diff --git a/protocols/openflow/api/src/main/java/org/onosproject/openflow/controller/OpenFlowController.java b/protocols/openflow/api/src/main/java/org/onosproject/openflow/controller/OpenFlowController.java
index 2c68fa0..b3c2091 100644
--- a/protocols/openflow/api/src/main/java/org/onosproject/openflow/controller/OpenFlowController.java
+++ b/protocols/openflow/api/src/main/java/org/onosproject/openflow/controller/OpenFlowController.java
@@ -65,6 +65,13 @@
     OpenFlowSwitch getEqualSwitch(Dpid dpid);
 
     /**
+     * If this set to be true, all incoming events are monitored.
+     * Other wise, only stats related incoming events are monitored
+     * @param monitor monitoring flag
+     */
+    void monitorAllEvents(boolean monitor);
+
+    /**
      * Register a listener for meta events that occur to OF
      * devices.
      * @param listener the listener to notify
diff --git a/protocols/openflow/api/src/main/java/org/onosproject/openflow/controller/driver/AbstractOpenFlowSwitch.java b/protocols/openflow/api/src/main/java/org/onosproject/openflow/controller/driver/AbstractOpenFlowSwitch.java
index a877a66..182935a 100644
--- a/protocols/openflow/api/src/main/java/org/onosproject/openflow/controller/driver/AbstractOpenFlowSwitch.java
+++ b/protocols/openflow/api/src/main/java/org/onosproject/openflow/controller/driver/AbstractOpenFlowSwitch.java
@@ -92,10 +92,10 @@
     protected OFFeaturesReply features;
     protected OFDescStatsReply desc;
 
-    protected Set<OpenFlowEventListener> ofEventListener = new CopyOnWriteArraySet<>();
+    protected Set<OpenFlowEventListener> ofOutgoingMsgListener = new CopyOnWriteArraySet<>();
 
     protected ExecutorService executorMsgs =
-            Executors.newFixedThreadPool(2, groupedThreads("onos/of", "ctrl-msg-stats-%d"));
+            Executors.newCachedThreadPool(groupedThreads("onos/of", "event-outgoing-msg-stats-%d"));
 
     // messagesPendingMastership is used as synchronization variable for
     // all mastership related changes. In this block, mastership (including
@@ -167,14 +167,16 @@
             }
         }
 
-        // listen to outgoing control messages
-        msgs.forEach(m -> {
-            if (m.getType() == OFType.PACKET_OUT ||
-                m.getType() == OFType.FLOW_MOD ||
-                m.getType() == OFType.STATS_REQUEST) {
-                executorMsgs.submit(new OFMessageHandler(dpid, m));
-            }
-        });
+        // listen to outgoing control messages only if listeners are registered
+        if (ofOutgoingMsgListener.size() != 0) {
+            msgs.forEach(m -> {
+                if (m.getType() == OFType.PACKET_OUT ||
+                        m.getType() == OFType.FLOW_MOD ||
+                        m.getType() == OFType.STATS_REQUEST) {
+                    executorMsgs.submit(new OFMessageHandler(dpid, m));
+                }
+            });
+        }
     }
 
     private void sendMsgsOnChannel(List<OFMessage> msgs) {
@@ -332,12 +334,12 @@
 
     @Override
     public void addEventListener(OpenFlowEventListener listener) {
-        ofEventListener.add(listener);
+        ofOutgoingMsgListener.add(listener);
     }
 
     @Override
     public void removeEventListener(OpenFlowEventListener listener) {
-        ofEventListener.remove(listener);
+        ofOutgoingMsgListener.remove(listener);
     }
 
     @Override
@@ -547,7 +549,7 @@
 
         @Override
         public void run() {
-            for (OpenFlowEventListener listener : ofEventListener) {
+            for (OpenFlowEventListener listener : ofOutgoingMsgListener) {
                 listener.handleMessage(dpid, msg);
             }
         }
diff --git a/protocols/openflow/api/src/test/java/org/onosproject/openflow/controller/OpenflowControllerAdapter.java b/protocols/openflow/api/src/test/java/org/onosproject/openflow/controller/OpenflowControllerAdapter.java
index f4fe490..d431fd4 100644
--- a/protocols/openflow/api/src/test/java/org/onosproject/openflow/controller/OpenflowControllerAdapter.java
+++ b/protocols/openflow/api/src/test/java/org/onosproject/openflow/controller/OpenflowControllerAdapter.java
@@ -52,6 +52,10 @@
     }
 
