diff --git a/core/api/src/main/java/org/onosproject/net/flow/DefaultFlowEntry.java b/core/api/src/main/java/org/onosproject/net/flow/DefaultFlowEntry.java
index dbd5e08..a770e97 100644
--- a/core/api/src/main/java/org/onosproject/net/flow/DefaultFlowEntry.java
+++ b/core/api/src/main/java/org/onosproject/net/flow/DefaultFlowEntry.java
@@ -16,16 +16,22 @@
 package org.onosproject.net.flow;
 
 import static com.google.common.base.MoreObjects.toStringHelper;
+import static java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit.NANOSECONDS;
+import static java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit.SECONDS;
 import static org.slf4j.LoggerFactory.getLogger;
 
 import org.slf4j.Logger;
 
+import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;
+
 public class DefaultFlowEntry extends DefaultFlowRule
     implements StoredFlowEntry {
 
     private static final Logger log = getLogger(DefaultFlowEntry.class);
 
+    /* Stored in nanoseconds (allows for 292 years) */
     private long life;
+
     private long packets;
     private long bytes;
     private FlowEntryState state;
@@ -37,10 +43,10 @@
     private final int errCode;
 
     public DefaultFlowEntry(FlowRule rule, FlowEntryState state,
-            long life, long packets, long bytes) {
+                            long life, TimeUnit lifeTimeUnit, long packets, long bytes) {
         super(rule);
         this.state = state;
-        this.life = life;
+        this.life = lifeTimeUnit.toNanos(life);
         this.packets = packets;
         this.bytes = bytes;
         this.errCode = -1;
@@ -48,15 +54,13 @@
         this.lastSeen = System.currentTimeMillis();
     }
 
+    public DefaultFlowEntry(FlowRule rule, FlowEntryState state,
+                            long lifeSecs, long packets, long bytes) {
+        this(rule, state, lifeSecs, SECONDS, packets, bytes);
+    }
+
     public DefaultFlowEntry(FlowRule rule) {
-        super(rule);
-        this.state = FlowEntryState.PENDING_ADD;
-        this.life = 0;
-        this.packets = 0;
-        this.bytes = 0;
-        this.errCode = -1;
-        this.errType = -1;
-        this.lastSeen = System.currentTimeMillis();
+        this(rule, FlowEntryState.PENDING_ADD, 0, 0, 0);
     }
 
     public DefaultFlowEntry(FlowRule rule, int errType, int errCode) {
@@ -69,7 +73,12 @@
 
     @Override
     public long life() {
-        return life;
+        return life(SECONDS);
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public long life(TimeUnit timeUnit) {
+        return timeUnit.convert(life, NANOSECONDS);
     }
 
     @Override
@@ -104,7 +113,12 @@
 
     @Override
     public void setLife(long life) {
-        this.life = life;
+        setLife(life, SECONDS);
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public void setLife(long life, TimeUnit timeUnit) {
+        this.life = timeUnit.toNanos(life);
     }
 
     @Override
diff --git a/core/api/src/main/java/org/onosproject/net/flow/DefaultTypedFlowEntry.java b/core/api/src/main/java/org/onosproject/net/flow/DefaultTypedFlowEntry.java
index 03ea3d7..31d394a 100644
--- a/core/api/src/main/java/org/onosproject/net/flow/DefaultTypedFlowEntry.java
+++ b/core/api/src/main/java/org/onosproject/net/flow/DefaultTypedFlowEntry.java
@@ -16,7 +16,10 @@
 
 package org.onosproject.net.flow;
 
+import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;
+
 import static com.google.common.base.MoreObjects.toStringHelper;
+import static java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit.NANOSECONDS;
 
 /**
  * Default flow entry class with FlowLiveType value, IMMEDIATE_FLOW, SHORT_FLOW, MID_FLOW, LONG_FLOW.
@@ -25,6 +28,23 @@
     implements TypedStoredFlowEntry {
     private FlowLiveType liveType;
 
+
+    /**
+     * Creates a typed flow entry from flow rule and its statistics, with default flow live type(IMMEDIATE_FLOW).
+     *
+     * @param rule the flow rule
+     * @param state the flow state
+     * @param life the flow duration since creation
+     * @param lifeTimeUnit the time unit of life
+     * @param packets the flow packets count
+     * @param bytes the flow bytes count
+     */
+    public DefaultTypedFlowEntry(FlowRule rule, FlowEntryState state,
+                                 long life, TimeUnit lifeTimeUnit, long packets, long bytes) {
+        super(rule, state, life, lifeTimeUnit, packets, bytes);
+        this.liveType = FlowLiveType.IMMEDIATE_FLOW;
+    }
+
     /**
      * Creates a typed flow entry from flow rule and its statistics, with default flow live type(IMMEDIATE_FLOW).
      *
@@ -59,7 +79,7 @@
      *
      */
     public DefaultTypedFlowEntry(FlowEntry fe) {
-        super(fe, fe.state(), fe.life(), fe.packets(), fe.bytes());
+        super(fe, fe.state(), fe.life(NANOSECONDS), NANOSECONDS, fe.packets(), fe.bytes());
         this.liveType = FlowLiveType.IMMEDIATE_FLOW;
     }
 
