diff --git a/java/vector/src/main/java/org/apache/arrow/vector/BitVector.java b/java/vector/src/main/java/org/apache/arrow/vector/BitVector.java
index 7ce1236b2ec..072a12aa045 100644
--- a/java/vector/src/main/java/org/apache/arrow/vector/BitVector.java
+++ b/java/vector/src/main/java/org/apache/arrow/vector/BitVector.java
@@ -53,7 +53,6 @@ public BitVector(String name, BufferAllocator allocator) {
   public void load(ArrowFieldNode fieldNode, ArrowBuf data) {
     // When the vector is all nulls or all defined, the content of the buffer can be omitted
     if (data.readableBytes() == 0 && fieldNode.getLength() != 0) {
-      data.release();
       int count = fieldNode.getLength();
       allocateNew(count);
       int n = getSizeFromCount(count);
diff --git a/java/vector/src/test/java/org/apache/arrow/vector/TestVectorUnloadLoad.java b/java/vector/src/test/java/org/apache/arrow/vector/TestVectorUnloadLoad.java
index 9dfe8d840e4..3455efe245e 100644
--- a/java/vector/src/test/java/org/apache/arrow/vector/TestVectorUnloadLoad.java
+++ b/java/vector/src/test/java/org/apache/arrow/vector/TestVectorUnloadLoad.java
@@ -112,7 +112,8 @@ public void testLoadEmptyValidityBuffer() throws IOException {
         new Field("intNull", true, new ArrowType.Int(32, true), Collections.<Field>emptyList())
         ));
     int count = 10;
-    ArrowBuf validity = allocator.getEmpty();
+    // using Allocator.getEmpty() turns off ref counting
+    ArrowBuf validity = allocator.buffer(10).slice(0, 0);
     ArrowBuf values = allocator.buffer(count * 4); // integers
     for (int i = 0; i < count; i++) {
       values.setInt(i * 4, i);
@@ -153,6 +154,7 @@ public void testLoadEmptyValidityBuffer() throws IOException {
       assertFalse(intDefinedVector.getAccessor().isNull(count + 10));
       assertEquals(1234, intDefinedVector.getAccessor().get(count + 10));
     } finally {
+      validity.release();
       values.release();
     }
   }