diff --git a/activemq-commons/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/core/buffers/impl/ChannelBufferWrapper.java b/activemq-commons/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/core/buffers/impl/ChannelBufferWrapper.java
index a3fa5b512d..53d7306173 100644
--- a/activemq-commons/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/core/buffers/impl/ChannelBufferWrapper.java
+++ b/activemq-commons/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/core/buffers/impl/ChannelBufferWrapper.java
@@ -35,6 +35,18 @@ public class ChannelBufferWrapper implements ActiveMQBuffer
    protected ByteBuf buffer; // NO_UCD (use final)
    private final boolean releasable;
 
+   public static ByteBuf unwrap(ByteBuf buffer)
+   {
+      ByteBuf parent;
+      while ((parent = buffer.unwrap()) != null &&
+              parent != buffer) // this last part is just in case the semantic
+      {                         // ever changes where unwrap is returning itself
+         buffer = parent;
+      }
+
+      return buffer;
+   }
+
    public ChannelBufferWrapper(final ByteBuf buffer)
    {
       this(buffer, false);
diff --git a/activemq-core-client/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/core/buffers/impl/ResetLimitWrappedActiveMQBuffer.java b/activemq-core-client/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/core/buffers/impl/ResetLimitWrappedActiveMQBuffer.java
index 96b3e2b6a4..1cd342d806 100644
--- a/activemq-core-client/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/core/buffers/impl/ResetLimitWrappedActiveMQBuffer.java
+++ b/activemq-core-client/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/core/buffers/impl/ResetLimitWrappedActiveMQBuffer.java
@@ -46,7 +46,9 @@ public final class ResetLimitWrappedActiveMQBuffer extends ChannelBufferWrapper
 
    public ResetLimitWrappedActiveMQBuffer(final int limit, final ActiveMQBuffer buffer, final MessageInternal message)
    {
-      super(buffer.byteBuf());
+      // a wrapped inside a wrapper will increase the stack size.
+      // we fixed this here due to some profiling testing
+      super(unwrap(buffer.byteBuf()));
 
       this.limit = limit;
 
diff --git a/activemq-core-client/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/core/protocol/core/Packet.java b/activemq-core-client/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/core/protocol/core/Packet.java
index 4027c67c77..6b23bffca3 100644
--- a/activemq-core-client/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/core/protocol/core/Packet.java
+++ b/activemq-core-client/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/core/protocol/core/Packet.java
@@ -85,6 +85,4 @@ public interface Packet
     * @return true if confirmation is required
     */
    boolean isRequiresConfirmations();
-
-   boolean isAsyncExec();
 }
diff --git a/activemq-core-client/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/core/protocol/core/impl/ActiveMQClientProtocolManager.java b/activemq-core-client/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/core/protocol/core/impl/ActiveMQClientProtocolManager.java
index b7366df301..890e8d097b 100644
--- a/activemq-core-client/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/core/protocol/core/impl/ActiveMQClientProtocolManager.java
+++ b/activemq-core-client/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/core/protocol/core/impl/ActiveMQClientProtocolManager.java
@@ -482,7 +482,7 @@ public class ActiveMQClientProtocolManager implements ClientProtocolManager
       {
          // no need to send handshake on inVM as inVM is not using the NettyProtocolHandling
          String handshake = "HORNETQ";
-         ActiveMQBuffer amqbuffer = connection.createBuffer(handshake.length());
+         ActiveMQBuffer amqbuffer = connection.createTransportBuffer(handshake.length());
          amqbuffer.writeBytes(handshake.getBytes());
          transportConnection.write(amqbuffer);
       }
diff --git a/activemq-core-client/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/core/protocol/core/impl/PacketImpl.java b/activemq-core-client/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/core/protocol/core/impl/PacketImpl.java
index e2bdc28a56..61e0eca07f 100644
--- a/activemq-core-client/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/core/protocol/core/impl/PacketImpl.java
+++ b/activemq-core-client/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/core/protocol/core/impl/PacketImpl.java
@@ -276,7 +276,7 @@ public class PacketImpl implements Packet
 
    public ActiveMQBuffer encode(final RemotingConnection connection)
    {
-      ActiveMQBuffer buffer = connection.createBuffer(PacketImpl.INITIAL_PACKET_SIZE);
+      ActiveMQBuffer buffer = connection.createTransportBuffer(PacketImpl.INITIAL_PACKET_SIZE);
 
