diff --git a/src/main/java/net/floodlightcontroller/core/internal/OpenflowPipelineFactory.java b/src/main/java/net/floodlightcontroller/core/internal/OpenflowPipelineFactory.java
index e87989d..62938fe 100644
--- a/src/main/java/net/floodlightcontroller/core/internal/OpenflowPipelineFactory.java
+++ b/src/main/java/net/floodlightcontroller/core/internal/OpenflowPipelineFactory.java
@@ -1,19 +1,19 @@
 /**
- *    Copyright 2011, Big Switch Networks, Inc.
- *    Originally created by David Erickson, Stanford University
- *
- *    Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License"); you may
- *    not use this file except in compliance with the License. You may obtain
- *    a copy of the License at
- *
- *         http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
- *
- *    Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
- *    distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS, WITHOUT
- *    WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied. See the
- *    License for the specific language governing permissions and limitations
- *    under the License.
- **/
+*    Copyright 2011, Big Switch Networks, Inc.
+*    Originally created by David Erickson, Stanford University
+*
+*    Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License"); you may
+*    not use this file except in compliance with the License. You may obtain
+*    a copy of the License at
+*
+*         http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+*
+*    Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+*    distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS, WITHOUT
+*    WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied. See the
+*    License for the specific language governing permissions and limitations
+*    under the License.
+**/
 
 package net.floodlightcontroller.core.internal;
 
@@ -25,15 +25,16 @@
 import org.jboss.netty.handler.execution.ExecutionHandler;
 import org.jboss.netty.handler.timeout.IdleStateHandler;
 import org.jboss.netty.handler.timeout.ReadTimeoutHandler;
+import org.jboss.netty.util.ExternalResourceReleasable;
 import org.jboss.netty.util.HashedWheelTimer;
 import org.jboss.netty.util.Timer;
 
 /**
  * Creates a ChannelPipeline for a server-side openflow channel
- *
  * @author readams
  */
-public class OpenflowPipelineFactory implements ChannelPipelineFactory {
+public class OpenflowPipelineFactory
+    implements ChannelPipelineFactory, ExternalResourceReleasable {
 
     protected Controller controller;
     protected ThreadPoolExecutor pipelineExecutor;
@@ -53,20 +54,25 @@
 
     @Override
     public ChannelPipeline getPipeline() throws Exception {
-        OFChannelState state = new OFChannelState();
+        OFChannelHandler handler = new OFChannelHandler(controller);
 
         ChannelPipeline pipeline = Channels.pipeline();
         pipeline.addLast("ofmessagedecoder", new OFMessageDecoder());
         pipeline.addLast("ofmessageencoder", new OFMessageEncoder());
         pipeline.addLast("idle", idleHandler);
         pipeline.addLast("timeout", readTimeoutHandler);
+        // XXX S ONOS: was 15 increased it to fix Issue #296
         pipeline.addLast("handshaketimeout",
-                new HandshakeTimeoutHandler(state, timer, 60)); // ONOS: was 15 increased it to fix Issue #296
+                         new HandshakeTimeoutHandler(handler, timer, 60));
         if (pipelineExecutor != null)
             pipeline.addLast("pipelineExecutor",
-                    new ExecutionHandler(pipelineExecutor));
-        pipeline.addLast("handler", controller.getChannelHandler(state));
+                             new ExecutionHandler(pipelineExecutor));
+        pipeline.addLast("handler", handler);
         return pipeline;
     }
 
+    @Override
+    public void releaseExternalResources() {
+        timer.stop();
+    }
 }