When machine-to-machine (M2M) devices attach to a mobile communication network, the associated communication session can be treated differently than the attachment of other devices. For example, upon determining that a subscriber device that attaches to a communication network is an M2M device has completed a given network transaction, the M2M device can be immediately detached without waiting on expiration of an inactivity timer. As another example, upon determining that a subscriber device that attaches to a communication network is an M2M device, the M2M device can be excluded from various signaling procedures such as load-balancing procedures.