diff --git a/core/common/src/main/java/org/onosproject/codec/impl/DecodeCriterionCodecHelper.java b/core/common/src/main/java/org/onosproject/codec/impl/DecodeCriterionCodecHelper.java
index 9516ed3..cf4cfa2 100644
--- a/core/common/src/main/java/org/onosproject/codec/impl/DecodeCriterionCodecHelper.java
+++ b/core/common/src/main/java/org/onosproject/codec/impl/DecodeCriterionCodecHelper.java
@@ -666,9 +666,18 @@
                                                                     CriterionCodec.PI_MATCH_LOW_VALUE +
                                                                             MISSING_MEMBER_MESSAGE).asText(), null),
                                     HexString.fromHexString(nullIsIllegal(node.get(CriterionCodec.PI_MATCH_HIGH_VALUE),
-                                                                    CriterionCodec.PI_MATCH_HIGH_VALUE +
-                                                                            MISSING_MEMBER_MESSAGE).asText(), null)
-                                    );
+                                                                     CriterionCodec.PI_MATCH_HIGH_VALUE +
+                                                                             MISSING_MEMBER_MESSAGE).asText(), null));
+                            break;
+                        case OPTIONAL:
+                            builder.matchOptional(
+                                    PiMatchFieldId.of(
+                                            nullIsIllegal(node.get(CriterionCodec.PI_MATCH_FIELD_ID),
+                                                          CriterionCodec.PI_MATCH_FIELD_ID +
+                                                                  MISSING_MEMBER_MESSAGE).asText()),
+                                    HexString.fromHexString(nullIsIllegal(node.get(CriterionCodec.PI_MATCH_VALUE),
+                                                                    CriterionCodec.PI_MATCH_VALUE +
+                                                                            MISSING_MEMBER_MESSAGE).asText(), null));
                             break;
                         default:
                             throw new IllegalArgumentException("Type " + type + " is unsupported");
diff --git a/core/common/src/main/java/org/onosproject/codec/impl/EncodeCriterionCodecHelper.java b/core/common/src/main/java/org/onosproject/codec/impl/EncodeCriterionCodecHelper.java
index c99e353..03cab28 100644
--- a/core/common/src/main/java/org/onosproject/codec/impl/EncodeCriterionCodecHelper.java
+++ b/core/common/src/main/java/org/onosproject/codec/impl/EncodeCriterionCodecHelper.java
@@ -56,6 +56,7 @@
 import org.onosproject.net.pi.runtime.PiExactFieldMatch;
 import org.onosproject.net.pi.runtime.PiFieldMatch;
 import org.onosproject.net.pi.runtime.PiLpmFieldMatch;
+import org.onosproject.net.pi.runtime.PiOptionalFieldMatch;
 import org.onosproject.net.pi.runtime.PiRangeFieldMatch;
 import org.onosproject.net.pi.runtime.PiTernaryFieldMatch;
 import org.onosproject.store.serializers.KryoNamespaces;
@@ -555,6 +556,17 @@
         return matchRangeNode;
     }
 
+    private ObjectNode parsePiMatchOptional(PiOptionalFieldMatch optionalFieldMatch) {
+
+        ObjectNode optionalExactNode = context.mapper().createObjectNode();
+        optionalExactNode.put(CriterionCodec.PI_MATCH_FIELD_ID, optionalFieldMatch.fieldId().id());
+        optionalExactNode.put(CriterionCodec.PI_MATCH_TYPE, PiMatchType.OPTIONAL.name().toLowerCase());
+        optionalExactNode.put(CriterionCodec.PI_MATCH_VALUE,
+                           HexString.toHexString(optionalFieldMatch.value().asArray(),
+                                                 null));
+        return optionalExactNode;
+    }
+
     private class FormatProtocolIndependent implements CriterionTypeFormatter {
         @Override
         public ObjectNode encodeCriterion(ObjectNode root, Criterion criterion) {
@@ -574,6 +586,9 @@
                     case RANGE:
                         matchNodes.add(parsePiMatchRange((PiRangeFieldMatch) fieldMatch));
                         break;
+                    case OPTIONAL:
+                        matchNodes.add(parsePiMatchOptional((PiOptionalFieldMatch) fieldMatch));
+                        break;
                     default:
                         throw new IllegalArgumentException("Type " + fieldMatch.type().name() + " is unsupported");
                 }
diff --git a/core/common/src/test/java/org/onosproject/codec/impl/CriterionCodecTest.java b/core/common/src/test/java/org/onosproject/codec/impl/CriterionCodecTest.java
index 2628827..f2fd5e5 100644
--- a/core/common/src/test/java/org/onosproject/codec/impl/CriterionCodecTest.java
+++ b/core/common/src/test/java/org/onosproject/codec/impl/CriterionCodecTest.java
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@
 import org.onosproject.net.pi.runtime.PiExactFieldMatch;
 import org.onosproject.net.pi.runtime.PiFieldMatch;
 import org.onosproject.net.pi.runtime.PiLpmFieldMatch;
+import org.onosproject.net.pi.runtime.PiOptionalFieldMatch;
 import org.onosproject.net.pi.runtime.PiRangeFieldMatch;
 import org.onosproject.net.pi.runtime.PiTernaryFieldMatch;
 
