diff --git a/core/src/main/java/io/grpc/internal/ForwardingReadableBuffer.java b/core/src/main/java/io/grpc/internal/ForwardingReadableBuffer.java
index 1d7b412e19..06d04b6de2 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/io/grpc/internal/ForwardingReadableBuffer.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/io/grpc/internal/ForwardingReadableBuffer.java
@@ -97,6 +97,11 @@ public abstract class ForwardingReadableBuffer implements ReadableBuffer {
     return buf.arrayOffset();
   }
 
+  @Override
+  public void touch() {
+    buf.touch();
+  }
+
   @Override
   public boolean markSupported() {
     return buf.markSupported();
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/io/grpc/internal/MessageDeframer.java b/core/src/main/java/io/grpc/internal/MessageDeframer.java
index f43676c409..c8b250c214 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/io/grpc/internal/MessageDeframer.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/io/grpc/internal/MessageDeframer.java
@@ -409,6 +409,7 @@ public class MessageDeframer implements Closeable, Deframer {
     statsTraceCtx.inboundMessageRead(currentMessageSeqNo, inboundBodyWireSize, -1);
     inboundBodyWireSize = 0;
     InputStream stream = compressedFlag ? getCompressedBody() : getUncompressedBody();
+    nextFrame.touch();
     nextFrame = null;
     listener.messagesAvailable(new SingleMessageProducer(stream));
 
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/io/grpc/internal/ReadableBuffer.java b/core/src/main/java/io/grpc/internal/ReadableBuffer.java
index b47501a994..6963c78203 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/io/grpc/internal/ReadableBuffer.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/io/grpc/internal/ReadableBuffer.java
@@ -124,6 +124,14 @@ public interface ReadableBuffer extends Closeable {
    */
   int arrayOffset();
 
+  /**
+   * Note that the current callsite has access to this buffer, or do nothing. This is only useful
+   * when the buffer has leak detection and intrumentation to record usages before the buffer was
+   * leaked. That can make it much easier to track down where the buffer was leaked. If this isn't
+   * such a buffer, the method does nothing.
+   */
+  default void touch() {}
+
   /**
    * Indicates whether or not {@link #mark} operation is supported for this buffer.
    */
diff --git a/netty/src/main/java/io/grpc/netty/NettyReadableBuffer.java b/netty/src/main/java/io/grpc/netty/NettyReadableBuffer.java
index cce58f1e60..7e180544de 100644
--- a/netty/src/main/java/io/grpc/netty/NettyReadableBuffer.java
+++ b/netty/src/main/java/io/grpc/netty/NettyReadableBuffer.java
@@ -94,6 +94,11 @@ class NettyReadableBuffer extends AbstractReadableBuffer {
     return buffer.arrayOffset() + buffer.readerIndex();
   }
 
+  @Override
+  public void touch() {
+    buffer.touch();
+  }
+
   @Override
   public boolean markSupported() {
     return true;