diff --git a/openflow/api/src/main/java/org/onosproject/openflow/controller/OpenFlowSwitch.java b/openflow/api/src/main/java/org/onosproject/openflow/controller/OpenFlowSwitch.java
index 49ca5a8..0d2dc3a 100644
--- a/openflow/api/src/main/java/org/onosproject/openflow/controller/OpenFlowSwitch.java
+++ b/openflow/api/src/main/java/org/onosproject/openflow/controller/OpenFlowSwitch.java
@@ -148,4 +148,16 @@
      * @return string representation of the connection to the device
      */
     String channelId();
+
+    /**
+     * Prepares a message to be sent, if necessary. Default is to do nothing,
+     * since most Devices do not need to pre-process a message that's about to
+     * be sent.
+     *
+     * @param msg The message to prepare for sending
+     * @return the prepared OFMessage
+     */
+    default OFMessage prepareMessage(OFMessage msg) {
+        return msg;
+    }
 }
diff --git a/openflow/api/src/main/java/org/onosproject/openflow/controller/driver/AbstractOpenFlowSwitch.java b/openflow/api/src/main/java/org/onosproject/openflow/controller/driver/AbstractOpenFlowSwitch.java
index 50c0351..94e82a2 100644
--- a/openflow/api/src/main/java/org/onosproject/openflow/controller/driver/AbstractOpenFlowSwitch.java
+++ b/openflow/api/src/main/java/org/onosproject/openflow/controller/driver/AbstractOpenFlowSwitch.java
@@ -97,7 +97,7 @@
     @Override
     public final void sendMsg(OFMessage m) {
         if (role == RoleState.MASTER && channel.isWritable()) {
-            channel.write(Collections.singletonList(m));
+            channel.write(Collections.singletonList(prepareMessage(m)));
         }
     }
 
@@ -119,6 +119,7 @@
                                                    "a non role request message");
     }
 
+    @Override
     public final void sendHandshakeMessage(OFMessage message) {
         if (!this.isDriverHandshakeComplete()) {
             channel.write(Collections.singletonList(message));
@@ -155,7 +156,6 @@
         return channelId;
     }
 
-
     //************************
     // Switch features related
     //************************