diff --git a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/common/bytes/PagedBytesReference.java b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/common/bytes/PagedBytesReference.java
index d9dd17db370..f3c548e7144 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/common/bytes/PagedBytesReference.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/common/bytes/PagedBytesReference.java
@@ -84,30 +84,40 @@ public final class PagedBytesReference implements BytesReference {
 
     @Override
     public void writeTo(OutputStream os) throws IOException {
-            BytesRef ref = new BytesRef();
-            int written = 0;
-            
-            // are we a slice?
-            if (offset != 0) {
-                // remaining size of page fragment at offset
-                int fragmentSize = Math.min(length, PAGE_SIZE - (offset % PAGE_SIZE));
-                bytearray.get(offset, fragmentSize, ref);
-                os.write(ref.bytes, ref.offset, fragmentSize);
-                written += fragmentSize;
-            }
+        // nothing to do
+        if (length == 0) {
+            return;
+        }
 
-            // handle remainder of pages + trailing fragment
-            while (written < length) {
-                int remaining = length - written;
-                int bulkSize = (remaining > PAGE_SIZE) ? PAGE_SIZE : remaining;
-                bytearray.get(offset + written, bulkSize, ref);
-                os.write(ref.bytes, ref.offset, bulkSize);
-                written += bulkSize;
-            }
+        BytesRef ref = new BytesRef();
+        int written = 0;
+        
+        // are we a slice?
+        if (offset != 0) {
+            // remaining size of page fragment at offset
+            int fragmentSize = Math.min(length, PAGE_SIZE - (offset % PAGE_SIZE));
+            bytearray.get(offset, fragmentSize, ref);
+            os.write(ref.bytes, ref.offset, fragmentSize);
+            written += fragmentSize;
+        }
+
+        // handle remainder of pages + trailing fragment
+        while (written < length) {
+            int remaining = length - written;
+            int bulkSize = (remaining > PAGE_SIZE) ? PAGE_SIZE : remaining;
+            bytearray.get(offset + written, bulkSize, ref);
+            os.write(ref.bytes, ref.offset, bulkSize);
+            written += bulkSize;
+        }
     }
 
     @Override
     public void writeTo(GatheringByteChannel channel) throws IOException {
+        // nothing to do
+        if (length == 0) {
+            return;
+        }
+
         ByteBuffer[] buffers;
         ByteBuffer currentBuffer = null;
         BytesRef ref = new BytesRef();
@@ -201,6 +211,11 @@ public final class PagedBytesReference implements BytesReference {
 
     @Override
     public ChannelBuffer toChannelBuffer() {
+        // nothing to do
+        if (length == 0) {
+            return ChannelBuffers.EMPTY_BUFFER;
+        }
+
         ChannelBuffer[] buffers;
         ChannelBuffer currentBuffer = null;
         BytesRef ref = new BytesRef();
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/common/io/stream/BytesStreamOutput.java b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/common/io/stream/BytesStreamOutput.java
index f323b71dba0..899ecf2d873 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/common/io/stream/BytesStreamOutput.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/common/io/stream/BytesStreamOutput.java
@@ -19,9 +19,8 @@
 
 package org.elasticsearch.common.io.stream;
 
-import org.apache.lucene.util.BytesRef;
-import org.elasticsearch.common.bytes.BytesArray;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.bytes.BytesReference;
+import org.elasticsearch.common.bytes.PagedBytesReference;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.io.BytesStream;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.util.BigArrays;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.util.ByteArray;
@@ -154,9 +153,7 @@ public class BytesStreamOutput extends StreamOutput implements BytesStream {
 
     @Override
     public BytesReference bytes() {
-        BytesRef bref = new BytesRef();
-        bytes.get(0, count, bref);
-        return new BytesArray(bref, false);
+        return new PagedBytesReference(bigarrays, bytes, count);
     }
 
     private void ensureCapacity(int offset) {
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/common/bytes/PagedBytesReferenceTest.java b/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/common/bytes/PagedBytesReferenceTest.java
index 741e0e06a31..4ab940fa60a 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/common/bytes/PagedBytesReferenceTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/common/bytes/PagedBytesReferenceTest.java
@@ -283,6 +283,14 @@ public class PagedBytesReferenceTest extends ElasticsearchTestCase {
         assertArrayEquals(pbr.toBytes(), bufferBytes);
     }
 
+    public void testEmptyToChannelBuffer() {
+        BytesReference pbr = getRandomizedPagedBytesReference(0);
+        ChannelBuffer cb = pbr.toChannelBuffer();
+        assertNotNull(cb);
+        assertEquals(0, pbr.length());
+        assertEquals(0, cb.capacity());
+    }
+
     public void testSliceToChannelBuffer() {
         int length = randomIntBetween(10, PAGE_SIZE * randomIntBetween(2,8));
         BytesReference pbr = getRandomizedPagedBytesReference(length);