diff --git a/spring-test/src/main/java/org/springframework/test/web/reactive/server/WiretapConnector.java b/spring-test/src/main/java/org/springframework/test/web/reactive/server/WiretapConnector.java
index bfb88b57bfe..4a0aa9516a5 100644
--- a/spring-test/src/main/java/org/springframework/test/web/reactive/server/WiretapConnector.java
+++ b/spring-test/src/main/java/org/springframework/test/web/reactive/server/WiretapConnector.java
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ import reactor.core.publisher.Mono;
 import reactor.core.publisher.Sinks;
 
 import org.springframework.core.io.buffer.DataBuffer;
+import org.springframework.core.io.buffer.DataBufferUtils;
 import org.springframework.core.io.buffer.DefaultDataBufferFactory;
 import org.springframework.http.HttpMethod;
 import org.springframework.http.client.reactive.ClientHttpConnector;
@@ -196,11 +197,21 @@ class WiretapConnector implements ClientHttpConnector {
 					//  1. Mock server never consumed request body (for example, error before read)
 					//  2. FluxExchangeResult: getResponseBodyContent called before getResponseBody
 					//noinspection ConstantConditions
-					(this.publisher != null ? this.publisher : this.publisherNested)
-							.onErrorMap(ex -> new IllegalStateException(
-									"Content has not been consumed, and " +
-											"an error was raised while attempting to produce it.", ex))
-							.subscribe();
+					if (this.publisher != null) {
+						this.publisher.doOnNext(DataBufferUtils::release)
+								.onErrorMap(ex -> new IllegalStateException(
+										"Content has not been consumed, and " +
+												"an error was raised while attempting to produce it.", ex))
+								.subscribe();
+					}
+					else if (this.publisherNested != null) {
+						this.publisherNested
+								.map(pub -> Flux.from(pub).doOnNext(DataBufferUtils::release))
+								.onErrorMap(ex -> new IllegalStateException(
+										"Content has not been consumed, and " +
+												"an error was raised while attempting to produce it.", ex))
+								.subscribe();
+					}
 				}
 				return this.content.asMono();
 			});
diff --git a/spring-test/src/test/java/org/springframework/test/web/reactive/server/WiretapConnectorTests.java b/spring-test/src/test/java/org/springframework/test/web/reactive/server/WiretapConnectorTests.java
index 4e0e44379f2..24866a8df0c 100644
--- a/spring-test/src/test/java/org/springframework/test/web/reactive/server/WiretapConnectorTests.java
+++ b/spring-test/src/test/java/org/springframework/test/web/reactive/server/WiretapConnectorTests.java
@@ -17,11 +17,18 @@
 package org.springframework.test.web.reactive.server;
 
 import java.net.URI;
+import java.nio.charset.StandardCharsets;
 import java.time.Duration;
 
+import io.netty.buffer.PooledByteBufAllocator;
+import org.junit.jupiter.api.AfterEach;
 import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test;
+import reactor.core.publisher.Flux;
 import reactor.core.publisher.Mono;
 
+import org.springframework.core.io.buffer.DataBuffer;
+import org.springframework.core.io.buffer.NettyDataBufferFactory;
+import org.springframework.core.testfixture.io.buffer.LeakAwareDataBufferFactory;
 import org.springframework.http.HttpMethod;
 import org.springframework.http.HttpStatus;
 import org.springframework.http.client.reactive.ClientHttpConnector;
@@ -30,6 +37,7 @@ import org.springframework.http.client.reactive.ClientHttpResponse;
 import org.springframework.mock.http.client.reactive.MockClientHttpRequest;
 import org.springframework.mock.http.client.reactive.MockClientHttpResponse;
 import org.springframework.web.reactive.function.client.ClientRequest;
+import org.springframework.web.reactive.function.client.ClientResponse;
 import org.springframework.web.reactive.function.client.ExchangeFunction;
 import org.springframework.web.reactive.function.client.ExchangeFunctions;
 
