diff --git a/core/api/src/main/java/org/onosproject/core/DefaultGroupId.java b/core/api/src/main/java/org/onosproject/core/DefaultGroupId.java
index bb5695f..41dc7a2 100644
--- a/core/api/src/main/java/org/onosproject/core/DefaultGroupId.java
+++ b/core/api/src/main/java/org/onosproject/core/DefaultGroupId.java
@@ -22,28 +22,21 @@
 /**
  * Default implementation of {@link GroupId}.
  */
-// TODO: require refactor to extend from Identifier base class
-public class DefaultGroupId implements GroupId {
-
-    private final int id;
+@Deprecated
+public class DefaultGroupId extends GroupId {
 
     public DefaultGroupId(int id) {
-        this.id = id;
+        super(id);
     }
 
     // Constructor for serialization
     private DefaultGroupId() {
-        this.id = 0;
-    }
-
-    @Override
-    public int id() {
-        return this.id;
+        super(0);
     }
 
     @Override
     public int hashCode() {
-        return id;
+        return identifier;
     }
 
     @Override
@@ -55,13 +48,13 @@
             return false;
         }
         final DefaultGroupId other = (DefaultGroupId) obj;
-        return Objects.equals(this.id, other.id);
+        return Objects.equals(this.identifier, other.identifier);
     }
 
     @Override
     public String toString() {
         return MoreObjects.toStringHelper(this)
-                .add("id", "0x" + Integer.toHexString(id))
+                .add("id", "0x" + Integer.toHexString(identifier))
                 .toString();
     }
 }
diff --git a/core/api/src/main/java/org/onosproject/core/GroupId.java b/core/api/src/main/java/org/onosproject/core/GroupId.java
index 2ab398b..c2a9d26 100644
--- a/core/api/src/main/java/org/onosproject/core/GroupId.java
+++ b/core/api/src/main/java/org/onosproject/core/GroupId.java
@@ -15,18 +15,39 @@
  */
 package org.onosproject.core;
 
+import com.google.common.base.MoreObjects;
+import org.onlab.util.Identifier;
+
 /**
  * Group identifier.
  */
-// TODO: require refactor to extend from Identifier base class
-public interface GroupId {
+public class GroupId extends Identifier<Integer> {
+
+    public GroupId(int id) {
+        super(id);
+    }
+
+    // Constructor for serialization
+    private GroupId() {
+        super(0);
+    }
 
     /**
      * Returns a group ID as an integer value.
      * The method is not intended for use by application developers.
      * Return data type may change in the future release.
      *
-     * @return a group ID as integer value
+     * @param id int value
+     * @return group ID
      */
-    int id();
+    public static GroupId valueOf(int id) {
+        return new GroupId(id);
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public String toString() {
+        return MoreObjects.toStringHelper(this)
+                .add("id", "0x" + Integer.toHexString(identifier))
+                .toString();
+    }
 }
diff --git a/core/api/src/test/java/org/onosproject/core/GroupIdTest.java b/core/api/src/test/java/org/onosproject/core/GroupIdTest.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5cd31f0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/api/src/test/java/org/onosproject/core/GroupIdTest.java
@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2016 Open Networking Laboratory
+ *
+ * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+ * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+ * You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ *     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+ * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+ * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+ * limitations under the License.
+ */
+package org.onosproject.core;
+
+import com.google.common.testing.EqualsTester;
+import org.junit.Test;
+
+/**
+ * Test for GroupId.
+ */
+public class GroupIdTest {
+
+    /**
+     * Tests the equality of the instances.
+     */
+    @Test
+    public void testEquality() {
+        GroupId id1 = new GroupId((short) 1);
+        GroupId id2 = new GroupId((short) 1);
+        GroupId id3 = new GroupId((short) 2);
+
+        new EqualsTester()
+                .addEqualityGroup(id1, id2)
+                .addEqualityGroup(id3)
+                .testEquals();
+    }
+
+}
diff --git a/core/common/src/main/java/org/onosproject/codec/impl/GroupCodec.java b/core/common/src/main/java/org/onosproject/codec/impl/GroupCodec.java
index 1fa9618..0292008 100644
--- a/core/common/src/main/java/org/onosproject/codec/impl/GroupCodec.java
+++ b/core/common/src/main/java/org/onosproject/codec/impl/GroupCodec.java
@@ -23,7 +23,6 @@
 import org.onosproject.codec.JsonCodec;
 import org.onosproject.core.ApplicationId;
 import org.onosproject.core.CoreService;
-import org.onosproject.core.DefaultGroupId;
 import org.onosproject.core.GroupId;
 import org.onosproject.net.DeviceId;
 import org.onosproject.net.group.DefaultGroup;
@@ -72,7 +71,7 @@
     public ObjectNode encode(Group group, CodecContext context) {
         checkNotNull(group, "Group cannot be null");
         ObjectNode result = context.mapper().createObjectNode()
-                .put(ID, group.id().toString())
+                .put(ID, group.id().id().toString())
                 .put(STATE, group.state().toString())
                 .put(LIFE, group.life())
                 .put(PACKETS, group.packets())
@@ -90,7 +89,7 @@
         }
 
