, Object msg) throws Exception
             }
         };
 
-        FlowControlHandler flow = new FlowControlHandler() {
+        final FlowControlHandler flow = new FlowControlHandler() {
             private int num;
             @Override
             public void channelRead(final ChannelHandlerContext ctx, Object msg) throws Exception {
@@ -530,12 +570,20 @@ public void channelRead(ChannelHandlerContext ctx, Object msg) {
         Channel server = newServer(false /* no auto read */, flow, handler, tail);
         Channel client = newClient(server.localAddress());
         try {
+            // The client connection on the server side
+            Channel peer = peerRef.exchange(null, 1L, SECONDS);
+
             // Write one message
             client.writeAndFlush(newOneMessage()).sync();
 
             // We should receive 3 messages
             assertTrue(latch.await(1L, SECONDS));
-            assertTrue(flow.isQueueEmpty());
+            assertTrue(peer.eventLoop().submit(new Callable<Boolean>() {
+                @Override
+                public Boolean call() {
+                    return flow.isQueueEmpty();
+                }
+            }).get());
         } finally {
             client.close();
             server.close();