diff --git a/src/bytes.rs b/src/bytes.rs
index bbd7bdc..aed4d7c 100644
--- a/src/bytes.rs
+++ b/src/bytes.rs
@@ -567,7 +567,9 @@ impl Bytes {
     /// ```
     #[inline]
     pub fn truncate(&mut self, len: usize) {
-        if len < self.len {
+        if len == 0 {
+            drop(mem::replace(self, Bytes::new_empty_with_ptr(self.ptr)));
+        } else if len < self.len {
             // The Vec "promotable" vtables do not store the capacity,
             // so we cannot truncate while using this repr. We *have* to
             // promote using `split_off` so the capacity can be stored.
diff --git a/tests/test_bytes.rs b/tests/test_bytes.rs
index 80835f6..5d01b5b 100644
--- a/tests/test_bytes.rs
+++ b/tests/test_bytes.rs
@@ -339,6 +339,31 @@ fn truncate() {
     assert_eq!(hello, "hello");
 }
 
+#[test]
+fn truncate_to_zero_releases_shared_reference() {
+    let mut bytes = BytesMut::from(&b"hello"[..]);
+    drop(bytes.split_off(bytes.len()));
+    let mut truncated = bytes.freeze();
+    let remaining = truncated.clone();
+
+    truncated.truncate(0);
+
+    assert!(truncated.is_empty());
+    let mut remaining = remaining.try_into_mut().unwrap();
+    remaining[0] = b'H';
+    assert_eq!(remaining, b"Hello"[..]);
+
+    let mut bytes = BytesMut::from(&b"hello"[..]);
+    drop(bytes.split_off(bytes.len()));
+    let mut nonempty = bytes.freeze();
+    let remaining = nonempty.clone();
+
+    nonempty.truncate(1);
+
+    assert_eq!(nonempty, b"h"[..]);
+    assert!(remaining.try_into_mut().is_err());
+}
+
 #[test]
 fn freeze_clone_shared() {
     let s = &b"abcdefgh"[..];