diff --git a/apps/ofagent/src/main/java/org/onosproject/ofagent/impl/OFAgentVirtualFlowEntryBuilder.java b/apps/ofagent/src/main/java/org/onosproject/ofagent/impl/OFAgentVirtualFlowEntryBuilder.java
index e3cb9e3..9ed3a83 100644
--- a/apps/ofagent/src/main/java/org/onosproject/ofagent/impl/OFAgentVirtualFlowEntryBuilder.java
+++ b/apps/ofagent/src/main/java/org/onosproject/ofagent/impl/OFAgentVirtualFlowEntryBuilder.java
@@ -33,14 +33,14 @@
     private static final Logger log = LoggerFactory.getLogger(OFAgentVirtualFlowEntryBuilder.class);
     private static final String DRIVER_NAME = "ovs";
 
-    private final DriverService driverService;
+    private final DriverHandler driverHandler;
 
     public OFAgentVirtualFlowEntryBuilder(DeviceId deviceId, OFFlowMod fm, DriverService driverService) {
         super(deviceId, fm, driverService);
-        this.driverService = driverService;
+        this.driverHandler = getDriver(deviceId, driverService);
     }
 
-    protected DriverHandler getDriver(DeviceId devId) {
+    protected static DriverHandler getDriver(DeviceId devId, DriverService driverService) {
         log.debug("calling getDriver for {}", devId);
         Driver driver = driverService.getDriver(DRIVER_NAME);
         DriverHandler handler = new DefaultDriverHandler(new DefaultDriverData(driver, devId));
diff --git a/providers/openflow/flow/src/main/java/org/onosproject/provider/of/flow/impl/OpenFlowRuleProvider.java b/providers/openflow/flow/src/main/java/org/onosproject/provider/of/flow/impl/OpenFlowRuleProvider.java
index 7f472ad..47c49bc 100644
--- a/providers/openflow/flow/src/main/java/org/onosproject/provider/of/flow/impl/OpenFlowRuleProvider.java
+++ b/providers/openflow/flow/src/main/java/org/onosproject/provider/of/flow/impl/OpenFlowRuleProvider.java
@@ -36,6 +36,10 @@
 import org.onosproject.cfg.ComponentConfigService;
 import org.onosproject.core.ApplicationId;
 import org.onosproject.net.DeviceId;
+import org.onosproject.net.driver.DefaultDriverData;
+import org.onosproject.net.driver.DefaultDriverHandler;
+import org.onosproject.net.driver.Driver;
+import org.onosproject.net.driver.DriverHandler;
 import org.onosproject.net.driver.DriverService;
 import org.onosproject.net.flow.CompletedBatchOperation;
 import org.onosproject.net.flow.DefaultTableStatisticsEntry;
@@ -435,12 +439,12 @@
                 case FLOW_REMOVED:
                     OFFlowRemoved removed = (OFFlowRemoved) msg;
 
-                    FlowEntry fr = new FlowEntryBuilder(deviceId, removed, driverService).build();
+                    FlowEntry fr = new FlowEntryBuilder(deviceId, removed, getDriver(deviceId)).build();
                     providerService.flowRemoved(fr);
                     break;
                 case STATS_REPLY:
                     if (((OFStatsReply) msg).getStatsType() == OFStatsType.FLOW) {
-                        pushFlowMetrics(dpid, (OFFlowStatsReply) msg);
+                        pushFlowMetrics(dpid, (OFFlowStatsReply) msg, getDriver(deviceId));
                     } else if (((OFStatsReply) msg).getStatsType() == OFStatsType.TABLE) {
                         pushTableStatistics(dpid, (OFTableStatsReply) msg);
                     } else if (((OFStatsReply) msg).getStatsType() == OFStatsType.FLOW_LIGHTWEIGHT) {
@@ -515,7 +519,7 @@
 
                     if (entry != null)  {
                         OFFlowMod ofFlowMod = (OFFlowMod) ofMessage;
-                        entry.appendFailure(new FlowEntryBuilder(deviceId, ofFlowMod, driverService).build());
+                        entry.appendFailure(new FlowEntryBuilder(deviceId, ofFlowMod, getDriver(deviceId)).build());
                     } else {
                       log.error("No matching batch for this error: {}", error);
                     }
@@ -611,14 +615,20 @@
             // Do nothing here for now.
         }
 
-        private void pushFlowMetrics(Dpid dpid, OFFlowStatsReply replies) {
+        private DriverHandler getDriver(DeviceId devId) {
+            Driver driver = driverService.getDriver(devId);
+            DriverHandler handler = new DefaultDriverHandler(new DefaultDriverData(driver, devId));
+            return handler;
+        }
+
+        private void pushFlowMetrics(Dpid dpid, OFFlowStatsReply replies, DriverHandler handler) {
 
             DeviceId did = DeviceId.deviceId(Dpid.uri(dpid));
             NewAdaptiveFlowStatsCollector afsc = afsCollectors.get(dpid);
 
             if (adaptiveFlowSampling && afsc != null)  {
                 List<FlowEntry> flowEntries = replies.getEntries().stream()
-                        .map(entry -> new FlowEntryBuilder(did, entry, driverService).withSetAfsc(afsc).build())
+                        .map(entry -> new FlowEntryBuilder(did, entry, handler).withSetAfsc(afsc).build())
                         .collect(Collectors.toList());
 
