diff --git a/handler/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/traffic/AbstractTrafficShapingHandler.java b/handler/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/traffic/AbstractTrafficShapingHandler.java
index c76d9d33486..7b0b56eedc4 100644
--- a/handler/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/traffic/AbstractTrafficShapingHandler.java
+++ b/handler/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/traffic/AbstractTrafficShapingHandler.java
@@ -142,7 +142,7 @@ void setTrafficCounter(TrafficCounter newTrafficCounter) {
      *              for GlobalChannel TSH it is defined as
      *              {@value #GLOBALCHANNEL_DEFAULT_USER_DEFINED_WRITABILITY_INDEX}.
      */
-    int userDefinedWritabilityIndex() {
+    protected int userDefinedWritabilityIndex() {
         if (this instanceof GlobalChannelTrafficShapingHandler) {
             return GLOBALCHANNEL_DEFAULT_USER_DEFINED_WRITABILITY_INDEX;
         } else if (this instanceof GlobalTrafficShapingHandler) {
diff --git a/handler/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/traffic/GlobalChannelTrafficShapingHandler.java b/handler/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/traffic/GlobalChannelTrafficShapingHandler.java
index 91a68f0a0e0..8b257eb7f05 100644
--- a/handler/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/traffic/GlobalChannelTrafficShapingHandler.java
+++ b/handler/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/traffic/GlobalChannelTrafficShapingHandler.java
@@ -156,7 +156,7 @@ void createGlobalTrafficCounter(ScheduledExecutorService executor) {
     }
 
     @Override
-    int userDefinedWritabilityIndex() {
+    protected int userDefinedWritabilityIndex() {
         return AbstractTrafficShapingHandler.GLOBALCHANNEL_DEFAULT_USER_DEFINED_WRITABILITY_INDEX;
     }