diff --git a/of/ctl/src/main/java/net/onrc/onos/of/ctl/internal/SwitchDriverSubHandshakeStateException.java b/of/ctl/src/main/java/net/onrc/onos/of/ctl/internal/SwitchDriverSubHandshakeStateException.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6091a86
--- /dev/null
+++ b/of/ctl/src/main/java/net/onrc/onos/of/ctl/internal/SwitchDriverSubHandshakeStateException.java
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+package net.onrc.onos.of.ctl.internal;
+
+/**
+ * Thrown when a switch driver's sub-handshake state-machine receives an
+ * unexpected OFMessage and/or is in an invald state.
+ *
+ */
+public class SwitchDriverSubHandshakeStateException extends
+    SwitchDriverSubHandshakeException {
+    private static final long serialVersionUID = -8249926069195147051L;
+
+    public SwitchDriverSubHandshakeStateException(String msg) {
+        super(msg);
+    }
+}