     @Override
+    public void monitorAllEvents(boolean monitor) {
+    }
+
+    @Override
     public void addListener(OpenFlowSwitchListener listener) {
     }
 
diff --git a/protocols/openflow/api/src/test/java/org/onosproject/openflow/controller/driver/AbstractOpenFlowSwitchTest.java b/protocols/openflow/api/src/test/java/org/onosproject/openflow/controller/driver/AbstractOpenFlowSwitchTest.java
index 16989da..288f141 100644
--- a/protocols/openflow/api/src/test/java/org/onosproject/openflow/controller/driver/AbstractOpenFlowSwitchTest.java
+++ b/protocols/openflow/api/src/test/java/org/onosproject/openflow/controller/driver/AbstractOpenFlowSwitchTest.java
@@ -17,6 +17,8 @@
 
 import org.junit.Before;
 import org.junit.Test;
+import org.onosproject.openflow.controller.Dpid;
+import org.onosproject.openflow.controller.OpenFlowEventListener;
 import org.projectfloodlight.openflow.protocol.OFMessage;
 import org.jboss.netty.channel.Channel;
 import java.util.ArrayList;
@@ -65,6 +67,7 @@
         ofSwitch.executorMsgs = executorService;
         Channel channel = new ChannelAdapter();
         ofSwitch.setChannel(channel);
+        ofSwitch.addEventListener(new OpenFlowEventListenerAdapter());
     }
 
     /**
@@ -120,4 +123,11 @@
         public void processDriverHandshakeMessage(OFMessage m) {
         }
     }
+
+    private class OpenFlowEventListenerAdapter implements OpenFlowEventListener {
+
+        @Override
+        public void handleMessage(Dpid dpid, OFMessage msg) {
+        }
+    }
 }
diff --git a/protocols/openflow/ctl/src/main/java/org/onosproject/openflow/controller/impl/OpenFlowControllerImpl.java b/protocols/openflow/ctl/src/main/java/org/onosproject/openflow/controller/impl/OpenFlowControllerImpl.java
index 5bca54e..eb90c26 100644
--- a/protocols/openflow/ctl/src/main/java/org/onosproject/openflow/controller/impl/OpenFlowControllerImpl.java
+++ b/protocols/openflow/ctl/src/main/java/org/onosproject/openflow/controller/impl/OpenFlowControllerImpl.java
@@ -115,6 +115,12 @@
     protected ExecutorService executorMsgs =
         Executors.newFixedThreadPool(32, groupedThreads("onos/of", "event-stats-%d"));
 
+    protected ExecutorService executorPacketIn =
+        Executors.newCachedThreadPool(groupedThreads("onos/of", "event-pkt-in-stats-%d"));
+
+    protected ExecutorService executorFlowRemoved =
+        Executors.newCachedThreadPool(groupedThreads("onos/of", "event-flow-removed-stats-%d"));
+
     private final ExecutorService executorBarrier =
         Executors.newFixedThreadPool(4, groupedThreads("onos/of", "event-barrier-%d"));
 
@@ -133,6 +139,8 @@
 
     protected Set<OpenFlowEventListener> ofEventListener = new CopyOnWriteArraySet<>();
 
+    protected boolean monitorAllEvents = false;
+
     protected Multimap<Dpid, OFFlowStatsEntry> fullFlowStats =
             ArrayListMultimap.create();
 