       // The standard header fields
 
@@ -333,11 +333,6 @@ public class PacketImpl implements Packet
       return true;
    }
 
-   public boolean isAsyncExec()
-   {
-      return false;
-   }
-
    @Override
    public String toString()
    {
diff --git a/activemq-core-client/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/core/protocol/core/impl/RemotingConnectionImpl.java b/activemq-core-client/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/core/protocol/core/impl/RemotingConnectionImpl.java
index 5ef4cfd9ea..88208501f0 100644
--- a/activemq-core-client/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/core/protocol/core/impl/RemotingConnectionImpl.java
+++ b/activemq-core-client/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/core/protocol/core/impl/RemotingConnectionImpl.java
@@ -81,8 +81,6 @@ public class RemotingConnectionImpl extends AbstractRemotingConnection implement
 
    private final Object failLock = new Object();
 
-   private volatile boolean executing;
-
    private final SimpleString nodeID;
 
    private String clientID;
@@ -381,39 +379,8 @@ public class RemotingConnectionImpl extends AbstractRemotingConnection implement
             ActiveMQClientLogger.LOGGER.trace("handling packet " + packet);
          }
 
-         if (packet.isAsyncExec() && executor != null)
-         {
-            executing = true;
-
-            executor.execute(new Runnable()
-            {
-               public void run()
-               {
-                  try
-                  {
-                     doBufferReceived(packet);
-                  }
-                  catch (Throwable t)
-                  {
-                     ActiveMQClientLogger.LOGGER.errorHandlingPacket(t, packet);
-                  }
-
-                  executing = false;
-               }
-            });
-         }
-         else
-         {
-            //To prevent out of order execution if interleaving sync and async operations on same connection
-            while (executing)
-            {
-               Thread.yield();
-            }
-
-            // Pings must always be handled out of band so we can send pings back to the client quickly
-            // otherwise they would get in the queue with everything else which might give an intolerable delay
-            doBufferReceived(packet);
-         }
+         dataReceived = true;
+         doBufferReceived(packet);
 
          super.bufferReceived(connectionID, buffer);
       }
diff --git a/activemq-core-client/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/core/protocol/core/impl/wireformat/RollbackMessage.java b/activemq-core-client/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/core/protocol/core/impl/wireformat/RollbackMessage.java
index 41c5735207..340c73adfd 100644
--- a/activemq-core-client/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/core/protocol/core/impl/wireformat/RollbackMessage.java
+++ b/activemq-core-client/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/core/protocol/core/impl/wireformat/RollbackMessage.java
@@ -69,12 +69,6 @@ public class RollbackMessage extends PacketImpl
       considerLastMessageAsDelivered = buffer.readBoolean();
    }
 
-   @Override
-   public boolean isAsyncExec()
-   {
-      return true;
-   }
-
    @Override
    public int hashCode()
    {
diff --git a/activemq-core-client/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/core/protocol/core/impl/wireformat/SessionCloseMessage.java b/activemq-core-client/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/core/protocol/core/impl/wireformat/SessionCloseMessage.java
index 1c8a276952..dc61860147 100644
--- a/activemq-core-client/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/core/protocol/core/impl/wireformat/SessionCloseMessage.java
+++ b/activemq-core-client/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/core/protocol/core/impl/wireformat/SessionCloseMessage.java
@@ -49,10 +49,4 @@ public class SessionCloseMessage extends PacketImpl
       // TODO
       return 0;
    }
-
-   @Override
-   public boolean isAsyncExec()
-   {
-      return true;
-   }
 }
diff --git a/activemq-core-client/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/core/protocol/core/impl/wireformat/SessionCommitMessage.java b/activemq-core-client/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/core/protocol/core/impl/wireformat/SessionCommitMessage.java
index c7242fb1f4..1b1e081531 100644
--- a/activemq-core-client/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/core/protocol/core/impl/wireformat/SessionCommitMessage.java
+++ b/activemq-core-client/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/core/protocol/core/impl/wireformat/SessionCommitMessage.java
@@ -30,9 +30,4 @@ public class SessionCommitMessage extends PacketImpl
       super(SESS_COMMIT);
    }
 
