diff --git a/managed-ledger/src/main/java/org/apache/bookkeeper/mledger/impl/OpAddEntry.java b/managed-ledger/src/main/java/org/apache/bookkeeper/mledger/impl/OpAddEntry.java
index fc3054ecdf92d..e30c578fb556d 100644
--- a/managed-ledger/src/main/java/org/apache/bookkeeper/mledger/impl/OpAddEntry.java
+++ b/managed-ledger/src/main/java/org/apache/bookkeeper/mledger/impl/OpAddEntry.java
@@ -197,17 +197,17 @@ public void safeRun() {
         ml.lastConfirmedEntry = lastEntry;
 
         if (closeWhenDone) {
-            ReferenceCountUtil.release(data);
             log.info("[{}] Closing ledger {} for being full", ml.getName(), ledger.getId());
+            // `data` will be released in `closeComplete`
             ledger.asyncClose(this, ctx);
         } else {
             updateLatency();
             AddEntryCallback cb = callbackUpdater.getAndSet(this, null);
             if (cb != null) {
                 cb.addComplete(lastEntry, data.asReadOnly(), ctx);
-                ReferenceCountUtil.release(data);
                 ml.notifyCursors();
                 ml.notifyWaitingEntryCallBacks();
+                ReferenceCountUtil.release(data);
                 this.recycle();
             } else {
                 ReferenceCountUtil.release(data);
@@ -231,10 +231,13 @@ public void closeComplete(int rc, LedgerHandle lh, Object ctx) {
 
         AddEntryCallback cb = callbackUpdater.getAndSet(this, null);
         if (cb != null) {
-            cb.addComplete(PositionImpl.get(lh.getId(), entryId), null, ctx);
+            cb.addComplete(PositionImpl.get(lh.getId(), entryId), data.asReadOnly(), ctx);
             ml.notifyCursors();
             ml.notifyWaitingEntryCallBacks();
+            ReferenceCountUtil.release(data);
             this.recycle();
+        } else {
+            ReferenceCountUtil.release(data);
         }
     }
 
@@ -345,5 +348,4 @@ public String toString() {
                 ", dataLength=" + dataLength +
                 '}';
     }
-
 }
diff --git a/managed-ledger/src/test/java/org/apache/bookkeeper/mledger/impl/ManagedLedgerTest.java b/managed-ledger/src/test/java/org/apache/bookkeeper/mledger/impl/ManagedLedgerTest.java
index 80189820721a9..9bca66351f3d0 100644
--- a/managed-ledger/src/test/java/org/apache/bookkeeper/mledger/impl/ManagedLedgerTest.java
+++ b/managed-ledger/src/test/java/org/apache/bookkeeper/mledger/impl/ManagedLedgerTest.java
@@ -552,13 +552,15 @@ private byte[] copyBytesFromByteBuf(final ByteBuf buf) {
 
     @Test(timeOut = 20000)
     public void asyncAddEntryWithoutError() throws Exception {
-        ManagedLedger ledger = factory.open("my_test_ledger");
+        ManagedLedger ledger = factory.open("my_test_ledger",
+                new ManagedLedgerConfig().setMaxEntriesPerLedger(2));
         ledger.openCursor("test-cursor");
 
-        final CountDownLatch counter = new CountDownLatch(1);
+        final int count = 4;
+        final CountDownLatch counter = new CountDownLatch(count);
 
         final byte[] bytes = "dummy-entry-1".getBytes(Encoding);
-        ledger.asyncAddEntry(bytes, new AddEntryCallback() {
+        AddEntryCallback callback = new AddEntryCallback() {
             @Override
             public void addComplete(Position position, ByteBuf entryData, Object ctx) {
                 assertNull(ctx);
@@ -579,11 +581,14 @@ public void addFailed(ManagedLedgerException exception, Object ctx) {
                 fail(exception.getMessage());
             }
 
-        }, null);
+        };
+        for (int i = 0; i < count; i++) {
+            ledger.asyncAddEntry(bytes, callback, null);
+        }
 
         counter.await();
-        assertEquals(ledger.getNumberOfEntries(), 1);
-        assertEquals(ledger.getTotalSize(), "dummy-entry-1".getBytes(Encoding).length);
+        assertEquals(ledger.getNumberOfEntries(), count);
+        assertEquals(ledger.getTotalSize(), "dummy-entry-1".getBytes(Encoding).length * count);
     }
 
     @Test(timeOut = 20000)