diff --git a/ryu/base/app_manager.py b/ryu/base/app_manager.py
index b39d6cc2..a5f1c4cf 100644
--- a/ryu/base/app_manager.py
+++ b/ryu/base/app_manager.py
@@ -17,9 +17,10 @@
 import inspect
 import itertools
 import logging
+import sys
 
 from ryu import utils
-from ryu.controller.handler import register_instance
+from ryu.controller.handler import register_instance, get_dependent_services
 from ryu.controller.controller import Datapath
 from ryu.controller.event import EventRequestBase, EventReplyBase
 from ryu.lib import hub
@@ -158,15 +159,13 @@ class AppManager(object):
         return None
 
     def load_apps(self, app_lists):
-        for app_cls_name in itertools.chain.from_iterable([app_list.split(',')
-                                                           for app_list
-                                                           in app_lists]):
-            LOG.info('loading app %s', app_cls_name)
+        app_lists = [app for app
+                     in itertools.chain.from_iterable(app.split(',')
+                                                      for app in app_lists)]
+        while len(app_lists) > 0:
+            app_cls_name = app_lists.pop(0)
 
-            # for now, only single instance of a given module
-            # Do we need to support multiple instances?
-            # Yes, maybe for slicing.
-            assert app_cls_name not in self.applications_cls
+            LOG.info('loading app %s', app_cls_name)
 
             cls = self.load_app(app_cls_name)
             if cls is None:
@@ -174,10 +173,18 @@ class AppManager(object):
 
             self.applications_cls[app_cls_name] = cls
 
+            services = []
             for key, context_cls in cls.context_iteritems():
                 cls = self.contexts_cls.setdefault(key, context_cls)
                 assert cls == context_cls
 
+                if issubclass(context_cls, RyuApp):
+                    services.extend(get_dependent_services(context_cls))
+
+            services.extend(get_dependent_services(cls))
+            if services:
+                app_lists.extend(services)
+
     def create_contexts(self):
         for key, cls in self.contexts_cls.items():
             context = cls()
diff --git a/ryu/cmd/manager.py b/ryu/cmd/manager.py
index cc1ea747..83867054 100755
--- a/ryu/cmd/manager.py
+++ b/ryu/cmd/manager.py
@@ -61,8 +61,7 @@ def main():
 
     log.init_log()
 
-    # always enable ofp for now.
-    app_lists = CONF.app_lists + CONF.app + ['ryu.controller.ofp_handler']
+    app_lists = CONF.app_lists + CONF.app
 
     app_mgr = AppManager()
     app_mgr.load_apps(app_lists)
@@ -71,9 +70,11 @@ def main():
 
     services = []
 
-    ctlr = controller.OpenFlowController()
-    thr = hub.spawn(ctlr)
-    services.append(thr)
+    # TODO: do the following in app_manager's instantiate_apps()
+    ofpapp = controller.start_service(app_mgr)
+    if ofpapp:
+        thr = hub.spawn(ofpapp)
+        services.append(thr)
 
     webapp = wsgi.start_service(app_mgr)
     if webapp:
diff --git a/ryu/controller/controller.py b/ryu/controller/controller.py
index d6bc3def..fc6e1168 100644
--- a/ryu/controller/controller.py
+++ b/ryu/controller/controller.py
@@ -321,3 +321,9 @@ def datapath_connection_factory(socket, address):
                 dpid_str = dpid_to_str(datapath.id)
             LOG.error("Error in the datapath %s from %s", dpid_str, address)
             raise
+
+
+def start_service(app_mgr):
+    for app in app_mgr.applications:
+        if app.endswith('ofp_handler'):
+            return OpenFlowController()
diff --git a/ryu/controller/handler.py b/ryu/controller/handler.py
index ba45b0dc..d5f57cda 100644
--- a/ryu/controller/handler.py
+++ b/ryu/controller/handler.py
@@ -16,8 +16,7 @@
 
 import inspect
 import logging
-
-from ryu.controller import ofp_event
+import sys
 
 LOG = logging.getLogger('ryu.controller.handler')
 
@@ -63,3 +62,24 @@ def register_instance(i):
         # LOG.debug('instance %s k %s m %s', i, _k, m)
         if _is_ev_cls(m):
             i.register_handler(m.ev_cls, m)
+
+
+def get_dependent_services(cls):
+    services = []
+    for _k, m in inspect.getmembers(cls, inspect.ismethod):
+        if _is_ev_cls(m):
+            service = getattr(sys.modules[m.ev_cls.__module__],
+                              '_SERVICE_NAME', None)
+            if service:
+                # avoid cls that registers the own events (like ofp_handler)
+                if cls.__module__ != service:
+                    services.append(service)
+
+    services = list(set(services))
+    return services
+
+
+def register_service(service):
+    frm = inspect.stack()[1]
+    m = inspect.getmodule(frm[0])
+    m._SERVICE_NAME = service
diff --git a/ryu/controller/ofp_event.py b/ryu/controller/ofp_event.py
index 566b834d..124a93e7 100644
--- a/ryu/controller/ofp_event.py
+++ b/ryu/controller/ofp_event.py
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
 
 import inspect
 
+from ryu.controller import handler
 from ryu import ofproto
 from ryu import utils
 from . import event
@@ -75,3 +76,6 @@ class EventOFPStateChange(event.EventBase):
     def __init__(self, dp):
         super(EventOFPStateChange, self).__init__()
         self.datapath = dp
+
+
+handler.register_service('ryu.controller.ofp_handler')