diff --git a/spring-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/core/io/buffer/LeakAwareDataBuffer.java b/spring-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/core/io/buffer/LeakAwareDataBuffer.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b8f01e13a4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spring-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/core/io/buffer/LeakAwareDataBuffer.java
@@ -0,0 +1,234 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2002-2018 the original author or authors.
+ *
+ * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+ * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+ * You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ *      http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+ * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+ * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+ * limitations under the License.
+ */
+
+package org.springframework.core.io.buffer;
+
+import java.io.InputStream;
+import java.io.OutputStream;
+import java.nio.ByteBuffer;
+import java.util.function.IntPredicate;
+
+import org.springframework.util.Assert;
+
+/**
+ * DataBuffer implementation created by {@link LeakAwareDataBufferFactory}.
+ *
+ * @author Arjen Poutsma
+ */
+class LeakAwareDataBuffer implements PooledDataBuffer {
+
+	private final DataBuffer delegate;
+
+	private final AssertionError leakError;
+
+	private final LeakAwareDataBufferFactory dataBufferFactory;
+
+	private int refCount = 1;
+
+
+	LeakAwareDataBuffer(DataBuffer delegate, LeakAwareDataBufferFactory dataBufferFactory) {
+		Assert.notNull(delegate, "Delegate must not be null");
+		Assert.notNull(dataBufferFactory, "DataBufferFactory must not be null");
+		this.delegate = delegate;
+		this.dataBufferFactory = dataBufferFactory;
+		this.leakError = createLeakError();
+	}
+
+	private static AssertionError createLeakError() {
+		AssertionError result = new AssertionError("Leak detected in test case");
+		// remove first four irrelevant stack trace elements
+		StackTraceElement[] oldTrace = result.getStackTrace();
+		StackTraceElement[] newTrace = new StackTraceElement[oldTrace.length - 4];
+		System.arraycopy(oldTrace, 4, newTrace, 0, oldTrace.length - 4);
+		result.setStackTrace(newTrace);
+		return result;
+	}
+
+	AssertionError leakError() {
+		return this.leakError;
+	}
+
+	@Override
+	public boolean isAllocated() {
+		return this.refCount > 0;
+	}
+
+	@Override
+	public PooledDataBuffer retain() {
+		this.refCount++;
+		return this;
+	}
+
+	@Override
+	public boolean release() {
+		this.refCount--;
+		return this.refCount == 0;
+	}
+
+	// delegation
+
+
+	@Override
+	public LeakAwareDataBufferFactory factory() {
+		return this.dataBufferFactory;
+	}
+
+	@Override
+	public int indexOf(IntPredicate predicate, int fromIndex) {
+		return this.delegate.indexOf(predicate, fromIndex);
+	}
+
+	@Override
+	public int lastIndexOf(IntPredicate predicate, int fromIndex) {
+		return this.delegate.lastIndexOf(predicate, fromIndex);
+	}
+
+	@Override
+	public int readableByteCount() {
+		return this.delegate.readableByteCount();
+	}
+
+	@Override
+	public int writableByteCount() {
+		return this.delegate.writableByteCount();
+	}
+
+	@Override
+	public int readPosition() {
+		return this.delegate.readPosition();
+	}
+
+	@Override
+	public DataBuffer readPosition(int readPosition) {
+		return this.delegate.readPosition(readPosition);
+	}
+
+	@Override
+	public int writePosition() {
+		return this.delegate.writePosition();
+	}
+
+	@Override
+	public DataBuffer writePosition(int writePosition) {
+		return this.delegate.writePosition(writePosition);
+	}
+
+	@Override
+	public int capacity() {
+		return this.delegate.capacity();
+	}
+
+	@Override
+	public DataBuffer capacity(int newCapacity) {
+		return this.delegate.capacity(newCapacity);
+	}
+
+	@Override
+	public byte getByte(int index) {
+		return this.delegate.getByte(index);
+	}
+
+	@Override
+	public byte read() {
+		return this.delegate.read();
+	}
+
+	@Override
+	public DataBuffer read(byte[] destination) {
+		return this.delegate.read(destination);
+	}
+
+	@Override
+	public DataBuffer read(byte[] destination, int offset, int length) {
+		return this.delegate.read(destination, offset, length);
+	}
+
+	@Override
+	public DataBuffer write(byte b) {
+		return this.delegate.write(b);
+	}
+
+	@Override
+	public DataBuffer write(byte[] source) {
+		return this.delegate.write(source);
+	}
+
+	@Override
+	public DataBuffer write(byte[] source, int offset, int length) {
+		return this.delegate.write(source, offset, length);
+	}
+
+	@Override
+	public DataBuffer write(DataBuffer... buffers) {
+		return this.delegate.write(buffers);
+	}
+
+	@Override
+	public DataBuffer write(ByteBuffer... byteBuffers) {
+		return this.delegate.write(byteBuffers);
+	}
+
+	@Override
+	public DataBuffer slice(int index, int length) {
+		return this.delegate.slice(index, length);
+	}
+
+	@Override
+	public ByteBuffer asByteBuffer() {
+		return this.delegate.asByteBuffer();
+	}
+
+	@Override
+	public ByteBuffer asByteBuffer(int index, int length) {
+		return this.delegate.asByteBuffer(index, length);
+	}
+
+	@Override
+	public InputStream asInputStream() {
+		return this.delegate.asInputStream();
+	}
+
+	@Override
+	public InputStream asInputStream(boolean releaseOnClose) {
+		return this.delegate.asInputStream(releaseOnClose);
+	}
+
+	@Override
+	public OutputStream asOutputStream() {
+		return this.delegate.asOutputStream();
+	}
+
+	@Override
+	public boolean equals(Object o) {
+		if (o instanceof LeakAwareDataBuffer) {
+			LeakAwareDataBuffer other = (LeakAwareDataBuffer) o;
+			return this.delegate.equals(other.delegate);
+		}
+		else {
+			return false;
+		}
+	}
+
+	@Override
+	public int hashCode() {
+		return this.delegate.hashCode();
+	}
+
+	@Override
+	public String toString() {
+		return String.format("LeakAwareDataBuffer (%s)", this.delegate);
+	}
+}
diff --git a/spring-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/core/io/buffer/LeakAwareDataBufferFactory.java b/spring-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/core/io/buffer/LeakAwareDataBufferFactory.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..974da6fde6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spring-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/core/io/buffer/LeakAwareDataBufferFactory.java
@@ -0,0 +1,122 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2002-2018 the original author or authors.
