A technique is disclosed for generating control messages to be transmitted from a first network device to a second network device in a data network. A first control message to be generated at the first network device is determined. Reason information relating to at least one reason for generating the first control message is identified. The first control message is then generated at the first network device, and included the identified reason information. The first control message may be transmitted to at least one other network device in the network, including the second network device. When the first control message is received at the second network device, the reason information included in the first control message is identified. An appropriate response, based, at least in part, upon the reason information provided in the first control message, may then be determined and implemented at the second network device.