@@ -210,6 +218,11 @@
     }
 
     @Override
+    public void monitorAllEvents(boolean monitor) {
+        this.monitorAllEvents = monitor;
+    }
+
+    @Override
     public void addListener(OpenFlowSwitchListener listener) {
         if (!ofSwitchListener.contains(listener)) {
             this.ofSwitchListener.add(listener);
@@ -272,13 +285,17 @@
             for (PacketListener p : ofPacketListener.values()) {
                 p.handlePacket(pktCtx);
             }
-            executorMsgs.submit(new OFMessageHandler(dpid, msg));
+            if (monitorAllEvents) {
+                executorPacketIn.submit(new OFMessageHandler(dpid, msg));
+            }
             break;
         // TODO: Consider using separate threadpool for sensitive messages.
         //    ie. Back to back error could cause us to starve.
         case FLOW_REMOVED:
-            executorMsgs.submit(new OFMessageHandler(dpid, msg));
-            break;
+            if (monitorAllEvents) {
+                executorFlowRemoved.submit(new OFMessageHandler(dpid, msg));
+                break;
+            }
         case ERROR:
             log.debug("Received error message from {}: {}", dpid, msg);
             executorMsgs.submit(new OFMessageHandler(dpid, msg));
diff --git a/protocols/openflow/ctl/src/test/java/org/onosproject/openflow/controller/impl/OpenFlowControllerImplPacketsTest.java b/protocols/openflow/ctl/src/test/java/org/onosproject/openflow/controller/impl/OpenFlowControllerImplPacketsTest.java
index bd417bb..3fef8dd 100644
--- a/protocols/openflow/ctl/src/test/java/org/onosproject/openflow/controller/impl/OpenFlowControllerImplPacketsTest.java
+++ b/protocols/openflow/ctl/src/test/java/org/onosproject/openflow/controller/impl/OpenFlowControllerImplPacketsTest.java
@@ -53,7 +53,9 @@
     OpenFlowSwitch switch1;
     OpenFlowSwitchListenerAdapter switchListener;
     TestPacketListener packetListener;
-    TestExecutorService executorService;
+    TestExecutorService statsExecutorService;
+    TestExecutorService pktInExecutorService;
+    TestExecutorService flowRmvExecutorService;
 
     /**
      * Mock packet listener that accumulates packets.
@@ -108,12 +110,19 @@
         agent = controller.agent;
         switchListener = new OpenFlowSwitchListenerAdapter();
         controller.addListener(switchListener);
+        controller.monitorAllEvents(true);
 
         packetListener = new TestPacketListener();
         controller.addPacketListener(100, packetListener);
 
-        executorService = new TestExecutorService();
-        controller.executorMsgs = executorService;
+        statsExecutorService = new TestExecutorService();
+        pktInExecutorService = new TestExecutorService();
+        flowRmvExecutorService = new TestExecutorService();
+
+        controller.executorMsgs = statsExecutorService;
+        controller.executorPacketIn = pktInExecutorService;
+        controller.executorFlowRemoved = flowRmvExecutorService;
+
     }
 
     /**
@@ -151,8 +160,8 @@
         OFMessage packetInPacket = new MockOfPacketIn();
         controller.processPacket(dpid1, packetInPacket);
         assertThat(packetListener.contexts(), hasSize(1));
-        assertThat(executorService.submittedMessages(), hasSize(1));
-        assertThat(executorService.submittedMessages().get(0), is(packetInPacket));
+        assertThat(pktInExecutorService.submittedMessages(), hasSize(1));
+        assertThat(pktInExecutorService.submittedMessages().get(0), is(packetInPacket));
     }
 
     /**
@@ -163,8 +172,8 @@
         agent.addConnectedSwitch(dpid1, switch1);
         OfMessageAdapter errorPacket = new OfMessageAdapter(OFType.ERROR);
         controller.processPacket(dpid1, errorPacket);
-        assertThat(executorService.submittedMessages(), hasSize(1));
-        assertThat(executorService.submittedMessages().get(0), is(errorPacket));
+        assertThat(statsExecutorService.submittedMessages(), hasSize(1));
+        assertThat(statsExecutorService.submittedMessages().get(0), is(errorPacket));
     }
 
