diff --git a/core/net/src/main/java/org/onosproject/event/impl/CoreEventDispatcher.java b/core/net/src/main/java/org/onosproject/event/impl/CoreEventDispatcher.java
index 8850104..382846c 100644
--- a/core/net/src/main/java/org/onosproject/event/impl/CoreEventDispatcher.java
+++ b/core/net/src/main/java/org/onosproject/event/impl/CoreEventDispatcher.java
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
 import org.apache.felix.scr.annotations.Component;
 import org.apache.felix.scr.annotations.Deactivate;
 import org.apache.felix.scr.annotations.Service;
+import org.onlab.util.SharedExecutors;
 import org.onosproject.event.AbstractEvent;
 import org.onosproject.event.DefaultEventSinkRegistry;
 import org.onosproject.event.Event;
@@ -26,8 +27,10 @@
 import org.onosproject.event.EventSink;
 import org.slf4j.Logger;
 
+import java.util.TimerTask;
 import java.util.concurrent.BlockingQueue;
 import java.util.concurrent.ExecutorService;
+import java.util.concurrent.Future;
 import java.util.concurrent.LinkedBlockingQueue;
 
 import static java.util.concurrent.Executors.newSingleThreadExecutor;
@@ -42,8 +45,14 @@
 public class CoreEventDispatcher extends DefaultEventSinkRegistry
         implements EventDeliveryService {
 
+    // Maximum number of millis a sink can take to process an event.
+    private static final long MAX_EXECUTE_MS = 1_000;
+    private static final long WATCHDOG_MS = MAX_EXECUTE_MS / 4;
+
     private final Logger log = getLogger(getClass());
 
+    private final BlockingQueue<Event> events = new LinkedBlockingQueue<>();
+
     private final ExecutorService executor =
             newSingleThreadExecutor(groupedThreads("onos/event", "dispatch-%d"));
 
@@ -51,34 +60,45 @@
     private static final Event KILL_PILL = new AbstractEvent(null, 0) {
     };
 
-    private final BlockingQueue<Event> events = new LinkedBlockingQueue<>();
+    private DispatchLoop dispatchLoop;
 
-    private volatile boolean stopped = false;
+    // Means to detect long-running sinks
+    private TimerTask watchdog;
+    private EventSink lastSink;
+    private long lastStart = 0;
+    private Future<?> dispatchFuture;
 
     @Override
     public void post(Event event) {
-        events.add(event);
+        if (!events.add(event)) {
+            log.error("Unable to post event {}", event);
+        }
     }
 
     @Activate
     public void activate() {
-        stopped = false;
-        executor.execute(new DispatchLoop());
+        dispatchLoop = new DispatchLoop();
+        dispatchFuture = executor.submit(dispatchLoop);
+        watchdog = new Watchdog();
+        SharedExecutors.getTimer().schedule(watchdog, WATCHDOG_MS, WATCHDOG_MS);
         log.info("Started");
     }
 
     @Deactivate
     public void deactivate() {
-        stopped = true;
+        dispatchLoop.stop();
+        watchdog.cancel();
         post(KILL_PILL);
         log.info("Stopped");
     }
 
     // Auxiliary event dispatching loop that feeds off the events queue.
     private class DispatchLoop implements Runnable {
+        private volatile boolean stopped;
+
         @Override
-        @SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
         public void run() {
+            stopped = false;
             log.info("Dispatch loop initiated");
             while (!stopped) {
                 try {
@@ -87,22 +107,52 @@
                     if (event == KILL_PILL) {
                         break;
                     }
-
-                    // Locate the sink for the event class and use it to
-                    // process the event
-                    EventSink sink = getSink(event.getClass());
-                    if (sink != null) {
-                        sink.process(event);
-                    } else {
-                        log.warn("No sink registered for event class {}",
-                                 event.getClass());
-                    }
+                    process(event);
                 } catch (Exception e) {
                     log.warn("Error encountered while dispatching event:", e);
                 }
             }
             log.info("Dispatch loop terminated");
         }
+
+        // Locate the sink for the event class and use it to process the event
+        @SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
+        private void process(Event event) {
+            EventSink sink = getSink(event.getClass());
+            if (sink != null) {
+                lastSink = sink;
+                lastStart = System.currentTimeMillis();
+                sink.process(event);
+                lastStart = 0;
+            } else {
+                log.warn("No sink registered for event class {}",
+                         event.getClass());
+            }
+        }
+
+        void stop() {
+            stopped = true;
+        }
     }
 
+    // Monitors event sinks to make sure none take too long to execute.
+    private class Watchdog extends TimerTask {
+        @Override
+        public void run() {
+            long delta = System.currentTimeMillis() - lastStart;
+            if (lastStart > 0 && delta > MAX_EXECUTE_MS) {
+                log.error("Event sink {} exceeded execution time limit: {} ms",
+                          lastSink.getClass().getName(), delta);
+
+                // Notify the sink that it has exceeded its time limit.
+                lastSink.onProcessLimit();
+
+                // Cancel the old dispatch loop and submit a new one.
+                dispatchLoop.stop();
+                dispatchLoop = new DispatchLoop();
+                dispatchFuture.cancel(true);
+                dispatchFuture = executor.submit(dispatchLoop);
+            }
+        }
+    }
 }