diff --git a/core/store/dist/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/store/serializers/impl/ClusterMessageSerializer.java b/core/store/dist/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/store/serializers/impl/ClusterMessageSerializer.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d3f31bb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/store/dist/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/store/serializers/impl/ClusterMessageSerializer.java
@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2014 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.onos.store.serializers.impl;
+
+import org.onlab.onos.cluster.NodeId;
+import org.onlab.onos.store.cluster.messaging.ClusterMessage;
+import org.onlab.onos.store.cluster.messaging.MessageSubject;
+import com.esotericsoftware.kryo.Kryo;
+import com.esotericsoftware.kryo.Serializer;
+import com.esotericsoftware.kryo.io.Input;
+import com.esotericsoftware.kryo.io.Output;
+
+public final class ClusterMessageSerializer extends Serializer<ClusterMessage> {
+
+    /**
+     * Creates a serializer for {@link ClusterMessage}.
+     */
+    public ClusterMessageSerializer() {
+        // does not accept null
+        super(false);
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public void write(Kryo kryo, Output output, ClusterMessage message) {
+        kryo.writeClassAndObject(output, message.sender());
+        kryo.writeClassAndObject(output, message.subject());
+        output.writeInt(message.payload().length);
+        output.writeBytes(message.payload());
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public ClusterMessage read(Kryo kryo, Input input,
+                               Class<ClusterMessage> type) {
+        NodeId sender = (NodeId) kryo.readClassAndObject(input);
+        MessageSubject subject = (MessageSubject) kryo.readClassAndObject(input);
+        int payloadSize = input.readInt();
+        byte[] payload = input.readBytes(payloadSize);
+        return new ClusterMessage(sender, subject, payload);
+    }
+}