diff --git a/artemis-core-client/pom.xml b/artemis-core-client/pom.xml
index ac01cd8428..538cb76116 100644
--- a/artemis-core-client/pom.xml
+++ b/artemis-core-client/pom.xml
@@ -78,8 +78,8 @@
       </dependency>
       <dependency>
          <groupId>org.hamcrest</groupId>
-         <artifactId>hamcrest-core</artifactId>
-         <version>1.3</version>
+         <artifactId>hamcrest</artifactId>
+         <version>${hamcrest.version}</version>
          <scope>test</scope>
       </dependency>
       <dependency>
diff --git a/artemis-server/pom.xml b/artemis-server/pom.xml
index ba9b4ceb7c..c8bb63b966 100644
--- a/artemis-server/pom.xml
+++ b/artemis-server/pom.xml
@@ -198,6 +198,12 @@
          <artifactId>mockito-core</artifactId>
          <scope>test</scope>
       </dependency>
+      <dependency>
+         <groupId>org.hamcrest</groupId>
+         <artifactId>hamcrest</artifactId>
+         <version>${hamcrest.version}</version>
+         <scope>test</scope>
+      </dependency>
    </dependencies>
 
    <profiles>
diff --git a/artemis-server/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/artemis/core/persistence/impl/journal/JournalStorageManager.java b/artemis-server/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/artemis/core/persistence/impl/journal/JournalStorageManager.java
index 555da5210d..1d5fd2926a 100644
--- a/artemis-server/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/artemis/core/persistence/impl/journal/JournalStorageManager.java
+++ b/artemis-server/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/artemis/core/persistence/impl/journal/JournalStorageManager.java
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ public class JournalStorageManager extends AbstractJournalStorageManager {
 
    protected SequentialFileFactory bindingsFF;
 
-   SequentialFileFactory largeMessagesFactory;
+   protected SequentialFileFactory largeMessagesFactory;
 
    protected Journal originalMessageJournal;
 
@@ -818,7 +818,7 @@ public class JournalStorageManager extends AbstractJournalStorageManager {
          file.position(file.size());
          if (bytes.byteBuf() != null && bytes.byteBuf().nioBufferCount() == 1) {
             final ByteBuffer nioBytes = bytes.byteBuf().internalNioBuffer(bytes.readerIndex(), bytes.readableBytes());
-            file.writeDirect(nioBytes, false);
+            file.blockingWriteDirect(nioBytes, false, false);
 
             if (isReplicated()) {
                //copy defensively bytes
@@ -843,8 +843,10 @@ public class JournalStorageManager extends AbstractJournalStorageManager {
       readLock();
       try {
          file.position(file.size());
-
-         file.writeDirect(ByteBuffer.wrap(bytes), false);
+         //that's an additional precaution to avoid ByteBuffer to be pooled:
+         //NIOSequentialFileFactory doesn't pool heap ByteBuffer, but better to make evident
+         //the intention by calling the right method
+         file.blockingWriteDirect(ByteBuffer.wrap(bytes), false, false);
 
          if (isReplicated()) {
             replicator.largeMessageWrite(messageId, bytes);
diff --git a/artemis-server/src/test/java/org/apache/activemq/artemis/core/persistence/impl/journal/JournalStorageManagerTest.java b/artemis-server/src/test/java/org/apache/activemq/artemis/core/persistence/impl/journal/JournalStorageManagerTest.java
index 861b5e08ac..a0580941be 100644
--- a/artemis-server/src/test/java/org/apache/activemq/artemis/core/persistence/impl/journal/JournalStorageManagerTest.java
+++ b/artemis-server/src/test/java/org/apache/activemq/artemis/core/persistence/impl/journal/JournalStorageManagerTest.java
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
  */
 package org.apache.activemq.artemis.core.persistence.impl.journal;
 
+import java.nio.ByteBuffer;
 import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.Collection;
 import java.util.UUID;
@@ -26,8 +27,11 @@ import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;
 import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicReference;
 import java.util.stream.Stream;
 
+import org.apache.activemq.artemis.api.core.ActiveMQBuffer;
+import org.apache.activemq.artemis.api.core.ActiveMQBuffers;
 import org.apache.activemq.artemis.api.core.SimpleString;
-import org.apache.activemq.artemis.core.config.impl.ConfigurationImpl;
+import org.apache.activemq.artemis.core.config.Configuration;
+import org.apache.activemq.artemis.core.io.SequentialFile;
 import org.apache.activemq.artemis.core.io.aio.AIOSequentialFileFactory;
 import org.apache.activemq.artemis.core.message.impl.CoreMessage;
 import org.apache.activemq.artemis.core.paging.PagingManager;
@@ -36,6 +40,7 @@ import org.apache.activemq.artemis.core.replication.ReplicationManager;
 import org.apache.activemq.artemis.core.server.JournalType;
 import org.apache.activemq.artemis.core.server.LargeServerMessage;
 import org.apache.activemq.artemis.core.server.impl.JournalLoader;
+import org.apache.activemq.artemis.tests.util.ActiveMQTestBase;
 import org.apache.activemq.artemis.utils.ExecutorFactory;
 import org.apache.activemq.artemis.utils.actors.OrderedExecutorFactory;
 import org.junit.AfterClass;
@@ -46,21 +51,22 @@ import org.junit.runner.RunWith;
 import org.junit.runners.Parameterized;
 
 import static java.util.stream.Collectors.toList;
+import static org.hamcrest.Matchers.is;
 import static org.junit.Assume.assumeTrue;
+import static org.mockito.ArgumentMatchers.any;
 import static org.mockito.Mockito.doAnswer;
 import static org.mockito.Mockito.mock;
 import static org.mockito.Mockito.spy;
 import static org.mockito.Mockito.when;
 
