diff --git a/utils/netty/src/main/java/org/onlab/netty/NettyMessagingService.java b/utils/netty/src/main/java/org/onlab/netty/NettyMessagingService.java
index 26d835d..6e5aa89 100644
--- a/utils/netty/src/main/java/org/onlab/netty/NettyMessagingService.java
+++ b/utils/netty/src/main/java/org/onlab/netty/NettyMessagingService.java
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 import java.util.concurrent.ConcurrentHashMap;
 import java.util.concurrent.ConcurrentMap;
 import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;
+import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicLong;
 
 import io.netty.bootstrap.Bootstrap;
 import io.netty.bootstrap.ServerBootstrap;
@@ -26,7 +27,6 @@
 import io.netty.channel.socket.nio.NioServerSocketChannel;
 import io.netty.channel.socket.nio.NioSocketChannel;
 
-import org.apache.commons.lang.math.RandomUtils;
 import org.apache.commons.pool.KeyedPoolableObjectFactory;
 import org.apache.commons.pool.impl.GenericKeyedObjectPool;
 import org.slf4j.Logger;
@@ -34,6 +34,8 @@
 
 import com.google.common.cache.Cache;
 import com.google.common.cache.CacheBuilder;
+import com.google.common.util.concurrent.ListenableFuture;
+import com.google.common.util.concurrent.SettableFuture;
 
 /**
  * A Netty based implementation of MessagingService.
@@ -44,7 +46,8 @@
 
     private final Endpoint localEp;
     private final ConcurrentMap<String, MessageHandler> handlers = new ConcurrentHashMap<>();
-    private final Cache<Long, AsyncResponse> responseFutures = CacheBuilder.newBuilder()
+    private final AtomicLong messageIdGenerator = new AtomicLong(0);
+    private final Cache<Long, SettableFuture<byte[]>> responseFutures = CacheBuilder.newBuilder()
             .maximumSize(100000)
             .weakValues()
             // TODO: Once the entry expires, notify blocking threads (if any).
@@ -119,7 +122,7 @@
     @Override
     public void sendAsync(Endpoint ep, String type, byte[] payload) throws IOException {
         InternalMessage message = new InternalMessage.Builder(this)
-            .withId(RandomUtils.nextLong())
+            .withId(messageIdGenerator.incrementAndGet())
             .withSender(localEp)
             .withType(type)
             .withPayload(payload)
@@ -142,10 +145,10 @@
     }
 
     @Override
-    public Response sendAndReceive(Endpoint ep, String type, byte[] payload)
+    public ListenableFuture<byte[]> sendAndReceive(Endpoint ep, String type, byte[] payload)
             throws IOException {
-        AsyncResponse futureResponse = new AsyncResponse();
-        Long messageId = RandomUtils.nextLong();
+        SettableFuture<byte[]> futureResponse = SettableFuture.create();
+        Long messageId = messageIdGenerator.incrementAndGet();
         responseFutures.put(messageId, futureResponse);
         InternalMessage message = new InternalMessage.Builder(this)
             .withId(messageId)
@@ -267,10 +270,10 @@
             String type = message.type();
             if (type.equals(InternalMessage.REPLY_MESSAGE_TYPE)) {
                 try {
-                    AsyncResponse futureResponse =
+                    SettableFuture<byte[]> futureResponse =
                         NettyMessagingService.this.responseFutures.getIfPresent(message.id());
                     if (futureResponse != null) {
-                        futureResponse.setResponse(message.payload());
+                        futureResponse.set(message.payload());
                     } else {
                         log.warn("Received a reply. But was unable to locate the request handle");
                     }