diff --git a/core/store/dist/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/store/messaging/impl/KryoSerializer.java b/core/store/dist/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/store/messaging/impl/KryoSerializer.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5d809a4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/store/dist/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/store/messaging/impl/KryoSerializer.java
@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+package org.onlab.onos.store.messaging.impl;
+
+import org.onlab.util.KryoPool;
+import org.slf4j.Logger;
+import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory;
+
+import java.util.ArrayList;
+import java.util.HashMap;
+
+/**
+ * Kryo Serializer.
+ */
+public class KryoSerializer implements Serializer {
+
+    private final Logger log = LoggerFactory.getLogger(getClass());
+
+    private KryoPool serializerPool;
+
+    public KryoSerializer() {
+        setupKryoPool();
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Sets up the common serialzers pool.
+     */
+    protected void setupKryoPool() {
+        // FIXME Slice out types used in common to separate pool/namespace.
+        serializerPool = KryoPool.newBuilder()
+                .register(ArrayList.class,
+                          HashMap.class,
+                          ArrayList.class
+                )
+                .build()
+                .populate(1);
+    }
+
+
+    @Override
+    public Object decode(byte[] data) {
+        return serializerPool.deserialize(data);
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public byte[] encode(Object payload) {
+        return serializerPool.serialize(payload);
+    }
+}
diff --git a/core/store/dist/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/store/messaging/impl/MessageDecoder.java b/core/store/dist/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/store/messaging/impl/MessageDecoder.java
index 7f94015..59790f6 100644
--- a/core/store/dist/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/store/messaging/impl/MessageDecoder.java
+++ b/core/store/dist/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/store/messaging/impl/MessageDecoder.java
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@
 
 import static com.google.common.base.Preconditions.checkState;
 
-import org.onlab.onos.store.cluster.messaging.SerializationService;
 import org.onlab.onos.store.messaging.Endpoint;
 
 import io.netty.buffer.ByteBuf;
@@ -18,11 +17,11 @@
 public class MessageDecoder extends ByteToMessageDecoder {
 
     private final NettyMessagingService messagingService;
-    private final SerializationService serializationService;
+    private final Serializer serializer;
 
-    public MessageDecoder(NettyMessagingService messagingService, SerializationService serializationService) {
+    public MessageDecoder(NettyMessagingService messagingService, Serializer serializer) {
         this.messagingService = messagingService;
-        this.serializationService = serializationService;
+        this.serializer = serializer;
     }
 
     @Override
@@ -47,7 +46,7 @@
         Endpoint sender = new Endpoint(host, port);
 
         // read message payload; first read size and then bytes.
-        Object payload = serializationService.decode(in.readBytes(in.readInt()).array());
+        Object payload = serializer.decode(in.readBytes(in.readInt()).array());
 
         InternalMessage message = new InternalMessage.Builder(messagingService)
                 .withId(id)
diff --git a/core/store/dist/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/store/messaging/impl/MessageEncoder.java b/core/store/dist/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/store/messaging/impl/MessageEncoder.java
index b1c660c..501b70c 100644
--- a/core/store/dist/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/store/messaging/impl/MessageEncoder.java
+++ b/core/store/dist/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/store/messaging/impl/MessageEncoder.java
@@ -1,7 +1,5 @@
 package org.onlab.onos.store.messaging.impl;
 
-import org.onlab.onos.store.cluster.messaging.SerializationService;
-
 import io.netty.buffer.ByteBuf;
 import io.netty.channel.ChannelHandlerContext;
 import io.netty.handler.codec.MessageToByteEncoder;
@@ -14,10 +12,10 @@
     // onosiscool in ascii
     public static final byte[] PREAMBLE = "onosiscool".getBytes();
 
-    private final SerializationService serializationService;
+    private final Serializer serializer;
 
-    public MessageEncoder(SerializationService serializationService) {
-        this.serializationService = serializationService;
+    public MessageEncoder(Serializer serializer) {
+        this.serializer = serializer;
     }
 
     @Override
@@ -46,12 +44,12 @@
         out.writeInt(message.sender().port());
 
         try {
-            serializationService.encode(message.payload());
+            serializer.encode(message.payload());
         } catch (Exception e) {
             e.printStackTrace();
         }
 
-        byte[] payload = serializationService.encode(message.payload());
+        byte[] payload = serializer.encode(message.payload());
 
