diff --git a/core/api/src/main/java/org/onosproject/event/EventDeliveryService.java b/core/api/src/main/java/org/onosproject/event/EventDeliveryService.java
index 2d9d38ce..ff26893 100644
--- a/core/api/src/main/java/org/onosproject/event/EventDeliveryService.java
+++ b/core/api/src/main/java/org/onosproject/event/EventDeliveryService.java
@@ -20,4 +20,19 @@
  * then dispatching them to the appropriate event sink.
  */
 public interface EventDeliveryService extends EventDispatcher, EventSinkRegistry {
+
+    /**
+     * Sets the number of millis that an event sink has to process an event.
+     *
+     * @param millis number of millis allowed per sink per event
+     */
+    void setDispatchTimeLimit(long millis);
+
+    /**
+     * Returns the number of millis that an event sink has to process an event.
+     *
+     * @return number of millis allowed per sink per event
+     */
+    long getDispatchTimeLimit();
+
 }