diff --git a/core/store/dist/src/main/java/org/onosproject/store/cluster/messaging/impl/ClusterCommunicationManager.java b/core/store/dist/src/main/java/org/onosproject/store/cluster/messaging/impl/ClusterCommunicationManager.java
index 070e1fe..1469433 100644
--- a/core/store/dist/src/main/java/org/onosproject/store/cluster/messaging/impl/ClusterCommunicationManager.java
+++ b/core/store/dist/src/main/java/org/onosproject/store/cluster/messaging/impl/ClusterCommunicationManager.java
@@ -103,9 +103,10 @@
     public boolean broadcast(ClusterMessage message) {
         boolean ok = true;
         final ControllerNode localNode = clusterService.getLocalNode();
+        byte[] payload = SERIALIZER.encode(message);
         for (ControllerNode node : clusterService.getNodes()) {
             if (!node.equals(localNode)) {
-                ok = unicastUnchecked(message, node.id()) && ok;
+                ok = unicastUnchecked(message.subject(), payload, node.id()) && ok;
             }
         }
         return ok;
@@ -114,8 +115,9 @@
     @Override
     public boolean broadcastIncludeSelf(ClusterMessage message) {
         boolean ok = true;
+        byte[] payload = SERIALIZER.encode(message);
         for (ControllerNode node : clusterService.getNodes()) {
-            ok = unicastUnchecked(message, node.id()) && ok;
+            ok = unicastUnchecked(message.subject(), payload, node.id()) && ok;
         }
         return ok;
     }
@@ -124,9 +126,10 @@
     public boolean multicast(ClusterMessage message, Set<NodeId> nodes) {
         boolean ok = true;
         final ControllerNode localNode = clusterService.getLocalNode();
+        byte[] payload = SERIALIZER.encode(message);
         for (NodeId nodeId : nodes) {
             if (!nodeId.equals(localNode.id())) {
-                ok = unicastUnchecked(message, nodeId) && ok;
+                ok = unicastUnchecked(message.subject(), payload, nodeId) && ok;
             }
         }
         return ok;
@@ -134,12 +137,15 @@
 
     @Override
     public boolean unicast(ClusterMessage message, NodeId toNodeId) throws IOException {
+        return unicast(message.subject(), SERIALIZER.encode(message), toNodeId);
+    }
+
+    private boolean unicast(MessageSubject subject, byte[] payload, NodeId toNodeId) throws IOException {
         ControllerNode node = clusterService.getNode(toNodeId);
         checkArgument(node != null, "Unknown nodeId: %s", toNodeId);
         Endpoint nodeEp = new Endpoint(node.ip().toString(), node.tcpPort());
         try {
-            messagingService.sendAsync(nodeEp,
-                    message.subject().value(), SERIALIZER.encode(message));
+            messagingService.sendAsync(nodeEp, subject.value(), payload);
             return true;
         } catch (IOException e) {
             log.trace("Failed to send cluster message to nodeId: " + toNodeId, e);
@@ -147,9 +153,10 @@
         }
     }
 
-    private boolean unicastUnchecked(ClusterMessage message, NodeId toNodeId) {
+
+    private boolean unicastUnchecked(MessageSubject subject, byte[] payload, NodeId toNodeId) {
         try {
-            return unicast(message, toNodeId);
+            return unicast(subject, payload, toNodeId);
         } catch (IOException e) {
             return false;
         }