diff --git a/apps/intent-perf/src/main/java/org/onosproject/intentperf/IntentPerfInstaller.java b/apps/intent-perf/src/main/java/org/onosproject/intentperf/IntentPerfInstaller.java
index a89445d..5c8a015 100644
--- a/apps/intent-perf/src/main/java/org/onosproject/intentperf/IntentPerfInstaller.java
+++ b/apps/intent-perf/src/main/java/org/onosproject/intentperf/IntentPerfInstaller.java
@@ -181,7 +181,6 @@
     }
 
     public void start() {
-        // TODO perhaps move to start(), but need to call before logConfig
         // adjust numNeighbors and generate list of neighbors
         numNeighbors = Math.min(clusterService.getNodes().size() - 1, numNeighbors);
 
@@ -232,14 +231,13 @@
                 node1.toString().compareTo(node2.toString()));
         // rotate the local node to index 0
         Collections.rotate(nodes, -1 * nodes.indexOf(clusterService.getLocalNode().id()));
-        log.info("neighbors (raw): {}", nodes); //TODO remove
+        log.debug("neighbors (raw): {}", nodes); //TODO remove
         // generate the sub-list that will contain local node and selected neighbors
         nodes = nodes.subList(0, numNeighbors + 1);
-        log.info("neighbors: {}", nodes); //TODO remove
+        log.debug("neighbors: {}", nodes); //TODO remove
         return nodes;
     }
 
-
     private Intent createIntent(Key key, long mac, NodeId node, Multimap<NodeId, Device> devices) {
         // choose a random device for which this node is master
         List<Device> deviceList = devices.get(node).stream().collect(Collectors.toList());
@@ -309,8 +307,6 @@
         checkState(intents.values().size() == numberOfKeys,
                    "Generated wrong number of intents");
         log.info("Created {} intents", numberOfKeys);
-
-        //FIXME remove this
         intents.keySet().forEach(node -> log.info("\t{}\t{}", node, intents.get(node).size()));
 
         return Sets.newHashSet(intents.values());
@@ -336,7 +332,11 @@
         public void run() {
             prime();
             while (!stopped) {
-                cycle();
+                try {
+                    cycle();
+                } catch (Exception e) {
+                    log.warn("Exception during cycle", e);
+                }
             }
             clear();
         }
@@ -402,14 +402,19 @@
 
         int cycleCount = 0;
         private void adjustRates() {
+
+            int addDelta = Math.max(1000 - cycleCount, 10);
+            double multRatio = Math.min(0.8 + cycleCount * 0.0002, 0.995);
+
             //FIXME need to iron out the rate adjustment
             //FIXME we should taper the adjustments over time
+            //FIXME don't just use the lastDuration, take an average
             if (++cycleCount % 5 == 0) { //TODO: maybe use a timer (we should do this every 5-10 sec)
                 if (listener.requestThroughput() - listener.processedThroughput() <= 2000 && //was 500
                         lastDuration <= cyclePeriod) {
-                    lastCount = Math.min(lastCount + 1000, intents.size() / 2);
+                    lastCount = Math.min(lastCount + addDelta, intents.size() / 2);
                 } else {
-                    lastCount *= 0.8;
+                    lastCount *= multRatio;
                 }
                 log.info("last count: {}, last duration: {} ms (sub: {} vs inst: {})",
                          lastCount, lastDuration, listener.requestThroughput(), listener.processedThroughput());
diff --git a/core/store/dist/src/main/java/org/onosproject/store/flow/impl/DistributedFlowRuleStore.java b/core/store/dist/src/main/java/org/onosproject/store/flow/impl/DistributedFlowRuleStore.java
index bcb34ea..7d30f99 100644
--- a/core/store/dist/src/main/java/org/onosproject/store/flow/impl/DistributedFlowRuleStore.java
+++ b/core/store/dist/src/main/java/org/onosproject/store/flow/impl/DistributedFlowRuleStore.java
@@ -653,7 +653,6 @@
             switch (event.type()) {
                 case MASTER_CHANGED:
                     if (local.equals(rInfo.master().orNull())) {
-                        log.info("{} is now the master for {}. Will load flow rules from backup", local, did);
                         // This node is the new master, populate local structure
                         // from backup
                         flowTable.loadFromBackup(did);
@@ -725,6 +724,7 @@
             if (!backupsEnabled) {
                 return;
             }
+            log.info("We are now the master for {}. Will load flow rules from backup", deviceId);
 
