The present disclosure is directed systems and methods for control embedding data packets for ARP queries, the methods including the steps of receiving a data plane packet from a first user device, the data plane packet requesting a hardware address associated with a second user device; generating a northbound control plane packet for transmission to a control plane node, the northbound control plane packet for requesting from the control plane node the hardware address associated with the second user device; embedding the data plane packet in the northbound control plane packet; and forwarding the northbound control plane packet with the data plane packet to the control plane node for respective processing of the northbound control plane packet and the data plane packet.