A method for allowing a network application to be stateless in an IP network, the method comprising: receiving, at the network application in a network device, state information for a session for a user device, wherein the state information comprises a service route header and identification information for the user device; storing the state information at the network application; sending, from the network device, the state information to a user-plane application through a network interface coupled to the network device, wherein the user-plane application comprises a gateway configured to route communications for the user device, the user-plane application being located in a network associated with the user device on an opposite side of the network interface from the network device, and wherein the user-plane application is configured to store the state information in a cache having the service route header associated with the user device identification, and configured to perform a stateful operation for the network application using the stored state information to offload the stateful operation from the network application of the network device to allow the network application to be stateless with respect to the offloaded stateful operation; performing network application operations using the stored state information; receiving a message from the user device; determining that the service route header is not stored at the network application; requesting the service route header from the user-plane application using the identification information of the user device; receiving the service route header from the user-plane application; and processing the received message using the service route header such that operation of the network application continues without needing to establish a new session for the user device. receiving, at the network application in a network device, state information for a session for a user device, wherein the state information comprises a service route header and identification information for the user device; storing the state information at the network application; sending, from the network device, the state information to a user-plane application through a network interface coupled to the network device, wherein the user-plane application comprises a gateway configured to route communications for the user device, the user-plane application being located in a network associated with the user device on an opposite side of the network interface from the network device, and wherein the user-plane application is configured to store the state information in a cache having the service route header associated with the user device identification, and configured to perform a stateful operation for the network application using the stored state information to offload the stateful operation from the network application of the network device to allow the network application to be stateless with respect to the offloaded stateful operation; performing network application operations using the stored state information; receiving a message from the user device; determining that the service route header is not stored at the network application; requesting the service route header from the user-plane application using the identification information of the user device; receiving the service route header from the user-plane application; and processing the received message using the service route header such that operation of the network application continues without needing to establish a new session for the user device.