diff --git a/modules/transport-netty4/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/http/netty4/Netty4HttpRequestBodyStreamTests.java b/modules/transport-netty4/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/http/netty4/Netty4HttpRequestBodyStreamTests.java
index 0f35de483dc82..f268c3e6e744f 100644
--- a/modules/transport-netty4/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/http/netty4/Netty4HttpRequestBodyStreamTests.java
+++ b/modules/transport-netty4/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/http/netty4/Netty4HttpRequestBodyStreamTests.java
@@ -21,7 +21,6 @@
 import org.elasticsearch.common.bytes.ReleasableBytesReference;
 import org.elasticsearch.http.HttpBody;
 import org.elasticsearch.test.ESTestCase;
-import org.junit.Before;
 
 import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicBoolean;
@@ -33,20 +32,26 @@ public class Netty4HttpRequestBodyStreamTests extends ESTestCase {
     Netty4HttpRequestBodyStream stream;
     static HttpBody.ChunkHandler discardHandler = (chunk, isLast) -> chunk.close();
 
-    @Before
-    public void createStream() {
+    @Override
+    public void setUp() throws Exception {
+        super.setUp();
         channel = new EmbeddedChannel();
         stream = new Netty4HttpRequestBodyStream(channel);
         stream.setHandler(discardHandler); // set default handler, each test might override one
-        channel.pipeline().addLast(new SimpleChannelInboundHandler<HttpContent>() {
+        channel.pipeline().addLast(new SimpleChannelInboundHandler<HttpContent>(false) {
             @Override
             protected void channelRead0(ChannelHandlerContext ctx, HttpContent msg) {
-                msg.retain();
                 stream.handleNettyContent(msg);
             }
         });
     }
 
+    @Override
+    public void tearDown() throws Exception {
+        super.tearDown();
+        stream.close();
+    }
+
     // ensures that no chunks are sent downstream without request
     public void testEnqueueChunksBeforeRequest() {
         var totalChunks = randomIntBetween(1, 100);
@@ -63,6 +68,7 @@ public void testFlushAllReceivedChunks() {
         stream.setHandler((chunk, isLast) -> {
             chunks.add(chunk);
             totalBytes.addAndGet(chunk.length());
+            chunk.close();
         });
 
         var chunkSize = 1024;
@@ -84,6 +90,7 @@ public void testReadFromChannel() {
         stream.setHandler((chunk, isLast) -> {
             gotChunks.add(chunk);
             gotLast.set(isLast);
+            chunk.close();
         });
         channel.pipeline().addFirst(new FlowControlHandler()); // block all incoming messages, need explicit channel.read()
         var chunkSize = 1024;