diff --git a/core/store/dist/src/main/java/org/onosproject/store/link/impl/GossipLinkStore.java b/core/store/dist/src/main/java/org/onosproject/store/link/impl/GossipLinkStore.java
index 60d54e3..54c35ec 100644
--- a/core/store/dist/src/main/java/org/onosproject/store/link/impl/GossipLinkStore.java
+++ b/core/store/dist/src/main/java/org/onosproject/store/link/impl/GossipLinkStore.java
@@ -158,24 +158,24 @@
     @Activate
     public void activate() {
 
-        clusterCommunicator.addSubscriber(
-                GossipLinkStoreMessageSubjects.LINK_UPDATE,
-                new InternalLinkEventListener());
-        clusterCommunicator.addSubscriber(
-                GossipLinkStoreMessageSubjects.LINK_REMOVED,
-                new InternalLinkRemovedEventListener());
-        clusterCommunicator.addSubscriber(
-                GossipLinkStoreMessageSubjects.LINK_ANTI_ENTROPY_ADVERTISEMENT,
-                new InternalLinkAntiEntropyAdvertisementListener());
-        clusterCommunicator.addSubscriber(
-                GossipLinkStoreMessageSubjects.LINK_INJECTED,
-                new LinkInjectedEventListener());
-
         executor = Executors.newCachedThreadPool(groupedThreads("onos/link", "fg-%d"));
 
         backgroundExecutors =
                 newSingleThreadScheduledExecutor(minPriority(groupedThreads("onos/link", "bg-%d")));
 
+        clusterCommunicator.addSubscriber(
+                GossipLinkStoreMessageSubjects.LINK_UPDATE,
+                new InternalLinkEventListener(), executor);
+        clusterCommunicator.addSubscriber(
+                GossipLinkStoreMessageSubjects.LINK_REMOVED,
+                new InternalLinkRemovedEventListener(), executor);
+        clusterCommunicator.addSubscriber(
+                GossipLinkStoreMessageSubjects.LINK_ANTI_ENTROPY_ADVERTISEMENT,
+                new InternalLinkAntiEntropyAdvertisementListener(), backgroundExecutors);
+        clusterCommunicator.addSubscriber(
+                GossipLinkStoreMessageSubjects.LINK_INJECTED,
+                new LinkInjectedEventListener(), executor);
+
         long initialDelaySec = 5;
         long periodSec = 5;
         // start anti-entropy thread
@@ -822,17 +822,11 @@
             ProviderId providerId = event.providerId();
             Timestamped<LinkDescription> linkDescription = event.linkDescription();
 
-            executor.submit(new Runnable() {
-
-                @Override
-                public void run() {
-                    try {
-                        notifyDelegateIfNotNull(createOrUpdateLinkInternal(providerId, linkDescription));
-                    } catch (Exception e) {
-                        log.warn("Exception thrown handling link event", e);
-                    }
-                }
-            });
+            try {
+                notifyDelegateIfNotNull(createOrUpdateLinkInternal(providerId, linkDescription));
+            } catch (Exception e) {
+                log.warn("Exception thrown handling link event", e);
+            }
         }
     }
 
@@ -847,17 +841,11 @@
             LinkKey linkKey = event.linkKey();
             Timestamp timestamp = event.timestamp();
 
-            executor.submit(new Runnable() {
-
-                @Override
-                public void run() {
-                    try {
-                        notifyDelegateIfNotNull(removeLinkInternal(linkKey, timestamp));
-                    } catch (Exception e) {
-                        log.warn("Exception thrown handling link removed", e);
-                    }
-                }
-            });
+            try {
+                notifyDelegateIfNotNull(removeLinkInternal(linkKey, timestamp));
+            } catch (Exception e) {
+                log.warn("Exception thrown handling link removed", e);
+            }
         }
     }
 
@@ -868,18 +856,12 @@
         public void handle(ClusterMessage message) {
             log.trace("Received Link Anti-Entropy advertisement from peer: {}", message.sender());
             LinkAntiEntropyAdvertisement advertisement = SERIALIZER.decode(message.payload());
-            backgroundExecutors.submit(new Runnable() {
-
-                @Override
-                public void run() {
-                    try {
-                        handleAntiEntropyAdvertisement(advertisement);
-                    } catch (Exception e) {
-                        log.warn("Exception thrown while handling Link advertisements", e);
-                        throw e;
-                    }
-                }
-            });
+            try {
+                handleAntiEntropyAdvertisement(advertisement);
+            } catch (Exception e) {
+                log.warn("Exception thrown while handling Link advertisements", e);
+                throw e;
+            }
         }
     }
 
@@ -894,13 +876,11 @@
             ProviderId providerId = linkInjectedEvent.providerId();
             LinkDescription linkDescription = linkInjectedEvent.linkDescription();
 
-            executor.submit(new Runnable() {
-
-                @Override
-                public void run() {
-                    createOrUpdateLink(providerId, linkDescription);
-                }
-            });
+            try {
+                createOrUpdateLink(providerId, linkDescription);
+            } catch (Exception e) {
+                log.warn("Exception thrown while handling link injected event", e);
+            }
         }
     }
 }