+ *
+ * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+ * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+ * You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ *      http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+ * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+ * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+ * limitations under the License.
+ */
+
+package org.springframework.core.io.buffer;
+
+import java.nio.ByteBuffer;
+import java.util.ArrayList;
+import java.util.List;
+
+import org.junit.After;
+
+import org.springframework.util.Assert;
+
+/**
+ * Implementation of the {@code DataBufferFactory} interface that keep track of memory leaks.
+ * Useful for unit tests that handle data buffers. Simply call {@link #checkForLeaks()} in
+ * a JUnit {@link After} method, and any buffers have not been released will result in an
+ * {@link AssertionError}.
+ * <pre class="code">
+ * public class MyUnitTest {
+ *
+ * 	private final LeakAwareDataBufferFactory bufferFactory =
+ * 	  new LeakAwareDataBufferFactory();
+ *
+ *  &#064;Test
+ * 	public void doSomethingWithBufferFactory() {
+ * 		...
+ * 	}
+ *
+ * 	&#064;After
+ * 	public void checkForLeaks() {
+ * 		bufferFactory.checkForLeaks();
+ * 	}
+ *
+ * }
+ * </pre>
+ * @author Arjen Poutsma
+ */
+public class LeakAwareDataBufferFactory implements DataBufferFactory {
+
+	private final DataBufferFactory delegate;
+
+	private final List<LeakAwareDataBuffer> created = new ArrayList<>();
+
+
+	/**
+	 * Creates a new {@code LeakAwareDataBufferFactory} by wrapping a
+	 * {@link DefaultDataBufferFactory}.
+	 */
+	public LeakAwareDataBufferFactory() {
+		this(new DefaultDataBufferFactory());
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Creates a new {@code LeakAwareDataBufferFactory} by wrapping the given delegate.
+	 * @param delegate the delegate buffer factory to wrap.
+	 */
+	public LeakAwareDataBufferFactory(DataBufferFactory delegate) {
+		Assert.notNull(delegate, "Delegate must not be null");
+		this.delegate = delegate;
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Checks whether all of the data buffers allocated by this factory have also been released.
+	 * If not, then an {@link AssertionError} is thrown. Typically used from a JUnit {@link After}
+	 * method.
+	 */
+	public void checkForLeaks() {
+		this.created.stream()
+				.filter(LeakAwareDataBuffer::isAllocated)
+				.findFirst()
+				.map(LeakAwareDataBuffer::leakError)
+				.ifPresent(leakError -> {
+					throw leakError;
+				});
+	}
+
+	@Override
+	public LeakAwareDataBuffer allocateBuffer() {
+		LeakAwareDataBuffer dataBuffer =
+				new LeakAwareDataBuffer(this.delegate.allocateBuffer(), this);
+		this.created.add(dataBuffer);
+		return dataBuffer;
+	}
+
+	@Override
+	public LeakAwareDataBuffer allocateBuffer(int initialCapacity) {
+		LeakAwareDataBuffer dataBuffer =
+				new LeakAwareDataBuffer(this.delegate.allocateBuffer(initialCapacity), this);
+		this.created.add(dataBuffer);
+		return dataBuffer;
+	}
+
+	@Override
+	public DataBuffer wrap(ByteBuffer byteBuffer) {
+		return this.delegate.wrap(byteBuffer);
+	}
+
+	@Override
+	public DataBuffer wrap(byte[] bytes) {
+		return this.delegate.wrap(bytes);
+	}
+
+	@Override
+	public DataBuffer join(List<? extends DataBuffer> dataBuffers) {
+		return new LeakAwareDataBuffer(this.delegate.join(dataBuffers), this);
+	}
+
+}