                 // Check that OFFlowStatsReply Xid is same with the one of OFFlowStatsRequest?
@@ -639,7 +649,7 @@
                 }
             } else {
                 List<FlowEntry> flowEntries = replies.getEntries().stream()
-                        .map(entry -> new FlowEntryBuilder(did, entry, driverService).build())
+                        .map(entry -> new FlowEntryBuilder(did, entry, handler).build())
                         .collect(Collectors.toList());
 
                 // call existing entire flow stats update with flowMissing synchronization
diff --git a/providers/openflow/flow/src/main/java/org/onosproject/provider/of/flow/util/FlowEntryBuilder.java b/providers/openflow/flow/src/main/java/org/onosproject/provider/of/flow/util/FlowEntryBuilder.java
index dee9455..a71d440 100644
--- a/providers/openflow/flow/src/main/java/org/onosproject/provider/of/flow/util/FlowEntryBuilder.java
+++ b/providers/openflow/flow/src/main/java/org/onosproject/provider/of/flow/util/FlowEntryBuilder.java
@@ -141,13 +141,13 @@
 
     private final FlowType type;
 
-    private final DriverService driverService;
+    private DriverHandler driverHandler;
 
     // NewAdaptiveFlowStatsCollector for AdaptiveFlowSampling mode,
     // null is not AFM mode, namely SimpleStatsCollector mode
     private NewAdaptiveFlowStatsCollector afsc;
 
-    public FlowEntryBuilder(DeviceId deviceId, OFFlowStatsEntry entry, DriverService driverService) {
+    public FlowEntryBuilder(DeviceId deviceId, OFFlowStatsEntry entry, DriverHandler driverHandler) {
         this.stat = entry;
         this.match = entry.getMatch();
         this.instructions = getInstructions(entry);
@@ -155,7 +155,7 @@
         this.removed = null;
         this.flowMod = null;
         this.type = FlowType.STAT;
-        this.driverService = driverService;
+        this.driverHandler = driverHandler;
         this.afsc = null;
         this.lightWeightStat = null;
     }
@@ -169,12 +169,12 @@
         this.removed = null;
         this.flowMod = null;
         this.type = FlowType.LIGHTWEIGHT_STAT;
-        this.driverService = driverService;
+        this.driverHandler = getDriver(deviceId, driverService);
         this.afsc = null;
         this.lightWeightStat = lightWeightStat;
     }
 
-    public FlowEntryBuilder(DeviceId deviceId, OFFlowRemoved removed, DriverService driverService) {
+    public FlowEntryBuilder(DeviceId deviceId, OFFlowRemoved removed, DriverHandler driverHandler) {
         this.match = removed.getMatch();
         this.removed = removed;
         this.deviceId = deviceId;
@@ -182,12 +182,12 @@
         this.stat = null;
         this.flowMod = null;
         this.type = FlowType.REMOVED;
-        this.driverService = driverService;
+        this.driverHandler = driverHandler;
         this.afsc = null;
         this.lightWeightStat = null;
     }
 
-    public FlowEntryBuilder(DeviceId deviceId, OFFlowMod fm, DriverService driverService) {
+    public FlowEntryBuilder(DeviceId deviceId, OFFlowMod fm, DriverHandler driverHandler) {
         this.match = fm.getMatch();
         this.deviceId = deviceId;
         this.instructions = getInstructions(fm);
@@ -195,11 +195,23 @@
         this.flowMod = fm;
         this.stat = null;
         this.removed = null;
-        this.driverService = driverService;
+        this.driverHandler = driverHandler;
         this.afsc = null;
         this.lightWeightStat = null;
     }
 
+    public FlowEntryBuilder(DeviceId deviceId, OFFlowStatsEntry entry, DriverService driverService) {
+        this(deviceId, entry, getDriver(deviceId, driverService));
+    }
+
+    public FlowEntryBuilder(DeviceId deviceId, OFFlowRemoved removed, DriverService driverService) {
+        this(deviceId, removed, getDriver(deviceId, driverService));
+    }
+
+    public FlowEntryBuilder(DeviceId deviceId, OFFlowMod fm, DriverService driverService) {
+        this(deviceId, fm, getDriver(deviceId, driverService));
+    }
+
     public FlowEntryBuilder withSetAfsc(NewAdaptiveFlowStatsCollector afsc) {
         this.afsc = afsc;
         return this;
@@ -631,8 +643,6 @@
 
     private TrafficTreatment.Builder buildActions(List<OFAction> actions,
                                                   TrafficTreatment.Builder builder) {
-        DriverHandler driverHandler = getDriver(deviceId);
-
         return configureTreatmentBuilder(actions, builder, driverHandler, deviceId);
     }
 
@@ -858,7 +868,6 @@
         Ip6Prefix ip6Prefix;
         Ip4Address ip;
 
-        DriverHandler driverHandler = getDriver(deviceId);
         ExtensionSelectorInterpreter selectorInterpreter;
         if (driverHandler.hasBehaviour(ExtensionSelectorInterpreter.class)) {
             selectorInterpreter = driverHandler.behaviour(ExtensionSelectorInterpreter.class);
@@ -1288,9 +1297,10 @@
      * Retrieves the driver handler for the specified device.
      *
      * @param deviceId device identifier
+     * @param driverService service handle for the driver service
      * @return driver handler
      */
-    protected DriverHandler getDriver(DeviceId deviceId) {
+    protected static DriverHandler getDriver(DeviceId deviceId, DriverService driverService) {
         Driver driver = driverService.getDriver(deviceId);
         DriverHandler handler = new DefaultDriverHandler(new DefaultDriverData(driver, deviceId));
         return handler;