 @RunWith(Parameterized.class)
-public class JournalStorageManagerTest {
+public class JournalStorageManagerTest extends ActiveMQTestBase {
 
    @Parameterized.Parameter
    public JournalType journalType;
 
    @Parameterized.Parameters(name = "journal type={0}")
    public static Collection<Object[]> getParams() {
-      final JournalType[] values = JournalType.values();
       return Stream.of(JournalType.values())
          .map(journalType -> new Object[]{journalType})
          .collect(toList());
@@ -89,14 +95,14 @@ public class JournalStorageManagerTest {
     * Test of fixJournalFileSize method, of class JournalStorageManager.
     */
    @Test
-   public void testFixJournalFileSize() {
+   public void testFixJournalFileSize() throws Exception {
       if (journalType == JournalType.ASYNCIO) {
          assumeTrue("AIO is not supported on this platform", AIOSequentialFileFactory.isSupported());
       }
-      final ConfigurationImpl configuration = new ConfigurationImpl().setJournalType(journalType);
+      final Configuration configuration = createDefaultInVMConfig().setJournalType(journalType);
       final ExecutorFactory executorFactory = new OrderedExecutorFactory(executor);
       final ExecutorFactory ioExecutorFactory = new OrderedExecutorFactory(ioExecutor);
-      final JournalStorageManager manager = spy(new JournalStorageManager(configuration, null, executorFactory, null, ioExecutorFactory));
+      final JournalStorageManager manager = new JournalStorageManager(configuration, null, executorFactory, null, ioExecutorFactory);
       Assert.assertEquals(4096, manager.fixJournalFileSize(1024, 4096));
       Assert.assertEquals(4096, manager.fixJournalFileSize(4098, 4096));
       Assert.assertEquals(8192, manager.fixJournalFileSize(8192, 4096));
@@ -107,7 +113,7 @@ public class JournalStorageManagerTest {
       if (journalType == JournalType.ASYNCIO) {
          assumeTrue("AIO is not supported on this platform", AIOSequentialFileFactory.isSupported());
       }
-      final ConfigurationImpl configuration = new ConfigurationImpl().setJournalType(journalType);
+      final Configuration configuration = createDefaultInVMConfig().setJournalType(journalType);
       final ExecutorFactory executorFactory = new OrderedExecutorFactory(executor);
       final ExecutorFactory ioExecutorFactory = new OrderedExecutorFactory(ioExecutor);
       final JournalStorageManager manager = spy(new JournalStorageManager(configuration, null, executorFactory, null, ioExecutorFactory));
@@ -164,4 +170,46 @@ public class JournalStorageManagerTest {
       stoppedReplication.get();
    }
 
+   @Test
+   public void testAddBytesToLargeMessageNotLeakingByteBuffer() throws Exception {
+      if (journalType == JournalType.ASYNCIO) {
+         assumeTrue("AIO is not supported on this platform", AIOSequentialFileFactory.isSupported());
+      }
+      final Configuration configuration = createDefaultInVMConfig().setJournalType(journalType);
+      final ExecutorFactory executorFactory = new OrderedExecutorFactory(executor);
+      final ExecutorFactory ioExecutorFactory = new OrderedExecutorFactory(ioExecutor);
+      final JournalStorageManager manager = new JournalStorageManager(configuration, null, executorFactory, null, ioExecutorFactory);
+      manager.largeMessagesFactory = spy(manager.largeMessagesFactory);
+      manager.start();
+      manager.loadBindingJournal(new ArrayList<>(), new ArrayList<>(), new ArrayList<>());
+      final PostOffice postOffice = mock(PostOffice.class);
+      final JournalLoader journalLoader = mock(JournalLoader.class);
+      manager.loadMessageJournal(postOffice, null, null, null, null, null, null, journalLoader);
+      final long id = manager.generateID() + 1;
+      final SequentialFile file = manager.createFileForLargeMessage(id, false);
+      try {
+         file.open();
+         doAnswer(invocation -> {
+            Assert.fail("No buffer should leak into the factory pool while writing into a large message");
+            return invocation.callRealMethod();
+         }).when(manager.largeMessagesFactory).releaseBuffer(any(ByteBuffer.class));
+         final int size = 100;
+         final ByteBuffer byteBuffer = ByteBuffer.allocateDirect(size);
+         final ActiveMQBuffer directBuffer = ActiveMQBuffers.wrappedBuffer(byteBuffer);
+         directBuffer.writerIndex(size);
+         long fileSize = file.size();
+         manager.addBytesToLargeMessage(file, 1, directBuffer);
+         Assert.assertThat(file.size(), is(fileSize + size));
+         fileSize = file.size();
+         final ActiveMQBuffer heapBuffer = ActiveMQBuffers.wrappedBuffer(new byte[size]);
+         heapBuffer.writerIndex(size);
+         manager.addBytesToLargeMessage(file, 1, heapBuffer);
+         Assert.assertThat(file.size(), is(fileSize + size));
+      } finally {
+         manager.stop();
+         file.close();
+         file.delete();
+      }
+   }
+
 }
diff --git a/pom.xml b/pom.xml
index 2449d7b3d9..98021cde07 100644
--- a/pom.xml
+++ b/pom.xml
@@ -117,6 +117,7 @@
       <version.org.jacoco.plugin>0.7.9</version.org.jacoco.plugin>
       <version.maven.jar.plugin>2.4</version.maven.jar.plugin>
       <version.micrometer>1.1.4</version.micrometer>
+      <hamcrest.version>2.1</hamcrest.version>
 
       <!-- used on tests -->
       <groovy.version>2.4.3</groovy.version>