-   @Override
-   public boolean isAsyncExec()
-   {
-      return true;
-   }
 }
diff --git a/activemq-core-client/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/core/protocol/core/impl/wireformat/SessionXACommitMessage.java b/activemq-core-client/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/core/protocol/core/impl/wireformat/SessionXACommitMessage.java
index 65fdf33868..14668cb1fb 100644
--- a/activemq-core-client/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/core/protocol/core/impl/wireformat/SessionXACommitMessage.java
+++ b/activemq-core-client/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/core/protocol/core/impl/wireformat/SessionXACommitMessage.java
@@ -55,12 +55,6 @@ public class SessionXACommitMessage extends PacketImpl
       return onePhase;
    }
 
-   @Override
-   public boolean isAsyncExec()
-   {
-      return true;
-   }
-
    @Override
    public void encodeRest(final ActiveMQBuffer buffer)
    {
diff --git a/activemq-core-client/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/core/protocol/core/impl/wireformat/SessionXAPrepareMessage.java b/activemq-core-client/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/core/protocol/core/impl/wireformat/SessionXAPrepareMessage.java
index b9a531a4c7..8ff5b1531c 100644
--- a/activemq-core-client/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/core/protocol/core/impl/wireformat/SessionXAPrepareMessage.java
+++ b/activemq-core-client/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/core/protocol/core/impl/wireformat/SessionXAPrepareMessage.java
@@ -61,12 +61,6 @@ public class SessionXAPrepareMessage extends PacketImpl
       xid = XidCodecSupport.decodeXid(buffer);
    }
 
-   @Override
-   public boolean isAsyncExec()
-   {
-      return true;
-   }
-
    @Override
    public int hashCode()
    {
diff --git a/activemq-core-client/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/core/protocol/core/impl/wireformat/SessionXARollbackMessage.java b/activemq-core-client/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/core/protocol/core/impl/wireformat/SessionXARollbackMessage.java
index 8efab01774..272386dc17 100644
--- a/activemq-core-client/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/core/protocol/core/impl/wireformat/SessionXARollbackMessage.java
+++ b/activemq-core-client/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/core/protocol/core/impl/wireformat/SessionXARollbackMessage.java
@@ -62,12 +62,6 @@ public class SessionXARollbackMessage extends PacketImpl
       xid = XidCodecSupport.decodeXid(buffer);
    }
 
-   @Override
-   public boolean isAsyncExec()
-   {
-      return true;
-   }
-
    @Override
    public int hashCode()
    {
diff --git a/activemq-core-client/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/core/remoting/impl/netty/NettyConnection.java b/activemq-core-client/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/core/remoting/impl/netty/NettyConnection.java
index a73aa1bfa7..c7eafe76c1 100644
--- a/activemq-core-client/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/core/remoting/impl/netty/NettyConnection.java
+++ b/activemq-core-client/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/core/remoting/impl/netty/NettyConnection.java
@@ -172,9 +172,9 @@ public class NettyConnection implements Connection
       listener.connectionDestroyed(getID());
    }
 
-   public ActiveMQBuffer createBuffer(final int size)
+   public ActiveMQBuffer createTransportBuffer(final int size)
    {
-      return new ChannelBufferWrapper(channel.alloc().buffer(size));
+      return new ChannelBufferWrapper(PartialPooledByteBufAllocator.INSTANCE.directBuffer(size), true);
    }
 
    public Object getID()
@@ -199,7 +199,7 @@ public class NettyConnection implements Connection
             {
                channel.writeAndFlush(batchBuffer.byteBuf());
 
