diff --git a/bundles/org.openhab.core.config.discovery/src/main/java/org/openhab/core/config/discovery/AbstractThingHandlerDiscoveryService.java b/bundles/org.openhab.core.config.discovery/src/main/java/org/openhab/core/config/discovery/AbstractThingHandlerDiscoveryService.java
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..3ff5d1f6edc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bundles/org.openhab.core.config.discovery/src/main/java/org/openhab/core/config/discovery/AbstractThingHandlerDiscoveryService.java
@@ -0,0 +1,84 @@
+/**
+ * Copyright (c) 2010-2023 Contributors to the openHAB project
+ *
+ * See the NOTICE file(s) distributed with this work for additional
+ * information.
+ *
+ * This program and the accompanying materials are made available under the
+ * terms of the Eclipse Public License 2.0 which is available at
+ * http://www.eclipse.org/legal/epl-2.0
+ *
+ * SPDX-License-Identifier: EPL-2.0
+ */
+package org.openhab.core.config.discovery;
+
+import java.util.Map;
+import java.util.Set;
+
+import org.eclipse.jdt.annotation.NonNullByDefault;
+import org.eclipse.jdt.annotation.Nullable;
+import org.openhab.core.thing.ThingTypeUID;
+import org.openhab.core.thing.binding.ThingHandler;
+import org.openhab.core.thing.binding.ThingHandlerService;
+
+/**
+ * The {@link AbstractThingHandlerDiscoveryService} extends the {@link AbstractDiscoveryService} for thing-based
+ * discovery services.
+ *
+ * It handles the injection of the {@link ThingHandler}
+ *
+ * @author Jan N. Klug - Initial contribution
+ */
+@NonNullByDefault
+public abstract class AbstractThingHandlerDiscoveryService<T extends ThingHandler> extends AbstractDiscoveryService
+        implements ThingHandlerService {
+
+    private final Class<T> thingClazz;
+    protected @Nullable T thingHandler;
+
+    public AbstractThingHandlerDiscoveryService(Class<T> thingClazz, @Nullable Set<ThingTypeUID> supportedThingTypes,
+            int timeout, boolean backgroundDiscoveryEnabledByDefault) throws IllegalArgumentException {
+        super(supportedThingTypes, timeout, backgroundDiscoveryEnabledByDefault);
+        this.thingClazz = thingClazz;
+    }
+
+    public AbstractThingHandlerDiscoveryService(Class<T> thingClazz, @Nullable Set<ThingTypeUID> supportedThingTypes,
+            int timeout) throws IllegalArgumentException {
+        super(supportedThingTypes, timeout);
+        this.thingClazz = thingClazz;
+    }
+
+    public AbstractThingHandlerDiscoveryService(Class<T> thingClazz, int timeout) throws IllegalArgumentException {
+        super(timeout);
+        this.thingClazz = thingClazz;
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    protected abstract void startScan();
+
+    @Override
+    @SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
+    public void setThingHandler(ThingHandler handler) {
+        if (thingClazz.isAssignableFrom(handler.getClass())) {
+            this.thingHandler = (T) handler;
+        } else {
+            throw new IllegalArgumentException(
+                    "Expected class is " + thingClazz + " but the parameter has class " + handler.getClass());
+        }
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public @Nullable ThingHandler getThingHandler() {
+        return thingHandler;
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public void activate(@Nullable Map<String, Object> config) {
+        super.activate(config);
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public void deactivate() {
+        super.deactivate();
+    }
+}
diff --git a/bundles/org.openhab.core.thing/src/main/java/org/openhab/core/thing/binding/BaseThingHandlerFactory.java b/bundles/org.openhab.core.thing/src/main/java/org/openhab/core/thing/binding/BaseThingHandlerFactory.java
index b3fc0f41eb6..b737e4a7cf1 100644
--- a/bundles/org.openhab.core.thing/src/main/java/org/openhab/core/thing/binding/BaseThingHandlerFactory.java
+++ b/bundles/org.openhab.core.thing/src/main/java/org/openhab/core/thing/binding/BaseThingHandlerFactory.java
@@ -198,7 +198,7 @@ private <T extends ThingHandlerService> void registerThingHandlerService(ThingUI
         }
 
         String[] serviceNames = getAllInterfaces(c).stream()//
-                .map(clazz -> clazz.getCanonicalName())
+                .map(Class::getCanonicalName)
                 // we only add specific ThingHandlerServices, i.e. those that derive from the
                 // ThingHandlerService
                 // interface, NOT the ThingHandlerService itself. We do this to register them as specific OSGi
@@ -370,7 +370,7 @@ public void removeThing(ThingUID thingUID) {
 
     private class RegisteredThingHandlerService<T extends ThingHandlerService> {
 
-        private T serviceInstance;
+        private final T serviceInstance;
 
         private @Nullable ServiceObjects<T> serviceObjects;
 
@@ -397,11 +397,12 @@ public void initializeService(ThingHandler handler, String[] serviceNames) {
         }
 
         public void disposeService() {
+            this.serviceInstance.dispose();
+
             ServiceRegistration<?> serviceReg = this.serviceRegistration;
             if (serviceReg != null) {
                 serviceReg.unregister();
             }
-            this.serviceInstance.dispose();
 
             ServiceObjects<T> serviceObjs = this.serviceObjects;
             if (serviceObjs != null) {
diff --git a/bundles/org.openhab.core.thing/src/main/java/org/openhab/core/thing/binding/ThingHandlerService.java b/bundles/org.openhab.core.thing/src/main/java/org/openhab/core/thing/binding/ThingHandlerService.java
index d77389e445a..e4861077ded 100644
--- a/bundles/org.openhab.core.thing/src/main/java/org/openhab/core/thing/binding/ThingHandlerService.java
+++ b/bundles/org.openhab.core.thing/src/main/java/org/openhab/core/thing/binding/ThingHandlerService.java
@@ -40,34 +40,42 @@ public interface ThingHandlerService {
     ThingHandler getThingHandler();
 
     /**
-     * Method that will be called if this service will be activated
+     * This method is used by the framework during activation of the OSGi component.
+     * It is called BEFORE the thing handler is set.
      *
-     * @deprecated please override initialize instead
+     * See {@link #initialize()}, {@link #deactivate()}
      */
-    @Deprecated
     default void activate() {
     }
 
     /**
-     * Method that will be called if this service will be deactivated
+     * This method is used by the framework during de-activation of the OSGi component.
+     * It is NOT guaranteed that the thing handler is still valid.
      *
-     * @deprecated please override dispose instead
+     * See {@link #dispose()}, {@link #activate()}
      */
-    @Deprecated
     default void deactivate() {
     }
 
     /**
-     * Method that will be called if this service will be initialized
+     * This method is used by the framework during activation of the service.
+     * It is called AFTER the component is fully activated and thing handler has been set.
+     *
+     * Implementations should override this method to add additional initialization code.
+     *
+     * See {@link #activate(), #{@link #dispose()}
      */
     default void initialize() {
-        activate();
     }
 
     /**
-     * Method that will be called if this service will be disposed
+     * This method is used by the framework during de-activation of the service.
+     * It is called while the component is still activated.
+     *
+     * Code depending on an activated service should go here.
+     *
+     * See {@link #deactivate()}, {@link #initialize()}
      */
     default void dispose() {
-        deactivate();
     }
 }