System and method for traffic surge control. A control message may be received for registering or managing a device in a network. A measure of a number of current control messages already being processed in the network may be retrieved. A condition may be retrieved, from among a plurality of conditions, that corresponds to the retrieved measure of current control messages, each condition defining different rules for discarding a control message of the same type and corresponding to one of a plurality of measures of current control messages. Based on whether or not the retrieved condition is met, the control message may be processed to register or manage the device or discarded.