         if (group.givenGroupId() != null) {
-            result.put(GIVEN_GROUP_ID, group.givenGroupId());
+            result.put(GIVEN_GROUP_ID, group.givenGroupId().toString());
         }
 
         ArrayNode buckets = context.mapper().createArrayNode();
@@ -114,7 +113,7 @@
         // parse group id
         int groupIdInt = nullIsIllegal(json.get(GROUP_ID),
                 GROUP_ID + MISSING_MEMBER_MESSAGE).asInt();
-        GroupId groupId = new DefaultGroupId(groupIdInt);
+        GroupId groupId = new GroupId(groupIdInt);
 
         // parse group key (appCookie)
         String groupKeyStr = nullIsIllegal(json.get(APP_COOKIE),
diff --git a/core/common/src/test/java/org/onosproject/codec/impl/GroupJsonMatcher.java b/core/common/src/test/java/org/onosproject/codec/impl/GroupJsonMatcher.java
index 445d0c2..f1c9068 100644
--- a/core/common/src/test/java/org/onosproject/codec/impl/GroupJsonMatcher.java
+++ b/core/common/src/test/java/org/onosproject/codec/impl/GroupJsonMatcher.java
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@
     public boolean matchesSafely(JsonNode jsonGroup, Description description) {
         // check id
         String jsonGroupId = jsonGroup.get("id").asText();
-        String groupId = group.id().toString();
+        String groupId = group.id().id().toString();
         if (!jsonGroupId.equals(groupId)) {
             description.appendText("group id was " + jsonGroupId);
             return false;
diff --git a/core/net/src/test/java/org/onosproject/net/group/impl/GroupManagerTest.java b/core/net/src/test/java/org/onosproject/net/group/impl/GroupManagerTest.java
index d1930eb..cee9823 100644
--- a/core/net/src/test/java/org/onosproject/net/group/impl/GroupManagerTest.java
+++ b/core/net/src/test/java/org/onosproject/net/group/impl/GroupManagerTest.java
@@ -361,8 +361,8 @@
         GroupKey key = new DefaultGroupKey("group1BeforeAudit".getBytes());
         Group createdGroup = groupService.getGroup(deviceId, key);
         int createdGroupId = createdGroup.id().id();
-        assertNotEquals(gId1.id(), createdGroupId);
-        assertNotEquals(gId2.id(), createdGroupId);
+        assertNotEquals(gId1.id().intValue(), createdGroupId);
+        assertNotEquals(gId2.id().intValue(), createdGroupId);
 
         List<GroupOperation> expectedGroupOps = Arrays.asList(
                 GroupOperation.createDeleteGroupOperation(gId1,
diff --git a/web/api/src/test/java/org/onosproject/rest/resources/GroupsResourceTest.java b/web/api/src/test/java/org/onosproject/rest/resources/GroupsResourceTest.java
index 67cf11b..0e494ef 100644
--- a/web/api/src/test/java/org/onosproject/rest/resources/GroupsResourceTest.java
+++ b/web/api/src/test/java/org/onosproject/rest/resources/GroupsResourceTest.java
@@ -272,9 +272,9 @@
         public boolean matchesSafely(JsonObject jsonGroup) {
             // check id
             final String jsonId = jsonGroup.get("id").asString();
-            final String groupId = group.id().toString();
+            final String groupId = group.id().id().toString();
             if (!jsonId.equals(groupId)) {
-                reason = "id " + group.id().toString();
+                reason = "id " + group.id().id().toString();
                 return false;
             }
 
@@ -356,7 +356,7 @@
 
                 final JsonObject jsonGroup = json.get(jsonGroupIndex).asObject();
 
-                final String groupId = group.id().toString();
+                final String groupId = group.id().id().toString();
                 final String jsonGroupId = jsonGroup.get("id").asString();
                 if (jsonGroupId.equals(groupId)) {
                     groupFound = true;
@@ -366,7 +366,7 @@
                 }
             }
             if (!groupFound) {
-                reason = "Group with id " + group.id().toString() + " not found";
+                reason = "Group with id " + group.id().id().toString() + " not found";
                 return false;
             } else {
                 return true;