     /**
@@ -175,7 +184,7 @@
         agent.addConnectedSwitch(dpid1, switch1);
         OFMessage flowRemovedPacket = new MockOfFlowRemoved();
         controller.processPacket(dpid1, flowRemovedPacket);
-        assertThat(executorService.submittedMessages(), hasSize(1));
-        assertThat(executorService.submittedMessages().get(0), is(flowRemovedPacket));
+        assertThat(flowRmvExecutorService.submittedMessages(), hasSize(1));
+        assertThat(flowRmvExecutorService.submittedMessages().get(0), is(flowRemovedPacket));
     }
 }
diff --git a/providers/openflow/device/src/main/java/org/onosproject/provider/of/device/impl/OpenFlowDeviceProvider.java b/providers/openflow/device/src/main/java/org/onosproject/provider/of/device/impl/OpenFlowDeviceProvider.java
index 18a714d..28b4afd 100644
--- a/providers/openflow/device/src/main/java/org/onosproject/provider/of/device/impl/OpenFlowDeviceProvider.java
+++ b/providers/openflow/device/src/main/java/org/onosproject/provider/of/device/impl/OpenFlowDeviceProvider.java
@@ -277,6 +277,7 @@
     public void enableCtrlMsgMonitor() {
         isCtrlMsgMonitor = true;
         controller.addEventListener(inMsgListener);
+        controller.monitorAllEvents(isCtrlMsgMonitor);
         for (OpenFlowSwitch sw : controller.getSwitches()) {
             sw.addEventListener(outMsgListener);
         }
@@ -288,6 +289,7 @@
      */
     public void disableCtrlMsgMonitor() {
         isCtrlMsgMonitor = false;
+        controller.monitorAllEvents(isCtrlMsgMonitor);
         controller.removeEventListener(inMsgListener);
         for (OpenFlowSwitch sw: controller.getSwitches()) {
             sw.removeEventListener(outMsgListener);
@@ -343,7 +345,7 @@
         @Override
         public void handleMessage(Dpid dpid, OFMessage msg) {
             if (isCtrlMsgMonitor) {
-                // TODO: feed the control message stats via ControlMetricsServiceFactory
+                // TODO: handle all incoming OF messages
             }
         }
     }
@@ -356,7 +358,7 @@
         @Override
         public void handleMessage(Dpid dpid, OFMessage msg) {
             if (isCtrlMsgMonitor) {
-                // TODO: feed the control message stats via ControlMetricsServiceFactory
+                // TODO: handle all outgoing OF messages
             }
         }
     }
diff --git a/providers/openflow/device/src/test/java/org/onosproject/provider/of/device/impl/OpenFlowDeviceProviderTest.java b/providers/openflow/device/src/test/java/org/onosproject/provider/of/device/impl/OpenFlowDeviceProviderTest.java
index e0ab8e6..b686273 100644
--- a/providers/openflow/device/src/test/java/org/onosproject/provider/of/device/impl/OpenFlowDeviceProviderTest.java
+++ b/providers/openflow/device/src/test/java/org/onosproject/provider/of/device/impl/OpenFlowDeviceProviderTest.java
@@ -262,6 +262,10 @@
         }
 
         @Override
+        public void monitorAllEvents(boolean monitor) {
+        }
+
+        @Override
         public void addListener(OpenFlowSwitchListener listener) {
             this.listener = listener;
         }
diff --git a/providers/openflow/group/src/test/java/org/onosproject/provider/of/group/impl/OpenFlowGroupProviderTest.java b/providers/openflow/group/src/test/java/org/onosproject/provider/of/group/impl/OpenFlowGroupProviderTest.java
index da065d7..c74e32d 100644
--- a/providers/openflow/group/src/test/java/org/onosproject/provider/of/group/impl/OpenFlowGroupProviderTest.java
+++ b/providers/openflow/group/src/test/java/org/onosproject/provider/of/group/impl/OpenFlowGroupProviderTest.java
@@ -289,6 +289,10 @@
             return null;
         }
 
+        @Override
+        public void monitorAllEvents(boolean monitor) {
+        }
+
     }
 
     private class TestGroupProviderRegistry implements GroupProviderRegistry {
diff --git a/providers/openflow/packet/src/test/java/org/onosproject/provider/of/packet/impl/OpenFlowPacketProviderTest.java b/providers/openflow/packet/src/test/java/org/onosproject/provider/of/packet/impl/OpenFlowPacketProviderTest.java
index 4493bba..fb1cbe5 100644
--- a/providers/openflow/packet/src/test/java/org/onosproject/provider/of/packet/impl/OpenFlowPacketProviderTest.java
+++ b/providers/openflow/packet/src/test/java/org/onosproject/provider/of/packet/impl/OpenFlowPacketProviderTest.java
@@ -287,6 +287,10 @@
         }
 
         @Override
+        public void monitorAllEvents(boolean monitor) {
+        }
+
+        @Override
         public void addListener(OpenFlowSwitchListener listener) {
         }