diff --git a/spring-messaging/src/main/java/org/springframework/messaging/handler/annotation/reactive/PayloadMethodArgumentResolver.java b/spring-messaging/src/main/java/org/springframework/messaging/handler/annotation/reactive/PayloadMethodArgumentResolver.java
index 0dffe73b8b..c36a99ba97 100644
--- a/spring-messaging/src/main/java/org/springframework/messaging/handler/annotation/reactive/PayloadMethodArgumentResolver.java
+++ b/spring-messaging/src/main/java/org/springframework/messaging/handler/annotation/reactive/PayloadMethodArgumentResolver.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright 2002-2019 the original author or authors.
+ * Copyright 2002-2021 the original author or authors.
  *
  * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
  * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ import org.springframework.core.annotation.AnnotationUtils;
 import org.springframework.core.codec.Decoder;
 import org.springframework.core.codec.DecodingException;
 import org.springframework.core.io.buffer.DataBuffer;
+import org.springframework.core.io.buffer.DataBufferUtils;
 import org.springframework.lang.Nullable;
 import org.springframework.messaging.Message;
 import org.springframework.messaging.MessageHeaders;
@@ -232,6 +233,7 @@ public class PayloadMethodArgumentResolver implements HandlerMethodArgumentResol
 			if (decoder.canDecode(elementType, mimeType)) {
 				if (adapter != null && adapter.isMultiValue()) {
 					Flux<?> flux = content
+							.filter(this::nonEmptyDataBuffer)
 							.map(buffer -> decoder.decode(buffer, elementType, mimeType, hints))
 							.onErrorResume(ex -> Flux.error(handleReadError(parameter, message, ex)));
 					if (isContentRequired) {
@@ -245,6 +247,7 @@ public class PayloadMethodArgumentResolver implements HandlerMethodArgumentResol
 				else {
 					// Single-value (with or without reactive type wrapper)
 					Mono<?> mono = content.next()
+							.filter(this::nonEmptyDataBuffer)
 							.map(buffer -> decoder.decode(buffer, elementType, mimeType, hints))
 							.onErrorResume(ex -> Mono.error(handleReadError(parameter, message, ex)));
 					if (isContentRequired) {
@@ -262,6 +265,14 @@ public class PayloadMethodArgumentResolver implements HandlerMethodArgumentResol
 				message, parameter, "Cannot decode to [" + targetType + "]" + message));
 	}
 
+	private boolean nonEmptyDataBuffer(DataBuffer buffer) {
+		if (buffer.readableByteCount() > 0) {
+			return true;
+		}
+		DataBufferUtils.release(buffer);
+		return false;
+	}
+
 	private Throwable handleReadError(MethodParameter parameter, Message<?> message, Throwable ex) {
 		return ex instanceof DecodingException ?
 				new MethodArgumentResolutionException(message, parameter, "Failed to read HTTP message", ex) : ex;
diff --git a/spring-messaging/src/test/java/org/springframework/messaging/rsocket/RSocketClientToServerIntegrationTests.java b/spring-messaging/src/test/java/org/springframework/messaging/rsocket/RSocketClientToServerIntegrationTests.java
index 8dfd587ac9..12e416645d 100644
--- a/spring-messaging/src/test/java/org/springframework/messaging/rsocket/RSocketClientToServerIntegrationTests.java
+++ b/spring-messaging/src/test/java/org/springframework/messaging/rsocket/RSocketClientToServerIntegrationTests.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright 2002-2020 the original author or authors.
+ * Copyright 2002-2021 the original author or authors.
  *
  * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
  * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
@@ -19,7 +19,6 @@ package org.springframework.messaging.rsocket;
 import java.time.Duration;
 import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicInteger;
 
-import io.rsocket.Payload;
 import io.rsocket.RSocket;
 import io.rsocket.SocketAcceptor;
 import io.rsocket.core.RSocketServer;
@@ -43,6 +42,7 @@ import org.springframework.context.annotation.Configuration;
 import org.springframework.messaging.handler.annotation.Header;
 import org.springframework.messaging.handler.annotation.MessageExceptionHandler;
 import org.springframework.messaging.handler.annotation.MessageMapping;
+import org.springframework.messaging.handler.annotation.Payload;
 import org.springframework.messaging.rsocket.annotation.ConnectMapping;
 import org.springframework.messaging.rsocket.annotation.support.RSocketMessageHandler;
 import org.springframework.stereotype.Controller;
@@ -164,6 +164,12 @@ public class RSocketClientToServerIntegrationTests {
 				.verify(Duration.ofSeconds(5));
 	}
 
+	@Test // gh-26344
+	public void echoChannelWithEmptyInput() {
+		Flux<String> result = requester.route("echo-channel-empty").data(Flux.empty()).retrieveFlux(String.class);
+		StepVerifier.create(result).verifyComplete();
+	}
+
 	@Test
 	public void metadataPush() {
 		Flux.just("bar", "baz")
@@ -254,6 +260,11 @@ public class RSocketClientToServerIntegrationTests {
 			return payloads.delayElements(Duration.ofMillis(10)).map(payload -> payload + " async");
 		}
 
+		@MessageMapping("echo-channel-empty")
+		Flux<String> echoChannelEmpty(@Payload(required = false) Flux<String> payloads) {
+			return payloads.map(payload -> payload + " echoed");
+		}
+
 		@MessageMapping("thrown-exception")
 		Mono<String> handleAndThrow(String payload) {
 			throw new IllegalArgumentException("Invalid input error");
@@ -338,29 +349,29 @@ public class RSocketClientToServerIntegrationTests {
 		}
 
 		@Override
-		public Mono<Void> fireAndForget(Payload payload) {
+		public Mono<Void> fireAndForget(io.rsocket.Payload payload) {
 			return this.delegate.fireAndForget(payload)
 					.doOnSuccess(aVoid -> this.fireAndForgetCount.incrementAndGet());
 		}
 
 		@Override
-		public Mono<Void> metadataPush(Payload payload) {
+		public Mono<Void> metadataPush(io.rsocket.Payload payload) {
 			return this.delegate.metadataPush(payload)
 					.doOnSuccess(aVoid -> this.metadataPushCount.incrementAndGet());
 		}
 
 		@Override
-		public Mono<Payload> requestResponse(Payload payload) {
+		public Mono<io.rsocket.Payload> requestResponse(io.rsocket.Payload payload) {
 			return this.delegate.requestResponse(payload);
 		}
 
 		@Override
-		public Flux<Payload> requestStream(Payload payload) {
+		public Flux<io.rsocket.Payload> requestStream(io.rsocket.Payload payload) {
 			return this.delegate.requestStream(payload);
 		}
 
 		@Override
-		public Flux<Payload> requestChannel(Publisher<Payload> payloads) {
+		public Flux<io.rsocket.Payload> requestChannel(Publisher<io.rsocket.Payload> payloads) {
 			return this.delegate.requestChannel(payloads);
 		}
 	}