         // write payload length.
         out.writeInt(payload.length);
diff --git a/core/store/dist/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/store/messaging/impl/NettyMessagingService.java b/core/store/dist/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/store/messaging/impl/NettyMessagingService.java
index b6b3857..321e0ef 100644
--- a/core/store/dist/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/store/messaging/impl/NettyMessagingService.java
+++ b/core/store/dist/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/store/messaging/impl/NettyMessagingService.java
@@ -31,7 +31,6 @@
 import org.apache.felix.scr.annotations.Reference;
 import org.apache.felix.scr.annotations.ReferenceCardinality;
 import org.apache.felix.scr.annotations.Service;
-import org.onlab.onos.store.cluster.messaging.SerializationService;
 import org.onlab.onos.store.messaging.Endpoint;
 import org.onlab.onos.store.messaging.MessageHandler;
 import org.onlab.onos.store.messaging.MessagingService;
@@ -61,7 +60,7 @@
     private final Endpoint localEp;
 
     @Reference(cardinality = ReferenceCardinality.MANDATORY_UNARY)
-    protected SerializationService serializationService;
+    protected Serializer serializer;
 
     public NettyMessagingService() {
         // TODO: Default port should be configurable.
@@ -213,8 +212,8 @@
         @Override
         protected void initChannel(SocketChannel channel) throws Exception {
             channel.pipeline()
-                .addLast(new MessageEncoder(serializationService))
-                .addLast(new MessageDecoder(NettyMessagingService.this, serializationService))
+                .addLast(new MessageEncoder(serializer))
+                .addLast(new MessageDecoder(NettyMessagingService.this, serializer))
                 .addLast(new NettyMessagingService.InboundMessageDispatcher());
         }
     }
diff --git a/core/store/dist/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/store/messaging/impl/Serializer.java b/core/store/dist/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/store/messaging/impl/Serializer.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d2da7cf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/store/dist/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/store/messaging/impl/Serializer.java
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+package org.onlab.onos.store.messaging.impl;
+
+/**
+ * Interface for encoding/decoding message payloads.
+ */
+public interface Serializer {
+
+    /**
+     * Decodes the specified byte array to a POJO.
+     *
+     * @param data byte array.
+     * @return POJO
+     */
+    Object decode(byte[] data);
+
+    /**
+     * Encodes the specified POJO into a byte array.
+     *
+     * @param data POJO to be encoded
+     * @return byte array.
+     */
+    byte[] encode(Object message);
+
+}
diff --git a/core/store/dist/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/store/messaging/impl/SimpleClient.java b/core/store/dist/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/store/messaging/impl/SimpleClient.java
index 95753e7..746ecb2 100644
--- a/core/store/dist/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/store/messaging/impl/SimpleClient.java
+++ b/core/store/dist/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/store/messaging/impl/SimpleClient.java
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@
 
 import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;
 
-import org.onlab.onos.store.cluster.impl.MessageSerializer;
 import org.onlab.onos.store.messaging.Endpoint;
 import org.onlab.onos.store.messaging.Response;
 
@@ -21,9 +20,8 @@
     public static class TestNettyMessagingService extends NettyMessagingService {
         public TestNettyMessagingService(int port) throws Exception {
             super(port);
-            MessageSerializer mgr = new MessageSerializer();
-            mgr.activate();
-            this.serializationService = mgr;
+            Serializer serializer = new KryoSerializer();
+            this.serializer = serializer;
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/core/store/dist/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/store/messaging/impl/SimpleServer.java b/core/store/dist/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/store/messaging/impl/SimpleServer.java
index 1b331ba..96094b7 100644
--- a/core/store/dist/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/store/messaging/impl/SimpleServer.java
+++ b/core/store/dist/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/store/messaging/impl/SimpleServer.java
@@ -1,7 +1,5 @@
 package org.onlab.onos.store.messaging.impl;
 
-import org.onlab.onos.store.cluster.impl.MessageSerializer;
-
 public final class SimpleServer {
     private SimpleServer() {}
 
@@ -14,9 +12,8 @@
 
     public static class TestNettyMessagingService extends NettyMessagingService {
         protected TestNettyMessagingService() {
-            MessageSerializer mgr = new MessageSerializer();
-            mgr.activate();
-            this.serializationService = mgr;
+            Serializer serializer = new KryoSerializer();
+            this.serializer = serializer;
         }
     }
 }