diff --git a/utils/netty/src/main/java/org/onlab/netty/MessagingService.java b/utils/netty/src/main/java/org/onlab/netty/MessagingService.java
index efc0ae1..12e1d87 100644
--- a/utils/netty/src/main/java/org/onlab/netty/MessagingService.java
+++ b/utils/netty/src/main/java/org/onlab/netty/MessagingService.java
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
 package org.onlab.netty;
 
 import java.io.IOException;
+import java.util.concurrent.ExecutorService;
 
 import com.google.common.util.concurrent.ListenableFuture;
 
@@ -47,7 +48,16 @@
      * Registers a new message handler for message type.
      * @param type message type.
      * @param handler message handler
+     * @param executor executor to use for running message handler logic.
      */
+    public void registerHandler(String type, MessageHandler handler, ExecutorService executor);
+
+    /**
+     * Registers a new message handler for message type.
+     * @param type message type.
+     * @param handler message handler
+     */
+    @Deprecated
     public void registerHandler(String type, MessageHandler handler);
 
     /**
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 69806b1..b84e193 100644
--- a/utils/netty/src/main/java/org/onlab/netty/NettyMessagingService.java
+++ b/utils/netty/src/main/java/org/onlab/netty/NettyMessagingService.java
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@
 import java.net.UnknownHostException;
 import java.util.concurrent.ConcurrentHashMap;
 import java.util.concurrent.ConcurrentMap;
+import java.util.concurrent.ExecutorService;
 import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;
 import java.util.concurrent.TimeoutException;
 import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicLong;
@@ -213,6 +214,22 @@
     }
 
     @Override
+    public void registerHandler(String type, MessageHandler handler, ExecutorService executor) {
+        handlers.putIfAbsent(hashToLong(type), new MessageHandler() {
+            @Override
+            public void handle(Message message) throws IOException {
+                executor.submit(() -> {
+                    try {
+                        handler.handle(message);
+                    } catch (Exception e) {
+                        log.warn("Failed to process message of type {}", type, e);
+                    }
+                });
+            }
+        });
+    }
+
+    @Override
     public void unregisterHandler(String type) {
         handlers.remove(type);
     }