diff --git a/drivers/bmv2/src/main/java/org/onosproject/drivers/bmv2/ctl/SafeThriftClient.java b/drivers/bmv2/src/main/java/org/onosproject/drivers/bmv2/ctl/SafeThriftClient.java
index a510954..c1b83da 100644
--- a/drivers/bmv2/src/main/java/org/onosproject/drivers/bmv2/ctl/SafeThriftClient.java
+++ b/drivers/bmv2/src/main/java/org/onosproject/drivers/bmv2/ctl/SafeThriftClient.java
@@ -94,7 +94,8 @@
             }
         }
 
-        throw new RuntimeException("Class needs to implement Iface directly. Use wrap(TServiceClient, Class) instead.");
+        throw new IllegalStateException(
+                "Class needs to implement Iface directly. Use wrap(TServiceClient, Class) instead.");
     }
 
     /**
@@ -202,7 +203,7 @@
                             Thread.sleep(timeBetweenRetries);
                         } catch (InterruptedException e2) {
                             Thread.currentThread().interrupt();
-                            throw new RuntimeException(e);
+                            throw new IllegalStateException(e);
                         }
                     }
                 }
diff --git a/drivers/bmv2/src/main/java/org/onosproject/drivers/bmv2/impl/Bmv2PreGroupTranslatorImpl.java b/drivers/bmv2/src/main/java/org/onosproject/drivers/bmv2/impl/Bmv2PreGroupTranslatorImpl.java
index 6652ee0..369b7c5 100644
--- a/drivers/bmv2/src/main/java/org/onosproject/drivers/bmv2/impl/Bmv2PreGroupTranslatorImpl.java
+++ b/drivers/bmv2/src/main/java/org/onosproject/drivers/bmv2/impl/Bmv2PreGroupTranslatorImpl.java
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@
      */
     public static Bmv2PreGroup translate(Group group) {
         if (!group.type().equals(GroupDescription.Type.ALL)) {
-            throw new RuntimeException("Unable to translate the group to BMv2 PRE group." +
+            throw new IllegalStateException("Unable to translate the group to BMv2 PRE group." +
                                                "A BMv2 PRE group is to be of ALL type. GroupId="
                                                + group.id());
         }
@@ -231,11 +231,11 @@
     private static void checkOutputInstructions(GroupId groupId,
                                                 Set<Instructions.OutputInstruction> outputInstructions) {
         if (outputInstructions.isEmpty()) {
-            throw new RuntimeException(String.format("Group bucket contains no output instruction. GroupId=%s",
+            throw new IllegalStateException(String.format("Group bucket contains no output instruction. GroupId=%s",
                                                      groupId));
         }
         if (outputInstructions.size() != 1) {
-            throw new RuntimeException(String.format("Group bucket contains more than one output instructions. " +
+            throw new IllegalStateException(String.format("Group bucket contains more than one output instructions. " +
                                                              "Only one is supported. GroupId=%s", groupId));
         }
     }
@@ -249,7 +249,7 @@
      */
     private static void validatePort(PortNumber portNumber) {
         if (portNumber.toLong() < 0 || portNumber.toLong() >= BMV2_PORT_MAP_SIZE) {
-            throw new RuntimeException(String.format("Port number %d is not a valid BMv2 physical port number." +
+            throw new IllegalStateException(String.format("Port number %d is not a valid BMv2 physical port number." +
                                                              "Valid port range is [0,255]", portNumber));
         }
     }