@@ -83,7 +103,7 @@
      *
      */
     public DefaultTypedFlowEntry(FlowEntry fe,  FlowLiveType liveType) {
-        super(fe, fe.state(), fe.life(), fe.packets(), fe.bytes());
+        super(fe, fe.state(), fe.life(NANOSECONDS), NANOSECONDS, fe.packets(), fe.bytes());
         this.liveType = liveType;
     }
 
diff --git a/core/api/src/main/java/org/onosproject/net/flow/FlowEntry.java b/core/api/src/main/java/org/onosproject/net/flow/FlowEntry.java
index 019d3be..1511d21 100644
--- a/core/api/src/main/java/org/onosproject/net/flow/FlowEntry.java
+++ b/core/api/src/main/java/org/onosproject/net/flow/FlowEntry.java
@@ -16,6 +16,8 @@
 package org.onosproject.net.flow;
 
 
+import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;
+
 /**
  * Represents a generalized match &amp; action pair to be applied to
  * an infrastucture device.
@@ -60,13 +62,20 @@
     FlowEntryState state();
 
     /**
-     * Returns the number of milliseconds this flow rule has been applied.
+     * Returns the number of seconds this flow rule has been applied.
      *
-     * @return number of millis
+     * @return number of seconds
      */
     long life();
 
     /**
+     * Returns the time this flow rule has been applied.
+     *
+     * @return time in the requested {@link TimeUnit}
+     */
+    long life(TimeUnit unit);
+
+    /**
      * Returns the number of packets this flow rule has matched.
      *
      * @return number of packets
diff --git a/core/api/src/main/java/org/onosproject/net/flow/StoredFlowEntry.java b/core/api/src/main/java/org/onosproject/net/flow/StoredFlowEntry.java
index ff0700d..b3a6564 100644
--- a/core/api/src/main/java/org/onosproject/net/flow/StoredFlowEntry.java
+++ b/core/api/src/main/java/org/onosproject/net/flow/StoredFlowEntry.java
@@ -16,6 +16,8 @@
 package org.onosproject.net.flow;
 
 
+import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;
+
 public interface StoredFlowEntry extends FlowEntry {
 
     /**
@@ -31,9 +33,16 @@
 
     /**
      * Sets how long this entry has been entered in the system.
-     * @param life epoch time
+     * @param lifeSecs seconds
      */
-    void setLife(long life);
+    void setLife(long lifeSecs);
+
+    /**
+     * Sets how long this entry has been entered in the system.
+     * @param life time
+     * @param timeUnit unit of time
+     */
+    void setLife(long life, TimeUnit timeUnit);
 
     /**
      * Number of packets seen by this entry.
diff --git a/core/api/src/test/java/org/onosproject/net/flow/DefaultFlowEntryTest.java b/core/api/src/test/java/org/onosproject/net/flow/DefaultFlowEntryTest.java
index 21b7a80..e0cd135 100644
--- a/core/api/src/test/java/org/onosproject/net/flow/DefaultFlowEntryTest.java
+++ b/core/api/src/test/java/org/onosproject/net/flow/DefaultFlowEntryTest.java
@@ -75,6 +75,9 @@
         assertThat(defaultFlowEntry1.treatment(), is(TREATMENT));
         assertThat(defaultFlowEntry1.timeout(), is(1));
         assertThat(defaultFlowEntry1.life(), is(1L));
+        assertThat(defaultFlowEntry1.life(TimeUnit.SECONDS), is(1L));
+        assertThat(defaultFlowEntry1.life(TimeUnit.MILLISECONDS), is(1000L));
+        assertThat(defaultFlowEntry1.life(TimeUnit.MINUTES), is(0L));
         assertThat(defaultFlowEntry1.packets(), is(1L));
         assertThat(defaultFlowEntry1.bytes(), is(1L));
         assertThat(defaultFlowEntry1.state(), is(FlowEntry.FlowEntryState.ADDED));
@@ -94,13 +97,14 @@
         entry.setState(FlowEntry.FlowEntryState.PENDING_REMOVE);
         entry.setPackets(11);
         entry.setBytes(22);
-        entry.setLife(33);
+        entry.setLife(33333, TimeUnit.MILLISECONDS);
 
         assertThat(entry.deviceId(), is(did("id1")));
         assertThat(entry.selector(), is(SELECTOR));
         assertThat(entry.treatment(), is(TREATMENT));
         assertThat(entry.timeout(), is(1));
         assertThat(entry.life(), is(33L));
+        assertThat(entry.life(TimeUnit.MILLISECONDS), is(33333L));
         assertThat(entry.packets(), is(11L));
         assertThat(entry.bytes(), is(22L));
         assertThat(entry.state(), is(FlowEntry.FlowEntryState.PENDING_REMOVE));