diff --git a/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/CHANGES.txt b/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/CHANGES.txt
index 1494e887e1..f1fbb54b38 100644
--- a/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/CHANGES.txt
+++ b/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/CHANGES.txt
@@ -1106,6 +1106,8 @@ Release 0.23.5 - UNRELEASED
     HADOOP-8962. RawLocalFileSystem.listStatus fails when a child filename
     contains a colon (jlowe via bobby)
 
+    HADOOP-8986. Server$Call object is never released after it is sent (bobby)
+
 Release 0.23.4 - UNRELEASED
 
   INCOMPATIBLE CHANGES
diff --git a/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/ipc/Server.java b/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/ipc/Server.java
index bb2c2055e5..0c4670431b 100644
--- a/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/ipc/Server.java
+++ b/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/ipc/Server.java
@@ -974,6 +974,8 @@ private boolean processResponse(LinkedList<Call> responseQueue,
             return true;
           }
           if (!call.rpcResponse.hasRemaining()) {
+            //Clear out the response buffer so it can be collected
+            call.rpcResponse = null;
             call.connection.decRpcCount();
             if (numElements == 1) {    // last call fully processes.
               done = true;             // no more data for this channel.