diff --git a/utils/misc/src/main/java/org/onlab/util/KryoNamespace.java b/utils/misc/src/main/java/org/onlab/util/KryoNamespace.java
index f5d2f9b..593ed5c 100644
--- a/utils/misc/src/main/java/org/onlab/util/KryoNamespace.java
+++ b/utils/misc/src/main/java/org/onlab/util/KryoNamespace.java
@@ -15,17 +15,6 @@
  */
 package org.onlab.util;
 
-import static org.slf4j.LoggerFactory.getLogger;
-
-import java.io.InputStream;
-import java.io.OutputStream;
-import java.nio.ByteBuffer;
-import java.util.ArrayList;
-import java.util.List;
-
-import org.apache.commons.lang3.tuple.Pair;
-import org.slf4j.Logger;
-
 import com.esotericsoftware.kryo.Kryo;
 import com.esotericsoftware.kryo.Serializer;
 import com.esotericsoftware.kryo.io.ByteBufferInput;
@@ -36,6 +25,17 @@
 import com.esotericsoftware.kryo.pool.KryoPool;
 import com.google.common.base.MoreObjects;
 import com.google.common.collect.ImmutableList;
+import org.apache.commons.lang3.tuple.Pair;
+import org.objenesis.strategy.StdInstantiatorStrategy;
+import org.slf4j.Logger;
+
+import java.io.InputStream;
+import java.io.OutputStream;
+import java.nio.ByteBuffer;
+import java.util.ArrayList;
+import java.util.List;
+
+import static org.slf4j.LoggerFactory.getLogger;
 
 /**
  * Pool of Kryo instances, with classes pre-registered.
@@ -381,6 +381,11 @@
     public Kryo create() {
         Kryo kryo = new Kryo();
         kryo.setRegistrationRequired(registrationRequired);
+
+        // TODO rethink whether we want to use StdInstantiatorStrategy
+        kryo.setInstantiatorStrategy(
+                new Kryo.DefaultInstantiatorStrategy(new StdInstantiatorStrategy()));
+
         for (RegistrationBlock block : registeredBlocks) {
             int id = block.begin();
             if (id == FLOATING_ID) {