diff --git a/core/src/main/java/io/grpc/internal/Base64Deframer.java b/core/src/main/java/io/grpc/internal/Base64Deframer.java
index 9f826de6ecc..3983e7847b9 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/io/grpc/internal/Base64Deframer.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/io/grpc/internal/Base64Deframer.java
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ public void request(int numMessages) {
   @Override
   public void deframe(ReadableBuffer data) {
     // TODO: Make this more efficient.
-    try (data) {
+    try {
       int fill = Math.min(4 - bufferedBytes, data.readableBytes());
       data.readBytes(buffer, bufferedBytes, fill);
       bufferedBytes += fill;
@@ -79,6 +79,8 @@ public void deframe(ReadableBuffer data) {
       delegate.deframe(ReadableBuffers.wrap(decoded));
       bufferedBytes = data.readableBytes();
       data.readBytes(buffer, 0, bufferedBytes);
+    } finally {
+      data.close();
     }
   }