@@ -44,11 +52,19 @@ import static org.assertj.core.api.Assertions.assertThat;
  */
 public class WiretapConnectorTests {
 
+	private final LeakAwareDataBufferFactory bufferFactory =
+			new LeakAwareDataBufferFactory(new NettyDataBufferFactory(PooledByteBufAllocator.DEFAULT));
+
+	@AfterEach
+	void tearDown() {
+		this.bufferFactory.checkForLeaks();
+	}
+
 	@Test
 	public void captureAndClaim() {
 		ClientHttpRequest request = new MockClientHttpRequest(HttpMethod.GET, "/test");
 		ClientHttpResponse response = new MockClientHttpResponse(HttpStatus.OK);
-		ClientHttpConnector connector = (method, uri, fn) -> fn.apply(request).then(Mono.just(response));
+		ClientHttpConnector connector = createConnector(request, response);
 
 		ClientRequest clientRequest = ClientRequest.create(HttpMethod.GET, URI.create("/test"))
 				.header(WebTestClient.WEBTESTCLIENT_REQUEST_ID, "1").build();
@@ -62,4 +78,47 @@ public class WiretapConnectorTests {
 		assertThat(result.getUrl().toString()).isEqualTo("/test");
 	}
 
+	@Test
+	void shouldReleaseBuffers() {
+		MockClientHttpRequest request = new MockClientHttpRequest(HttpMethod.GET, "/test");
+		MockClientHttpResponse response = new MockClientHttpResponse(HttpStatus.OK);
+		response.setBody(Flux.just(toDataBuffer("Hello Spring")));
+		ClientHttpConnector connector = createConnector(request, response);
+
+		ClientRequest clientRequest = ClientRequest.create(HttpMethod.GET, URI.create("/test"))
+				.header(WebTestClient.WEBTESTCLIENT_REQUEST_ID, "1").build();
+
+		WiretapConnector wiretapConnector = new WiretapConnector(connector, null);
+		ExchangeFunction function = ExchangeFunctions.create(wiretapConnector);
+		function.exchange(clientRequest).block(ofMillis(0));
+		ExchangeResult result = wiretapConnector.getExchangeResult("1", null, Duration.ZERO);
+		result.getResponseBodyContent();
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	void shouldReleaseBuffersOnlyOnce() {
+		MockClientHttpRequest request = new MockClientHttpRequest(HttpMethod.GET, "/test");
+		MockClientHttpResponse response = new MockClientHttpResponse(HttpStatus.OK);
+		response.setBody(Flux.just(toDataBuffer("Hello Spring"), toDataBuffer("Hello Spring"), toDataBuffer("Hello Spring"), toDataBuffer("Hello Spring")));
+		ClientHttpConnector connector = createConnector(request, response);
+
+		ClientRequest clientRequest = ClientRequest.create(HttpMethod.GET, URI.create("/test"))
+				.header(WebTestClient.WEBTESTCLIENT_REQUEST_ID, "1").build();
+
+		WiretapConnector wiretapConnector = new WiretapConnector(connector, null);
+		ExchangeFunction function = ExchangeFunctions.create(wiretapConnector);
+		function.exchange(clientRequest).flatMap(ClientResponse::releaseBody).block(ofMillis(0));
+		ExchangeResult result = wiretapConnector.getExchangeResult("1", null, Duration.ZERO);
+		result.getResponseBodyContent();
+	}
+
+	private ClientHttpConnector createConnector(ClientHttpRequest request, ClientHttpResponse response) {
+		return (method, uri, fn) -> fn.apply(request).then(Mono.just(response));
+	}
+
+	private DataBuffer toDataBuffer(String s) {
+		DataBuffer buffer = this.bufferFactory.allocateBuffer(256);
+		buffer.write(s.getBytes(StandardCharsets.UTF_8));
+		return buffer;
+	}
 }