diff --git a/providers/host/src/main/java/org/onosproject/provider/host/impl/HostLocationProvider.java b/providers/host/src/main/java/org/onosproject/provider/host/impl/HostLocationProvider.java
index 54c3eee..dc58dcc 100644
--- a/providers/host/src/main/java/org/onosproject/provider/host/impl/HostLocationProvider.java
+++ b/providers/host/src/main/java/org/onosproject/provider/host/impl/HostLocationProvider.java
@@ -176,6 +176,7 @@
     private int probeInitDelayMs = 1000;
 
     ExecutorService eventHandler;
+    private ExecutorService packetHandler;
     private ScheduledExecutorService hostProber;
 
     /**
@@ -190,6 +191,8 @@
         cfgService.registerProperties(getClass());
         appId = coreService.registerApplication("org.onosproject.provider.host");
         eventHandler = newSingleThreadScheduledExecutor(groupedThreads("onos/host-loc-provider", "event-handler", log));
+        packetHandler = newSingleThreadScheduledExecutor(groupedThreads("onos/host-loc-provider",
+                "packet-handler", log));
         hostProber = newScheduledThreadPool(32, groupedThreads("onos/host-loc-probe", "%d", log));
         providerService = providerRegistry.register(this);
         packetService.addProcessor(processor, PacketProcessor.advisor(1));
@@ -210,6 +213,7 @@
         packetService.removeProcessor(processor);
         deviceService.removeListener(deviceListener);
         eventHandler.shutdown();
+        packetHandler.shutdown();
         hostProber.shutdown();
         providerService = null;
         log.info("Stopped");
@@ -510,6 +514,10 @@
 
         @Override
         public void process(PacketContext context) {
+            packetHandler.execute(() -> processPacketInternal(context));
+        }
+
+        private void processPacketInternal(PacketContext context) {
             if (context == null) {
                 return;
             }