diff --git a/core/store/dist/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/store/service/impl/ClusterMessagingProtocolClient.java b/core/store/dist/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/store/service/impl/ClusterMessagingProtocolClient.java
index 4f5e372..54d8e2b 100644
--- a/core/store/dist/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/store/service/impl/ClusterMessagingProtocolClient.java
+++ b/core/store/dist/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/store/service/impl/ClusterMessagingProtocolClient.java
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@
         clusterService.addListener(listener);
 
         // wait for specified controller node to come up
-        return null;
+        return appeared;
     }
 
     @Override
diff --git a/core/store/dist/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/store/service/impl/ClusterMessagingProtocolServer.java b/core/store/dist/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/store/service/impl/ClusterMessagingProtocolServer.java
index a5f207e..0ecc0a5 100644
--- a/core/store/dist/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/store/service/impl/ClusterMessagingProtocolServer.java
+++ b/core/store/dist/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/store/service/impl/ClusterMessagingProtocolServer.java
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@
                     }
                 }
                 if (handler == null) {
-                    log.error("There was no handler for registered!");
+                    log.error("There was no handler registered!");
                     return;
                 }
             }
diff --git a/core/store/dist/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/store/service/impl/DatabaseClient.java b/core/store/dist/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/store/service/impl/DatabaseClient.java
index 876f6cc..27e04c4 100644
--- a/core/store/dist/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/store/service/impl/DatabaseClient.java
+++ b/core/store/dist/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/store/service/impl/DatabaseClient.java
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 package org.onlab.onos.store.service.impl;
 
+import static com.google.common.base.Preconditions.checkNotNull;
 import static org.slf4j.LoggerFactory.getLogger;
 
 import java.util.Arrays;
@@ -12,7 +13,6 @@
 import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;
 import java.util.concurrent.TimeoutException;
 
-import net.kuujo.copycat.cluster.Member;
 import net.kuujo.copycat.cluster.TcpMember;
 import net.kuujo.copycat.event.EventHandler;
 import net.kuujo.copycat.event.LeaderElectEvent;
@@ -40,23 +40,28 @@
     private final Logger log = getLogger(getClass());
 
     private final DatabaseProtocolService protocol;
-    private volatile ProtocolClient copycat = null;
-    private volatile Member currentLeader = null;
+    private volatile ProtocolClient client = null;
+    private volatile TcpMember currentLeader = null;
+
 
     public DatabaseClient(DatabaseProtocolService protocol) {
-        this.protocol = protocol;
+        this.protocol = checkNotNull(protocol);
     }
 
+    // FIXME This handler relies on a fact that local node is part of Raft cluster
     @Override
     public void handle(LeaderElectEvent event) {
-        Member newLeader = event.leader();
+        final TcpMember newLeader = event.leader();
         if (newLeader != null && !newLeader.equals(currentLeader)) {
+            log.info("{} became the new leader", newLeader);
+            ProtocolClient prevClient = client;
+            ProtocolClient newclient = protocol.createClient(newLeader);
+            newclient.connect();
+            client = newclient;
             currentLeader = newLeader;
-            if (copycat != null) {
-                copycat.close();
+            if (prevClient != null) {
+                prevClient.close();
             }
-            copycat = protocol.createClient((TcpMember) currentLeader);
-            copycat.connect();
         }
     }
 
@@ -92,7 +97,7 @@
         SubmitRequest request =
                 new SubmitRequest(nextRequestId(), operationName, Arrays.asList(args));
 
-        CompletableFuture<SubmitResponse> submitResponse = copycat.submit(request);
+        CompletableFuture<SubmitResponse> submitResponse = client.submit(request);
 
         log.debug("Sent {} to {}", request, currentLeader);
 
diff --git a/core/store/dist/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/store/service/impl/DatabaseManager.java b/core/store/dist/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/store/service/impl/DatabaseManager.java
index 306e3dc..6fcd6b9 100644
--- a/core/store/dist/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/store/service/impl/DatabaseManager.java
+++ b/core/store/dist/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/store/service/impl/DatabaseManager.java
@@ -173,9 +173,10 @@
         Log consensusLog = new MapDBLog(LOG_FILE_PREFIX + localNode.id(),
                                         ClusterMessagingProtocol.SERIALIZER);
 
+        copycat = new Copycat(stateMachine, consensusLog, cluster, copycatMessagingProtocol);
+
         client = new DatabaseClient(copycatMessagingProtocol);
 
-        copycat = new Copycat(stateMachine, consensusLog, cluster, copycatMessagingProtocol);
 
         copycat.event(LeaderElectEvent.class).registerHandler(client);
         copycat.event(LeaderElectEvent.class).registerHandler(expirationTracker);