diff --git a/core/store/dist/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/store/cluster/messaging/SerializationService.java b/core/store/dist/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/store/cluster/messaging/SerializationService.java
index d85f488ef9..4d76ce3680 100644
--- a/core/store/dist/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/store/cluster/messaging/SerializationService.java
+++ b/core/store/dist/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/store/cluster/messaging/SerializationService.java
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 package org.onlab.onos.store.cluster.messaging;
 
 /**
- * Service for encoding & decoding intra-cluster messages.
+ * Service for encoding & decoding intra-cluster message payload.
  */
 public interface SerializationService {
 
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ public interface SerializationService {
      * @param buffer byte buffer with message(s)
      * @return parsed message
      */
-    Object decode(byte[] data);
+    <T> T decode(byte[] data);
 
     /**
      * Encodes the specified message into the given byte buffer.
diff --git a/core/store/dist/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/store/cluster/messaging/impl/MessageSerializer.java b/core/store/dist/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/store/cluster/messaging/impl/MessageSerializer.java
index dc3b9689d6..bf47f49a55 100644
--- a/core/store/dist/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/store/cluster/messaging/impl/MessageSerializer.java
+++ b/core/store/dist/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/store/cluster/messaging/impl/MessageSerializer.java
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ public class MessageSerializer implements SerializationService {
 
 
     @Override
-    public Object decode(byte[] data) {
+    public <T> T decode(byte[] data) {
         return serializerPool.deserialize(data);
     }
 
diff --git a/core/store/hz/common/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/store/common/AbstractHazelcastStore.java b/core/store/hz/common/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/store/common/AbstractHazelcastStore.java
index 0302105408..29af33a3fa 100644
--- a/core/store/hz/common/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/store/common/AbstractHazelcastStore.java
+++ b/core/store/hz/common/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/store/common/AbstractHazelcastStore.java
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ public abstract class AbstractHazelcastStore<E extends Event, D extends StoreDel
      * @return serialized object
      */
     protected byte[] serialize(Object obj) {
-        return kryoSerializationService.serialize(obj);
+        return kryoSerializationService.encode(obj);
     }
 
     /**
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ public abstract class AbstractHazelcastStore<E extends Event, D extends StoreDel
      * @return deserialized object
      */
     protected <T> T deserialize(byte[] bytes) {
-        return kryoSerializationService.deserialize(bytes);
+        return kryoSerializationService.decode(bytes);
     }
 
 
diff --git a/core/store/hz/common/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/store/common/OptionalCacheLoader.java b/core/store/hz/common/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/store/common/OptionalCacheLoader.java
index f96fdd8354..2629e2d474 100644
--- a/core/store/hz/common/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/store/common/OptionalCacheLoader.java
+++ b/core/store/hz/common/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/store/common/OptionalCacheLoader.java
@@ -34,12 +34,12 @@ public final class OptionalCacheLoader<K, V> extends
 
     @Override
     public Optional<V> load(K key) throws Exception {
-        byte[] keyBytes = kryoSerializationService.serialize(key);
+        byte[] keyBytes = kryoSerializationService.encode(key);
         byte[] valBytes = rawMap.get(keyBytes);
         if (valBytes == null) {
             return Optional.absent();
         }
-        V dev = kryoSerializationService.deserialize(valBytes);
+        V dev = kryoSerializationService.decode(valBytes);
         return Optional.of(dev);
     }
 }
diff --git a/core/store/serializers/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/store/serializers/KryoSerializationManager.java b/core/store/serializers/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/store/serializers/KryoSerializationManager.java
index 1b5cac4609..4f756f616c 100644
--- a/core/store/serializers/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/store/serializers/KryoSerializationManager.java
+++ b/core/store/serializers/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/store/serializers/KryoSerializationManager.java
@@ -43,12 +43,12 @@ public class KryoSerializationManager implements KryoSerializationService {
     }
 
     @Override
-    public byte[] serialize(final Object obj) {
+    public byte[] encode(final Object obj) {
         return serializerPool.serialize(obj);
     }
 
     @Override
-    public <T> T deserialize(final byte[] bytes) {
+    public <T> T decode(final byte[] bytes) {
         if (bytes == null) {
             return null;
         }
@@ -56,12 +56,12 @@ public class KryoSerializationManager implements KryoSerializationService {
     }
 
     @Override
-    public void serialize(Object obj, ByteBuffer buffer) {
+    public void encode(Object obj, ByteBuffer buffer) {
         serializerPool.serialize(obj, buffer);
     }
 
     @Override
-    public <T> T deserialize(ByteBuffer buffer) {
+    public <T> T decode(ByteBuffer buffer) {
         return serializerPool.deserialize(buffer);
     }
 
diff --git a/core/store/serializers/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/store/serializers/KryoSerializationService.java b/core/store/serializers/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/store/serializers/KryoSerializationService.java
index 385128c972..8a98ccf149 100644
--- a/core/store/serializers/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/store/serializers/KryoSerializationService.java
+++ b/core/store/serializers/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/store/serializers/KryoSerializationService.java
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ public interface KryoSerializationService {
      * @param obj object to be serialized
      * @return serialized bytes
      */
-    public byte[] serialize(final Object obj);
+    public byte[] encode(final Object obj);
 
     /**
      * Serializes the specified object into bytes using one of the
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ public interface KryoSerializationService {
      * @param obj object to be serialized
      * @param buffer to write serialized bytes
      */
-    public void serialize(final Object obj, ByteBuffer buffer);
+    public void encode(final Object obj, ByteBuffer buffer);
 
     /**
      * Deserializes the specified bytes into an object using one of the
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ public interface KryoSerializationService {
      * @param bytes bytes to be deserialized
      * @return deserialized object
      */
-    public <T> T deserialize(final byte[] bytes);
+    public <T> T decode(final byte[] bytes);
 
     /**
      * Deserializes the specified bytes into an object using one of the
@@ -42,5 +42,5 @@ public interface KryoSerializationService {
      * @param buffer bytes to be deserialized
      * @return deserialized object
      */
-    public <T> T deserialize(final ByteBuffer buffer);
+    public <T> T decode(final ByteBuffer buffer);
 }