diff --git a/drivers/default/src/main/java/org/onosproject/driver/pipeline/Ofdpa2Pipeline.java b/drivers/default/src/main/java/org/onosproject/driver/pipeline/Ofdpa2Pipeline.java
index 6f42dbc..d1b285b 100644
--- a/drivers/default/src/main/java/org/onosproject/driver/pipeline/Ofdpa2Pipeline.java
+++ b/drivers/default/src/main/java/org/onosproject/driver/pipeline/Ofdpa2Pipeline.java
@@ -182,6 +182,12 @@
         FlowRuleOperations.Builder flowOpsBuilder = FlowRuleOperations.builder();
 
         rules = processForward(fwd);
+        if (rules == null || rules.isEmpty()) {
+            // Assumes fail message has already been generated to the objective
+            // context. Returning here prevents spurious pass message to be
+            // generated by FlowRule service for empty flowOps.
+            return;
+        }
         switch (fwd.op()) {
             case ADD:
                 rules.stream()
@@ -748,7 +754,7 @@
      *            returned if there is an issue in processing the objective.
      */
     protected Collection<FlowRule> processSpecific(ForwardingObjective fwd) {
-        log.trace("Processing specific fwd objective:{} in dev:{} with next:{}",
+        log.debug("Processing specific fwd objective:{} in dev:{} with next:{}",
                   fwd.id(), deviceId, fwd.nextId());
         boolean isEthTypeObj = isSupportedEthTypeObjective(fwd);
         boolean isEthDstObj = isSupportedEthDstObjective(fwd);
@@ -885,8 +891,8 @@
         if (fwd.nextId() != null) {
             if (forTableId == MPLS_TABLE_1 && !popMpls) {
                 log.warn("SR CONTINUE case cannot be handled as MPLS ECMP "
-                        + "is not implemented in OF-DPA yet. Aborting this flow "
-                        + "in this device {}", deviceId);
+                        + "is not implemented in OF-DPA yet. Aborting this flow {} -> next:{}"
+                        + "in this device {}", fwd.id(), fwd.nextId(), deviceId);
                 // XXX We could convert to forwarding to a single-port, via a
                 // MPLS interface, or a MPLS SWAP (with-same) but that would
                 // have to be handled in the next-objective. Also the pop-mpls
@@ -907,6 +913,11 @@
                     return Collections.emptySet();
                 }
                 tb.deferred().group(group.id());
+            } else {
+                log.warn("Cannot find group for nextId:{} in dev:{}. Aborting fwd:{}",
+                         fwd.nextId(), deviceId, fwd.id());
+                fail(fwd, ObjectiveError.FLOWINSTALLATIONFAILED);
+                return Collections.emptySet();
             }
         }
         tb.transition(ACL_TABLE);
@@ -1063,7 +1074,7 @@
             for (GroupKey gk : gkd) {
                 Group g = groupService.getGroup(deviceId, gk);
                 if (g == null) {
-                    gchain.append("  ERROR").append(" -->");
+                    gchain.append("  NoGrp").append(" -->");
                     continue;
                 }
                 gchain.append("  0x").append(Integer.toHexString(g.id().id()))
@@ -1071,7 +1082,12 @@
                 lastGroup = g;
             }
             // add port information for last group in group-chain
-            for (Instruction i: lastGroup.buckets().buckets().get(0).treatment().allInstructions()) {
+            List<Instruction> lastGroupIns = new ArrayList<Instruction>();
+            if (gchain != null) {
+                lastGroupIns = lastGroup.buckets().buckets().get(0)
+                                    .treatment().allInstructions();
+            }
+            for (Instruction i: lastGroupIns) {
                 if (i instanceof OutputInstruction) {
                     gchain.append(" port:").append(((OutputInstruction) i).port());
                 }