             ConcurrentMap<FlowId, Set<StoredFlowEntry>> flowTable = new ConcurrentHashMap<>();
 
diff --git a/core/store/dist/src/main/java/org/onosproject/store/intent/impl/GossipIntentStore.java b/core/store/dist/src/main/java/org/onosproject/store/intent/impl/GossipIntentStore.java
index 2b59fae..8ff462e 100644
--- a/core/store/dist/src/main/java/org/onosproject/store/intent/impl/GossipIntentStore.java
+++ b/core/store/dist/src/main/java/org/onosproject/store/intent/impl/GossipIntentStore.java
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
 package org.onosproject.store.intent.impl;
 
 import com.google.common.collect.ImmutableList;
+import org.apache.commons.lang.math.RandomUtils;
 import org.apache.felix.scr.annotations.Activate;
 import org.apache.felix.scr.annotations.Component;
 import org.apache.felix.scr.annotations.Deactivate;
@@ -45,9 +46,7 @@
 import org.onosproject.store.serializers.KryoNamespaces;
 import org.slf4j.Logger;
 
-import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.Collection;
-import java.util.Collections;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Objects;
 import java.util.stream.Collectors;
@@ -102,7 +101,7 @@
         pendingMap = new EventuallyConsistentMapImpl<>("intent-pending",
                                                        clusterService,
                                                        clusterCommunicator,
-                                                       intentSerializer, // TODO
+                                                       intentSerializer,
                                                        new IntentDataClockManager<>(),
                                                        (key, intentData) -> getPeerNodes(key, intentData));
 
@@ -254,29 +253,36 @@
     private Collection<NodeId> getPeerNodes(Key key, IntentData data) {
         NodeId master = partitionService.getLeader(key);
         NodeId origin = (data != null) ? data.origin() : null;
+        if (master == null || origin == null) {
+            log.warn("Intent {} has no home; master = {}, origin = {}",
+                     data.key(), master, origin);
+        }
+
         NodeId me = clusterService.getLocalNode().id();
         boolean isMaster = Objects.equals(master, me);
         boolean isOrigin = Objects.equals(origin, me);
         if (isMaster && isOrigin) {
-            return ImmutableList.of(getRandomNode());
+            return getRandomNode();
         } else if (isMaster) {
-            return origin != null ? ImmutableList.of(origin) : ImmutableList.of(getRandomNode());
+            return origin != null ? ImmutableList.of(origin) : getRandomNode();
         } else if (isOrigin) {
-            return ImmutableList.of(master);
+            return master != null ? ImmutableList.of(master) : getRandomNode();
         } else {
-            // FIXME: why are we here? log error?
+            log.warn("Not master or origin for intent {}", data.key());
             return ImmutableList.of(master);
         }
     }
 
-    private NodeId getRandomNode() {
+    private List<NodeId> getRandomNode() {
+        NodeId me = clusterService.getLocalNode().id();
         List<NodeId> nodes = clusterService.getNodes().stream()
-                                .map(ControllerNode::id)
-                .collect(Collectors.toCollection(ArrayList::new));
-        Collections.shuffle(nodes);
-        // FIXME check if self
-        // FIXME verify nodes.size() > 0
-        return nodes.get(0);
+                .map(ControllerNode::id)
+                .filter(node -> !Objects.equals(node, me))
+                .collect(Collectors.toList());
+        if (nodes.size() == 0) {
+            return null;
+        }
+        return ImmutableList.of(nodes.get(RandomUtils.nextInt(nodes.size())));
     }
 
     @Override