diff --git a/utils/misc/src/main/java/org/onlab/util/BestEffortSerialExecutor.java b/utils/misc/src/main/java/org/onlab/util/BestEffortSerialExecutor.java
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+++ b/utils/misc/src/main/java/org/onlab/util/BestEffortSerialExecutor.java
@@ -0,0 +1,76 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2017-present 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.onlab.util;
+
+import java.util.LinkedList;
+import java.util.concurrent.Executor;
+
+/**
+ * Executor that executes tasks in serial on a shared thread pool, falling back to parallel execution when threads
+ * are blocked.
+ * <p>
+ * This executor attempts to execute tasks in serial as if they occur on a single thread. However, in the event tasks
+ * are blocking a thread (a thread is in the {@link Thread.State#WAITING} or {@link Thread.State#TIMED_WAITING} state)
+ * the executor will execute tasks on parallel on the underlying {@link Executor}. This is useful for ensuring blocked
+ * threads cannot block events, but mimics a single-threaded model otherwise.
+ */
+public class BestEffortSerialExecutor implements Executor {
+    private final Executor parent;
+    private final LinkedList<Runnable> tasks = new LinkedList<>();
+    private volatile Thread thread;
+
+    public BestEffortSerialExecutor(Executor parent) {
+        this.parent = parent;
+    }
+
+    private void run() {
+        synchronized (tasks) {
+            thread = Thread.currentThread();
+        }
+        for (;;) {
+            if (!runTask()) {
+                synchronized (tasks) {
+                    thread = null;
+                }
+                return;
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    private boolean runTask() {
+        final Runnable task;
+        synchronized (tasks) {
+            task = tasks.poll();
+            if (task == null) {
+                return false;
+            }
+        }
+        task.run();
+        return true;
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public void execute(Runnable command) {
+        synchronized (tasks) {
+            tasks.add(command);
+            if (thread == null) {
+                parent.execute(this::run);
+            } else if (thread.getState() == Thread.State.WAITING || thread.getState() == Thread.State.TIMED_WAITING) {
+                parent.execute(this::runTask);
+            }
+        }
+    }
+}