@@ -519,6 +520,12 @@
                 .matchRange(ipv4MatchFieldId, matchRangeBytes1, matchRangeHighBytes).build();
         ObjectNode rangeResult = criterionCodec.encode(rangeBytesCriterion, context);
         assertThat(rangeResult, matchesCriterion(rangeBytesCriterion));
+
+        byte[] matchOptionalBytes = {0x00, 0x11, 0x22, 0x33, 0x44, 0x55};
+        Criterion optionalBytesCriterion = PiCriterion.builder().matchOptional(ethMatchFieldId,
+                                                                               matchOptionalBytes).build();
+        ObjectNode optionalResult = criterionCodec.encode(optionalBytesCriterion, context);
+        assertThat(optionalResult, matchesCriterion(optionalBytesCriterion));
     }
 
     /**
@@ -556,6 +563,11 @@
                     Assert.assertThat(((PiRangeFieldMatch) piFieldMatch).lowValue(),
                                       is(copyFrom((byte) 0x10)));
                     break;
+                case OPTIONAL:
+                    Assert.assertThat(piFieldMatch.fieldId().id(), is("eth_dst"));
+                    Assert.assertThat(((PiOptionalFieldMatch) piFieldMatch).value(),
+                                      is(copyFrom(new byte[]{0x00, 0x11, 0x22, 0x33, 0x44, 0x55})));
+                    break;
                 default:
                     Assert.fail();
             }
diff --git a/core/common/src/test/java/org/onosproject/codec/impl/CriterionJsonMatcher.java b/core/common/src/test/java/org/onosproject/codec/impl/CriterionJsonMatcher.java
index b19ee53..d1e1f19 100644
--- a/core/common/src/test/java/org/onosproject/codec/impl/CriterionJsonMatcher.java
+++ b/core/common/src/test/java/org/onosproject/codec/impl/CriterionJsonMatcher.java
@@ -57,6 +57,7 @@
 import org.onosproject.net.pi.runtime.PiExactFieldMatch;
 import org.onosproject.net.pi.runtime.PiFieldMatch;
 import org.onosproject.net.pi.runtime.PiLpmFieldMatch;
+import org.onosproject.net.pi.runtime.PiOptionalFieldMatch;
 import org.onosproject.net.pi.runtime.PiRangeFieldMatch;
 import org.onosproject.net.pi.runtime.PiTernaryFieldMatch;
 
@@ -633,6 +634,14 @@
                             return false;
                         }
                         break;
+                    case OPTIONAL:
+                        if (!Objects.equals(copyFrom(HexString.fromHexString(matchNode.get("value")
+                                                                                     .textValue(), null)),
+                                            ((PiOptionalFieldMatch) fieldMatch).value())) {
+                            description.appendText("match value was " + ((PiOptionalFieldMatch) fieldMatch).value());
+                            return false;
+                        }
+                        break;
                     default:
                         description.appendText("match type was " + fieldMatch.type().name().toLowerCase());
                         return false;
diff --git a/core/common/src/test/resources/org/onosproject/codec/impl/PiCriterion.json b/core/common/src/test/resources/org/onosproject/codec/impl/PiCriterion.json
index d1df49e..6635641 100644
--- a/core/common/src/test/resources/org/onosproject/codec/impl/PiCriterion.json
+++ b/core/common/src/test/resources/org/onosproject/codec/impl/PiCriterion.json
@@ -23,6 +23,11 @@
             "match": "range",
             "highValue": "20",
             "lowValue": "10"
+        },
+        {
+            "field": "eth_dst",
+            "match": "optional",
+            "value": "001122334455"
         }
     ]
 }