diff --git a/taskflow/engines/worker_based/dispatcher.py b/taskflow/engines/worker_based/dispatcher.py
index 13470e08..27350731 100644
--- a/taskflow/engines/worker_based/dispatcher.py
+++ b/taskflow/engines/worker_based/dispatcher.py
@@ -23,6 +23,36 @@ from taskflow.utils import kombu_utils as ku
 LOG = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
 
+class Handler(object):
+    """Component(s) that will be called on reception of messages."""
+
+    __slots__ = ['_process_message', '_validator']
+
+    def __init__(self, process_message, validator=None):
+        self._process_message = process_message
+        self._validator = validator
+
+    @property
+    def process_message(self):
+        """Main callback that is called to process a received message.
+
+        This is only called after the format has been validated (using
+        the ``validator`` callback if applicable) and only after the message
+        has been acknowledged.
+        """
+        return self._process_message
+
+    @property
+    def validator(self):
+        """Optional callback that will be activated before processing.
+
+        This callback if present is expected to validate the message and
+        raise :py:class:`~taskflow.exceptions.InvalidFormat` if the message
+        is not valid.
+        """
+        return self._validator
+
+
 class TypeDispatcher(object):
     """Receives messages and dispatches to type specific handlers."""
 
@@ -99,10 +129,9 @@ class TypeDispatcher(object):
             LOG.warning("Unexpected message type: '%s' in message"
                         " '%s'", message_type, ku.DelayedPretty(message))
         else:
-            if isinstance(handler, (tuple, list)):
-                handler, validator = handler
+            if handler.validator is not None:
                 try:
-                    validator(data)
+                    handler.validator(data)
                 except excp.InvalidFormat as e:
                     message.reject_log_error(
                         logger=LOG, errors=(kombu_exc.MessageStateError,))
@@ -115,7 +144,7 @@ class TypeDispatcher(object):
             if message.acknowledged:
                 LOG.debug("Message '%s' was acknowledged.",
                           ku.DelayedPretty(message))
-                handler(data, message)
+                handler.process_message(data, message)
             else:
                 message.reject_log_error(logger=LOG,
                                          errors=(kombu_exc.MessageStateError,))
diff --git a/taskflow/engines/worker_based/engine.py b/taskflow/engines/worker_based/engine.py
index 31dcade1..a22a5d9f 100644
--- a/taskflow/engines/worker_based/engine.py
+++ b/taskflow/engines/worker_based/engine.py
@@ -36,8 +36,9 @@ class WorkerBasedActionEngine(engine.ActionEngine):
                                of the (PENDING, WAITING) request states. When
                                expired the associated task the request was made
                                for will have its result become a
-                               `RequestTimeout` exception instead of its
-                               normally returned value (or raised exception).
+                               :py:class:`~taskflow.exceptions.RequestTimeout`
+                               exception instead of its normally returned
+                               value (or raised exception).
     :param transport_options: transport specific options (see:
                               http://kombu.readthedocs.org/ for what these
                               options imply and are expected to be)
diff --git a/taskflow/engines/worker_based/executor.py b/taskflow/engines/worker_based/executor.py
index 7722432f..b5b7d39b 100644
--- a/taskflow/engines/worker_based/executor.py
+++ b/taskflow/engines/worker_based/executor.py
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ import functools
 from oslo_utils import timeutils
 
 from taskflow.engines.action_engine import executor
+from taskflow.engines.worker_based import dispatcher
 from taskflow.engines.worker_based import protocol as pr
 from taskflow.engines.worker_based import proxy
 from taskflow.engines.worker_based import types as wt
@@ -44,10 +45,8 @@ class WorkerTaskExecutor(executor.TaskExecutor):
         self._requests_cache = wt.RequestsCache()
         self._transition_timeout = transition_timeout
         type_handlers = {
-            pr.RESPONSE: [
-                self._process_response,
-                pr.Response.validate,
-            ],
+            pr.RESPONSE: dispatcher.Handler(self._process_response,
+                                            validator=pr.Response.validate),
         }
         self._proxy = proxy.Proxy(uuid, exchange,
                                   type_handlers=type_handlers,
diff --git a/taskflow/engines/worker_based/server.py b/taskflow/engines/worker_based/server.py
index 1c9a605f..1043e879 100644
--- a/taskflow/engines/worker_based/server.py
+++ b/taskflow/engines/worker_based/server.py
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ import functools
 from oslo_utils import reflection
 import six
 