-               batchBuffer = createBuffer(BATCHING_BUFFER_SIZE);
+               batchBuffer = createTransportBuffer(BATCHING_BUFFER_SIZE);
             }
          }
          finally
diff --git a/activemq-core-client/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/core/remoting/impl/netty/NettyConnector.java b/activemq-core-client/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/core/remoting/impl/netty/NettyConnector.java
index 3ed9e879cf..8425edd53c 100644
--- a/activemq-core-client/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/core/remoting/impl/netty/NettyConnector.java
+++ b/activemq-core-client/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/core/remoting/impl/netty/NettyConnector.java
@@ -47,7 +47,6 @@ import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;
 import io.netty.bootstrap.Bootstrap;
 import io.netty.buffer.ByteBuf;
 import io.netty.buffer.Unpooled;
-import io.netty.buffer.UnpooledByteBufAllocator;
 import io.netty.channel.Channel;
 import io.netty.channel.ChannelDuplexHandler;
 import io.netty.channel.ChannelFuture;
@@ -477,7 +476,7 @@ public class NettyConnector extends AbstractConnector
       }
       bootstrap.option(ChannelOption.SO_KEEPALIVE, true);
       bootstrap.option(ChannelOption.SO_REUSEADDR, true);
-      bootstrap.option(ChannelOption.ALLOCATOR, new UnpooledByteBufAllocator(false));
+      bootstrap.option(ChannelOption.ALLOCATOR, PartialPooledByteBufAllocator.INSTANCE);
       channelGroup = new DefaultChannelGroup("activemq-connector", GlobalEventExecutor.INSTANCE);
 
       final SSLContext context;
diff --git a/activemq-core-client/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/spi/core/protocol/AbstractRemotingConnection.java b/activemq-core-client/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/spi/core/protocol/AbstractRemotingConnection.java
index a48845fa9b..22b26eeb14 100644
--- a/activemq-core-client/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/spi/core/protocol/AbstractRemotingConnection.java
+++ b/activemq-core-client/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/spi/core/protocol/AbstractRemotingConnection.java
@@ -182,9 +182,9 @@ public abstract class AbstractRemotingConnection implements RemotingConnection
       closeListeners.addAll(listeners);
    }
 
-   public ActiveMQBuffer createBuffer(final int size)
+   public ActiveMQBuffer createTransportBuffer(final int size)
    {
-      return transportConnection.createBuffer(size);
+      return transportConnection.createTransportBuffer(size);
    }
 
    public Connection getTransportConnection()
diff --git a/activemq-core-client/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/spi/core/protocol/RemotingConnection.java b/activemq-core-client/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/spi/core/protocol/RemotingConnection.java
index 186e098ddf..9eb287ef27 100644
--- a/activemq-core-client/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/spi/core/protocol/RemotingConnection.java
+++ b/activemq-core-client/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/spi/core/protocol/RemotingConnection.java
@@ -115,11 +115,12 @@ public interface RemotingConnection extends BufferHandler
 
    /**
     * creates a new ActiveMQBuffer of the specified size.
+    * For the purpose of i/o outgoing packets
     *
     * @param size the size of buffer required
     * @return the buffer
     */
-   ActiveMQBuffer createBuffer(int size);
+   ActiveMQBuffer createTransportBuffer(int size);
 
    /**
     * called when the underlying connection fails.
diff --git a/activemq-core-client/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/spi/core/remoting/Connection.java b/activemq-core-client/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/spi/core/remoting/Connection.java
index a4896e29ce..b6060d3a12 100644
--- a/activemq-core-client/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/spi/core/remoting/Connection.java
+++ b/activemq-core-client/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/spi/core/remoting/Connection.java
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ public interface Connection
     * @param size the size of buffer to create
     * @return the new buffer.
     */
-   ActiveMQBuffer createBuffer(int size);
+   ActiveMQBuffer createTransportBuffer(int size);
 
 
    RemotingConnection getProtocolConnection();
diff --git a/activemq-protocols/activemq-openwire-protocol/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/core/protocol/openwire/OpenWireConnection.java b/activemq-protocols/activemq-openwire-protocol/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/core/protocol/openwire/OpenWireConnection.java
index 20762e2cc9..bf906bca73 100644
--- a/activemq-protocols/activemq-openwire-protocol/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/core/protocol/openwire/OpenWireConnection.java
+++ b/activemq-protocols/activemq-openwire-protocol/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/core/protocol/openwire/OpenWireConnection.java
@@ -440,7 +440,7 @@ public class OpenWireConnection implements RemotingConnection, CommandVisitor
    }
 
    @Override
-   public ActiveMQBuffer createBuffer(int size)
+   public ActiveMQBuffer createTransportBuffer(int size)
    {
       return ActiveMQBuffers.dynamicBuffer(size);
    }
diff --git a/activemq-protocols/activemq-stomp-protocol/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/core/protocol/stomp/StompConnection.java b/activemq-protocols/activemq-stomp-protocol/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/core/protocol/stomp/StompConnection.java
index 16cf55e6c5..9a4e7b726d 100644
--- a/activemq-protocols/activemq-stomp-protocol/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/core/protocol/stomp/StompConnection.java
+++ b/activemq-protocols/activemq-stomp-protocol/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/core/protocol/stomp/StompConnection.java
@@ -280,7 +280,7 @@ public final class StompConnection implements RemotingConnection
    }
 
