A selective distribution messaging scheme for an optical network. According to one embodiment of the invention, a wavelength division multiplexing optical network includes a number of nodes each having an optical cross connect and each having stored therein a database representing conversion free connectivity from that node to others of the nodes. In addition, each of the nodes employs a messaging scheme to propagate notification of changes in the optical network to others of the nodes to maintain their databases. The messaging scheme in each of the nodes transmits messages to only selected ones of the other nodes based at least in part on the conversion free connectivity to minimize the number of communications between nodes.