diff --git a/java/memory/src/main/java/org/apache/arrow/memory/Accountant.java b/java/memory/src/main/java/org/apache/arrow/memory/Accountant.java
index 7a2531e4ae3..e041e7e02be 100644
--- a/java/memory/src/main/java/org/apache/arrow/memory/Accountant.java
+++ b/java/memory/src/main/java/org/apache/arrow/memory/Accountant.java
@@ -255,7 +255,9 @@ public long getHeadroom() {
       return localHeadroom;
     }
 
-    return Math.min(localHeadroom, parent.getHeadroom());
+    // Amount of reserved memory left on top of what parent has
+    long reservedHeadroom = Math.max(0, reservation - locallyHeldMemory.get());
+    return Math.min(localHeadroom, parent.getHeadroom() + reservedHeadroom);
   }
 
 }
diff --git a/java/memory/src/test/java/org/apache/arrow/memory/TestAccountant.java b/java/memory/src/test/java/org/apache/arrow/memory/TestAccountant.java
index a45de487625..db5d858e3a7 100644
--- a/java/memory/src/test/java/org/apache/arrow/memory/TestAccountant.java
+++ b/java/memory/src/test/java/org/apache/arrow/memory/TestAccountant.java
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ private void ensureAccurateReservations(Accountant outsideParent) {
 
     final Accountant child = new Accountant(parent, 2, Long.MAX_VALUE);
     assertEquals(2, parent.getAllocatedMemory());
-
+    assertEquals(10, child.getHeadroom());
     {
       AllocationOutcome first = child.allocateBytes(1);
       assertEquals(AllocationOutcome.SUCCESS, first);
@@ -139,7 +139,7 @@ private void ensureAccurateReservations(Accountant outsideParent) {
     child.releaseBytes(9);
 
     assertEquals(1, child.getAllocatedMemory());
-    assertEquals(8, child.getHeadroom());
+    assertEquals(9, child.getHeadroom());
 
     // back to reservation size
     assertEquals(2, parent.getAllocatedMemory());
@@ -164,7 +164,7 @@ private void ensureAccurateReservations(Accountant outsideParent) {
     child.releaseBytes(11);
     assertEquals(child.getAllocatedMemory(), 0);
     assertEquals(parent.getAllocatedMemory(), 2);
-    assertEquals(8, child.getHeadroom());
+    assertEquals(10, child.getHeadroom());
     assertEquals(8, parent.getHeadroom());
 
     child.close();