diff --git a/openflow/api/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/openflow/controller/driver/RoleRecvStatus.java b/openflow/api/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/openflow/controller/driver/RoleRecvStatus.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..66bfb78
--- /dev/null
+++ b/openflow/api/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/openflow/controller/driver/RoleRecvStatus.java
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+package org.onlab.onos.openflow.controller.driver;
+
+/**
+ * When we remove a pending role request we use this enum to indicate how we
+ * arrived at the decision. When we send a role request to the switch, we
+ * also use  this enum to indicate what we expect back from the switch, so the
+ * role changer can match the reply to our expectation.
+ */
+public enum RoleRecvStatus {
+    /** The switch returned an error indicating that roles are not.
+     * supported*/
+    UNSUPPORTED,
+    /** The request timed out. */
+    NO_REPLY,
+    /** The reply was old, there is a newer request pending. */
+    OLD_REPLY,
+    /**
+     *  The reply's role matched the role that this controller set in the
+     *  request message - invoked either initially at startup or to reassert
+     *  current role.
+     */
+    MATCHED_CURRENT_ROLE,
+    /**
+     *  The reply's role matched the role that this controller set in the
+     *  request message - this is the result of a callback from the
+     *  global registry, followed by a role request sent to the switch.
+     */
+    MATCHED_SET_ROLE,
+    /**
+     * The reply's role was a response to the query made by this controller.
+     */
+    REPLY_QUERY,
+    /** We received a role reply message from the switch
+     *  but the expectation was unclear, or there was no expectation.
+     */
+    OTHER_EXPECTATION,
+}