+from taskflow.engines.worker_based import dispatcher
 from taskflow.engines.worker_based import protocol as pr
 from taskflow.engines.worker_based import proxy
 from taskflow import logging
@@ -38,14 +39,13 @@ class Server(object):
                  url=None, transport=None, transport_options=None,
                  retry_options=None):
         type_handlers = {
-            pr.NOTIFY: [
+            pr.NOTIFY: dispatcher.Handler(
                 self._delayed_process(self._process_notify),
-                functools.partial(pr.Notify.validate, response=False),
-            ],
-            pr.REQUEST: [
+                validator=functools.partial(pr.Notify.validate,
+                                            response=False)),
+            pr.REQUEST: dispatcher.Handler(
                 self._delayed_process(self._process_request),
-                pr.Request.validate,
-            ],
+                validator=pr.Request.validate),
         }
         self._executor = executor
         self._proxy = proxy.Proxy(topic, exchange,
diff --git a/taskflow/engines/worker_based/types.py b/taskflow/engines/worker_based/types.py
index 3d53e87a..1ee8f4b8 100644
--- a/taskflow/engines/worker_based/types.py
+++ b/taskflow/engines/worker_based/types.py
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ import threading
 from oslo_utils import reflection
 import six
 
+from taskflow.engines.worker_based import dispatcher
 from taskflow.engines.worker_based import protocol as pr
 from taskflow import logging
 from taskflow.types import cache as base
@@ -165,10 +166,10 @@ class ProxyWorkerFinder(WorkerFinder):
         self._workers = {}
         self._uuid = uuid
         self._proxy.dispatcher.type_handlers.update({
-            pr.NOTIFY: [
+            pr.NOTIFY: dispatcher.Handler(
                 self._process_response,
-                functools.partial(pr.Notify.validate, response=True),
-            ],
+                validator=functools.partial(pr.Notify.validate,
+                                            response=True)),
         })
         self._counter = itertools.count()
 
diff --git a/taskflow/tests/unit/worker_based/test_dispatcher.py b/taskflow/tests/unit/worker_based/test_dispatcher.py
index 21fccdcc..af97e485 100644
--- a/taskflow/tests/unit/worker_based/test_dispatcher.py
+++ b/taskflow/tests/unit/worker_based/test_dispatcher.py
@@ -40,12 +40,12 @@ def mock_acked_message(ack_ok=True, **kwargs):
 class TestDispatcher(test.TestCase):
     def test_creation(self):
         on_hello = mock.MagicMock()
-        handlers = {'hello': on_hello}
+        handlers = {'hello': dispatcher.Handler(on_hello)}
         dispatcher.TypeDispatcher(type_handlers=handlers)
 
     def test_on_message(self):
         on_hello = mock.MagicMock()
-        handlers = {'hello': on_hello}
+        handlers = {'hello': dispatcher.Handler(on_hello)}
         d = dispatcher.TypeDispatcher(type_handlers=handlers)
         msg = mock_acked_message(properties={'type': 'hello'})
         d.on_message("", msg)
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ class TestDispatcher(test.TestCase):
 
     def test_failed_ack(self):
         on_hello = mock.MagicMock()
-        handlers = {'hello': on_hello}
+        handlers = {'hello': dispatcher.Handler(on_hello)}
         d = dispatcher.TypeDispatcher(type_handlers=handlers)
         msg = mock_acked_message(ack_ok=False,
                                  properties={'type': 'hello'})
diff --git a/taskflow/tests/unit/worker_based/test_message_pump.py b/taskflow/tests/unit/worker_based/test_message_pump.py
index d8438131..59bddbda 100644
--- a/taskflow/tests/unit/worker_based/test_message_pump.py
+++ b/taskflow/tests/unit/worker_based/test_message_pump.py
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
 
 from oslo_utils import uuidutils
 
+from taskflow.engines.worker_based import dispatcher
 from taskflow.engines.worker_based import protocol as pr
 from taskflow.engines.worker_based import proxy
 from taskflow import test
@@ -35,7 +36,7 @@ class TestMessagePump(test.TestCase):
         on_notify = mock.MagicMock()
         on_notify.side_effect = lambda *args, **kwargs: barrier.set()
 
-        handlers = {pr.NOTIFY: on_notify}
+        handlers = {pr.NOTIFY: dispatcher.Handler(on_notify)}
         p = proxy.Proxy(TEST_TOPIC, TEST_EXCHANGE, handlers,
                         transport='memory',
                         transport_options={
@@ -60,7 +61,7 @@ class TestMessagePump(test.TestCase):
         on_response = mock.MagicMock()
         on_response.side_effect = lambda *args, **kwargs: barrier.set()
 
-        handlers = {pr.RESPONSE: on_response}
+        handlers = {pr.RESPONSE: dispatcher.Handler(on_response)}
         p = proxy.Proxy(TEST_TOPIC, TEST_EXCHANGE, handlers,
                         transport='memory',
                         transport_options={
@@ -96,9 +97,9 @@ class TestMessagePump(test.TestCase):
         on_request.side_effect = countdown
 
         handlers = {
-            pr.NOTIFY: on_notify,
-            pr.RESPONSE: on_response,
-            pr.REQUEST: on_request,
+            pr.NOTIFY: dispatcher.Handler(on_notify),
+            pr.RESPONSE: dispatcher.Handler(on_response),
+            pr.REQUEST: dispatcher.Handler(on_request),
         }
         p = proxy.Proxy(TEST_TOPIC, TEST_EXCHANGE, handlers,
                         transport='memory',