diff --git a/core/net/src/main/java/org/onosproject/net/flowobjective/impl/FlowObjectiveManager.java b/core/net/src/main/java/org/onosproject/net/flowobjective/impl/FlowObjectiveManager.java
index 37bf9d2..47b63ed 100644
--- a/core/net/src/main/java/org/onosproject/net/flowobjective/impl/FlowObjectiveManager.java
+++ b/core/net/src/main/java/org/onosproject/net/flowobjective/impl/FlowObjectiveManager.java
@@ -38,7 +38,6 @@
 import org.onosproject.net.device.DeviceEvent;
 import org.onosproject.net.device.DeviceListener;
 import org.onosproject.net.device.DeviceService;
-import org.onosproject.net.driver.DefaultDriverProviderService;
 import org.onosproject.net.driver.DriverHandler;
 import org.onosproject.net.driver.DriverService;
 import org.onosproject.net.flow.FlowRuleService;
@@ -117,12 +116,6 @@
     @Reference(cardinality = ReferenceCardinality.MANDATORY_UNARY)
     protected ComponentConfigService cfgService;
 
-    // Note: This must remain an optional dependency to allow re-install of default drivers.
-    // Note: For now disabled until we can move to OPTIONAL_UNARY dependency
-    // @Reference(cardinality = ReferenceCardinality.OPTIONAL_UNARY, policy = ReferencePolicy.DYNAMIC)
-    @Reference(cardinality = ReferenceCardinality.MANDATORY_UNARY)
-    protected DefaultDriverProviderService defaultDriverService;
-
     private final FlowObjectiveStoreDelegate delegate = new InternalStoreDelegate();
 
     private final Map<DeviceId, DriverHandler> driverHandlers = Maps.newConcurrentMap();
diff --git a/core/net/src/main/java/org/onosproject/net/flowobjective/impl/composition/FlowObjectiveCompositionManager.java b/core/net/src/main/java/org/onosproject/net/flowobjective/impl/composition/FlowObjectiveCompositionManager.java
index c33a2f4..3e0d2eb 100644
--- a/core/net/src/main/java/org/onosproject/net/flowobjective/impl/composition/FlowObjectiveCompositionManager.java
+++ b/core/net/src/main/java/org/onosproject/net/flowobjective/impl/composition/FlowObjectiveCompositionManager.java
@@ -36,7 +36,6 @@
 import org.onosproject.net.device.DeviceEvent;
 import org.onosproject.net.device.DeviceListener;
 import org.onosproject.net.device.DeviceService;
-import org.onosproject.net.driver.DefaultDriverProviderService;
 import org.onosproject.net.driver.DriverHandler;
 import org.onosproject.net.driver.DriverService;
 import org.onosproject.net.flow.FlowRuleService;
@@ -119,12 +118,6 @@
     @Reference(cardinality = ReferenceCardinality.MANDATORY_UNARY)
     protected FlowObjectiveStore flowObjectiveStore;
 
-    // Note: This must remain an optional dependency to allow re-install of default drivers.
-    // Note: For now disabled until we can move to OPTIONAL_UNARY dependency
-    // @Reference(cardinality = ReferenceCardinality.OPTIONAL_UNARY, policy = ReferencePolicy.DYNAMIC)
-    @Reference(cardinality = ReferenceCardinality.MANDATORY_UNARY)
-    protected DefaultDriverProviderService defaultDriverService;
-
     private final FlowObjectiveStoreDelegate delegate = new InternalStoreDelegate();
 
     private final Map<DeviceId, DriverHandler> driverHandlers = Maps.newConcurrentMap();
@@ -282,16 +275,10 @@
 
     // Retrieves the device pipeline behaviour from the cache.
     private Pipeliner getDevicePipeliner(DeviceId deviceId) {
-        Pipeliner pipeliner = pipeliners.get(deviceId);
-        return pipeliner;
+        return pipeliners.get(deviceId);
     }
 
     private void setupPipelineHandler(DeviceId deviceId) {
-        if (defaultDriverService == null) {
-            // We're not ready to go to work yet.
-            return;
-        }
-
         // Attempt to lookup the handler in the cache
         DriverHandler handler = driverHandlers.get(deviceId);
         if (handler == null) {