diff --git a/flink-core/src/main/java/org/apache/flink/core/memory/HybridMemorySegment.java b/flink-core/src/main/java/org/apache/flink/core/memory/HybridMemorySegment.java
index fbb9837be555a..fec0b55f48c54 100644
--- a/flink-core/src/main/java/org/apache/flink/core/memory/HybridMemorySegment.java
+++ b/flink-core/src/main/java/org/apache/flink/core/memory/HybridMemorySegment.java
@@ -57,10 +57,6 @@ public final class HybridMemorySegment extends MemorySegment {
 	@Nullable
 	private final ByteBuffer offHeapBuffer;
 
-	/** The cleaner is called to free the underlying native memory. */
-	@Nullable
-	private final Runnable cleaner;
-
 	/**
 	  * Creates a new memory segment that represents the memory backing the given direct byte buffer.
 	  * Note that the given ByteBuffer must be direct {@link java.nio.ByteBuffer#allocateDirect(int)},
@@ -70,13 +66,11 @@ public final class HybridMemorySegment extends MemorySegment {
 	  *
 	  * @param buffer The byte buffer whose memory is represented by this memory segment.
 	  * @param owner The owner references by this memory segment.
-	  * @param cleaner optional action to run upon freeing the segment.
 	  * @throws IllegalArgumentException Thrown, if the given ByteBuffer is not direct.
 	  */
-	HybridMemorySegment(@Nonnull ByteBuffer buffer, @Nullable Object owner, @Nullable Runnable cleaner) {
+	HybridMemorySegment(@Nonnull ByteBuffer buffer, @Nullable Object owner) {
 		super(checkBufferAndGetAddress(buffer), buffer.capacity(), owner);
 		this.offHeapBuffer = buffer;
-		this.cleaner = cleaner;
 	}
 
 	/**
@@ -90,7 +84,6 @@ public final class HybridMemorySegment extends MemorySegment {
 	HybridMemorySegment(byte[] buffer, Object owner) {
 		super(buffer, owner);
 		this.offHeapBuffer = null;
-		this.cleaner = null;
 	}
 
 	// -------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -133,14 +126,6 @@ public ByteBuffer wrap(int offset, int length) {
 		}
 	}
 
-	@Override
-	public void free() {
-		super.free();
-		if (cleaner != null) {
-			cleaner.run();
-		}
-	}
-
 	// ------------------------------------------------------------------------
 	//  Random Access get() and put() methods
 	// ------------------------------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/flink-core/src/main/java/org/apache/flink/core/memory/MemorySegmentFactory.java b/flink-core/src/main/java/org/apache/flink/core/memory/MemorySegmentFactory.java
index c297a2648047e..26f05825793ba 100644
--- a/flink-core/src/main/java/org/apache/flink/core/memory/MemorySegmentFactory.java
+++ b/flink-core/src/main/java/org/apache/flink/core/memory/MemorySegmentFactory.java
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ public static MemorySegment allocateUnpooledOffHeapMemory(int size) {
 	 */
 	public static MemorySegment allocateUnpooledOffHeapMemory(int size, Object owner) {
 		ByteBuffer memory = ByteBuffer.allocateDirect(size);
-		return new HybridMemorySegment(memory, owner, null);
+		return new HybridMemorySegment(memory, owner);
 	}
 
 	/**
@@ -112,7 +112,8 @@ public static MemorySegment allocateUnpooledOffHeapMemory(int size, Object owner
 	public static MemorySegment allocateOffHeapUnsafeMemory(int size, Object owner) {
 		long address = MemoryUtils.allocateUnsafe(size);
 		ByteBuffer offHeapBuffer = MemoryUtils.wrapUnsafeMemoryWithByteBuffer(address, size);
-		return new HybridMemorySegment(offHeapBuffer, owner, MemoryUtils.createMemoryGcCleaner(offHeapBuffer, address));
+		MemoryUtils.createMemoryGcCleaner(offHeapBuffer, address);
+		return new HybridMemorySegment(offHeapBuffer, owner);
 	}
 
 	/**
@@ -126,7 +127,7 @@ public static MemorySegment allocateOffHeapUnsafeMemory(int size, Object owner)
 	 * @return A new memory segment representing the given off-heap memory.
 	 */
 	public static MemorySegment wrapOffHeapMemory(ByteBuffer memory) {
-		return new HybridMemorySegment(memory, null, null);
+		return new HybridMemorySegment(memory, null);
 	}
 
 }
diff --git a/flink-core/src/test/java/org/apache/flink/core/memory/MemorySegmentChecksTest.java b/flink-core/src/test/java/org/apache/flink/core/memory/MemorySegmentChecksTest.java
index 3e3e267a44c86..09619cdd2ad97 100644
--- a/flink-core/src/test/java/org/apache/flink/core/memory/MemorySegmentChecksTest.java
+++ b/flink-core/src/test/java/org/apache/flink/core/memory/MemorySegmentChecksTest.java
@@ -46,12 +46,12 @@ public void testHybridHeapNullBuffer2() {
 
 	@Test(expected = NullPointerException.class)
 	public void testHybridOffHeapNullBuffer2() {
-		new HybridMemorySegment(null, new Object(), () -> {});
+		new HybridMemorySegment((ByteBuffer) null, new Object());
 	}
 
 	@Test(expected = IllegalArgumentException.class)
 	public void testHybridNonDirectBuffer() {
-		new HybridMemorySegment(ByteBuffer.allocate(1024), new Object(), () -> {});
+		new HybridMemorySegment(ByteBuffer.allocate(1024), new Object());
 	}
 
 	@Test(expected = IllegalArgumentException.class)