diff --git a/core/store/primitives/src/main/java/org/onosproject/store/primitives/impl/CopycatTransportConnection.java b/core/store/primitives/src/main/java/org/onosproject/store/primitives/impl/CopycatTransportConnection.java
index 7b5d42a..58928b3 100644
--- a/core/store/primitives/src/main/java/org/onosproject/store/primitives/impl/CopycatTransportConnection.java
+++ b/core/store/primitives/src/main/java/org/onosproject/store/primitives/impl/CopycatTransportConnection.java
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@
     static final byte FAILURE = 0x04;
 
     private final long connectionId;
-    private CopycatTransport.Mode mode;
+    private final CopycatTransport.Mode mode;
     private final Address remoteAddress;
     private final MessagingService messagingService;
     private final String outboundMessageSubject;
@@ -73,6 +73,7 @@
     private final AtomicInteger sendFailures = new AtomicInteger(0);
     private final AtomicInteger messagesReceived = new AtomicInteger(0);
     private final AtomicInteger receiveFailures = new AtomicInteger(0);
+    private final Map<Address, Endpoint> endpointLookupCache = Maps.newConcurrentMap();
 
     CopycatTransportConnection(long connectionId,
             CopycatTransport.Mode mode,
@@ -206,7 +207,6 @@
 
     @Override
     public CompletableFuture<Void> close() {
-        // TODO: need to unregister message handler
         closeListeners.forEach(listener -> listener.accept(this));
         if (mode == CopycatTransport.Mode.CLIENT) {
             messagingService.unregisterHandler(inboundMessageSubject);
@@ -240,12 +240,14 @@
     }
 
     private Endpoint toEndpoint(Address address) {
-        try {
-            return new Endpoint(IpAddress.valueOf(InetAddress.getByName(address.host())), address.port());
-        } catch (UnknownHostException e) {
-            Throwables.propagate(e);
-            return null;
-        }
+        return endpointLookupCache.computeIfAbsent(address, a -> {
+            try {
+                return new Endpoint(IpAddress.valueOf(InetAddress.getByName(a.host())), a.port());
+            } catch (UnknownHostException e) {
+                Throwables.propagate(e);
+                return null;
+            }
+        });
     }
 
     @SuppressWarnings("rawtypes")
diff --git a/core/store/primitives/src/main/java/org/onosproject/store/primitives/impl/CopycatTransportServer.java b/core/store/primitives/src/main/java/org/onosproject/store/primitives/impl/CopycatTransportServer.java
index 43c2cfc..7dfc59b 100644
--- a/core/store/primitives/src/main/java/org/onosproject/store/primitives/impl/CopycatTransportServer.java
+++ b/core/store/primitives/src/main/java/org/onosproject/store/primitives/impl/CopycatTransportServer.java
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@
 public class CopycatTransportServer implements Server {
 
     private final AtomicBoolean listening = new AtomicBoolean(false);
-    private CompletableFuture<Void> listenFuture;
+    private CompletableFuture<Void> listenFuture = new CompletableFuture<>();
     private final String clusterName;
     private final MessagingService messagingService;
     private final String messageSubject;
@@ -59,20 +59,14 @@
 
     @Override
     public CompletableFuture<Void> listen(Address address, Consumer<Connection> listener) {
-        if (listening.get()) {
-            return CompletableFuture.completedFuture(null);
-        }
-        ThreadContext context = ThreadContext.currentContextOrThrow();
-        synchronized (this) {
-            if (listenFuture == null) {
-                listenFuture = new CompletableFuture<>();
-                listen(address, listener, context);
-            }
+        if (listening.compareAndSet(false, true)) {
+            ThreadContext context = ThreadContext.currentContextOrThrow();
+            listen(address, listener, context);
         }
         return listenFuture;
     }
 
-    public void listen(Address address, Consumer<Connection> listener, ThreadContext context) {
+    private void listen(Address address, Consumer<Connection> listener, ThreadContext context) {
         messagingService.registerHandler(messageSubject, (sender, payload) -> {
             try (DataInputStream input = new DataInputStream(new ByteArrayInputStream(payload))) {
                 long connectionId = input.readLong();
@@ -101,7 +95,6 @@
                 return Tools.exceptionalFuture(e);
             }
         });
-        listening.set(true);
         context.execute(() -> {
             listenFuture.complete(null);
         });
diff --git a/utils/thirdparty/pom.xml b/utils/thirdparty/pom.xml
index d2ec8f0..58b5e20 100644
--- a/utils/thirdparty/pom.xml
+++ b/utils/thirdparty/pom.xml
@@ -69,7 +69,6 @@
       <plugin>
         <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
         <artifactId>maven-shade-plugin</artifactId>
-        <version>2.4.1</version>
         <configuration>
           <createSourcesJar>true</createSourcesJar>