    @Override
-   public ActiveMQBuffer createBuffer(int size)
+   public ActiveMQBuffer createTransportBuffer(int size)
    {
       return ActiveMQBuffers.dynamicBuffer(size);
    }
diff --git a/activemq-server/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/core/remoting/impl/invm/InVMConnection.java b/activemq-server/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/core/remoting/impl/invm/InVMConnection.java
index eed1ff4a35..37e2acba3e 100644
--- a/activemq-server/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/core/remoting/impl/invm/InVMConnection.java
+++ b/activemq-server/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/core/remoting/impl/invm/InVMConnection.java
@@ -142,7 +142,7 @@ public class InVMConnection implements Connection
       }
    }
 
-   public ActiveMQBuffer createBuffer(final int size)
+   public ActiveMQBuffer createTransportBuffer(final int size)
    {
       return ActiveMQBuffers.dynamicBuffer(size);
    }
diff --git a/activemq-server/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/core/remoting/impl/netty/NettyServerConnection.java b/activemq-server/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/core/remoting/impl/netty/NettyServerConnection.java
index d899e8583f..339b407130 100644
--- a/activemq-server/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/core/remoting/impl/netty/NettyServerConnection.java
+++ b/activemq-server/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/core/remoting/impl/netty/NettyServerConnection.java
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ public class NettyServerConnection extends NettyConnection
    }
 
    @Override
-   public ActiveMQBuffer createBuffer(int size)
+   public ActiveMQBuffer createTransportBuffer(int size)
    {
       return new ChannelBufferWrapper(channel.alloc().directBuffer(size), true);
    }
diff --git a/tests/jms-tests/src/test/java/org/apache/activemq/jms/tests/message/MessageHeaderTest.java b/tests/jms-tests/src/test/java/org/apache/activemq/jms/tests/message/MessageHeaderTest.java
index 784a0c063e..cfbf9956c9 100644
--- a/tests/jms-tests/src/test/java/org/apache/activemq/jms/tests/message/MessageHeaderTest.java
+++ b/tests/jms-tests/src/test/java/org/apache/activemq/jms/tests/message/MessageHeaderTest.java
@@ -1391,7 +1391,7 @@ public class MessageHeaderTest extends MessageHeaderTestBase
       }
 
       /* (non-Javadoc)
-       * @see org.apache.activemq.api.core.client.ClientSession#createBuffer(byte[])
+       * @see org.apache.activemq.api.core.client.ClientSession#createTransportBuffer(byte[])
        */
       public ActiveMQBuffer createBuffer(final byte[] bytes)
       {
@@ -1400,7 +1400,7 @@ public class MessageHeaderTest extends MessageHeaderTestBase
       }
 
       /* (non-Javadoc)
-       * @see org.apache.activemq.api.core.client.ClientSession#createBuffer(int)
+       * @see org.apache.activemq.api.core.client.ClientSession#createTransportBuffer(int)
        */
       public ActiveMQBuffer createBuffer(final int size)
       {
diff --git a/tests/unit-tests/src/test/java/org/apache/activemq/tests/unit/core/remoting/impl/netty/NettyConnectionTest.java b/tests/unit-tests/src/test/java/org/apache/activemq/tests/unit/core/remoting/impl/netty/NettyConnectionTest.java
index cc9d57b70d..b0a4c14802 100644
--- a/tests/unit-tests/src/test/java/org/apache/activemq/tests/unit/core/remoting/impl/netty/NettyConnectionTest.java
+++ b/tests/unit-tests/src/test/java/org/apache/activemq/tests/unit/core/remoting/impl/netty/NettyConnectionTest.java
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ public class NettyConnectionTest extends UnitTestCase
 
       final int size = 1234;
 
-      ActiveMQBuffer buff = conn.createBuffer(size);
+      ActiveMQBuffer buff = conn.createTransportBuffer(size);
       buff.writeByte((byte) 0x00); // Netty buffer does lazy initialization.
       Assert.assertEquals(size, buff.capacity());