diff --git a/apps/routing/src/main/java/org/onosproject/routing/impl/IntentSynchronizer.java b/apps/routing/src/main/java/org/onosproject/routing/impl/IntentSynchronizer.java
index 22c7d43..1811049 100644
--- a/apps/routing/src/main/java/org/onosproject/routing/impl/IntentSynchronizer.java
+++ b/apps/routing/src/main/java/org/onosproject/routing/impl/IntentSynchronizer.java
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@
 import org.onosproject.cluster.LeadershipEvent;
 import org.onosproject.cluster.LeadershipEventListener;
 import org.onosproject.cluster.LeadershipService;
+import org.onosproject.cluster.NodeId;
 import org.onosproject.core.ApplicationId;
 import org.onosproject.core.CoreService;
 import org.onosproject.net.intent.Intent;
@@ -43,7 +44,6 @@
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Map;
 import java.util.Map.Entry;
-import java.util.Objects;
 import java.util.concurrent.ConcurrentHashMap;
 import java.util.concurrent.ExecutorService;
 
@@ -74,6 +74,7 @@
     @Reference(cardinality = ReferenceCardinality.MANDATORY_UNARY)
     protected IntentService intentService;
 
+    private NodeId localNodeId;
     private ApplicationId appId;
 
     private final InternalLeadershipListener leadershipEventListener =
@@ -89,7 +90,7 @@
     @Activate
     public void activate() {
         intentsSynchronizerExecutor = createExecutor();
-
+        this.localNodeId = clusterService.getLocalNode().id();
         this.appId = coreService.registerApplication(APP_NAME);
 
         leadershipService.addListener(leadershipEventListener);
@@ -268,27 +269,22 @@
     private class InternalLeadershipListener implements LeadershipEventListener {
 
         @Override
-        public void event(LeadershipEvent event) {
-            if (!event.subject().topic().equals(appId.name())) {
-                // Not our topic: ignore
-                return;
-            }
-            if (!Objects.equals(event.subject().leader(),
-                    clusterService.getLocalNode().id())) {
-                // The event is not about this instance: ignore
-                return;
-            }
+        public boolean isRelevant(LeadershipEvent event) {
+            return event.subject().topic().equals(appId.name());
+        }
 
+        @Override
+        public void event(LeadershipEvent event) {
             switch (event.type()) {
-            case LEADER_ELECTED:
-                log.info("IntentSynchronizer gained leadership");
-                leaderChanged(true);
-                break;
-            case LEADER_BOOTED:
-                log.info("IntentSynchronizer lost leadership");
-                leaderChanged(false);
-                break;
-            case LEADER_REELECTED:
+            case LEADER_CHANGED:
+            case LEADER_AND_CANDIDATES_CHANGED:
+                if (localNodeId.equals(event.subject().leaderNodeId())) {
+                    log.info("IntentSynchronizer gained leadership");
+                    leaderChanged(true);
+                } else {
+                    log.info("IntentSynchronizer leader changed. New leader is {}", event.subject().leaderNodeId());
+                    leaderChanged(false);
+                }
             default:
                 break;
             }
diff --git a/apps/routing/src/test/java/org/onosproject/routing/impl/IntentSynchronizerTest.java b/apps/routing/src/test/java/org/onosproject/routing/impl/IntentSynchronizerTest.java
index d265323..351a099 100644
--- a/apps/routing/src/test/java/org/onosproject/routing/impl/IntentSynchronizerTest.java
+++ b/apps/routing/src/test/java/org/onosproject/routing/impl/IntentSynchronizerTest.java
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
 
 import com.google.common.collect.Sets;
 import com.google.common.util.concurrent.MoreExecutors;
+
 import org.junit.Before;
 import org.junit.Test;
 import org.onlab.junit.TestUtils;
@@ -29,7 +30,11 @@
 import org.onlab.packet.MacAddress;
 import org.onlab.packet.VlanId;
 import org.onosproject.TestApplicationId;
+import org.onosproject.cluster.ClusterServiceAdapter;
+import org.onosproject.cluster.ControllerNode;
+import org.onosproject.cluster.DefaultControllerNode;
 import org.onosproject.cluster.LeadershipServiceAdapter;
+import org.onosproject.cluster.NodeId;
 import org.onosproject.core.ApplicationId;
 import org.onosproject.core.CoreServiceAdapter;
 import org.onosproject.incubator.net.intf.Interface;
@@ -94,6 +99,9 @@
     private static final ApplicationId APPID =
             TestApplicationId.create("intent-sync-test");
 
+    private static final ControllerNode LOCAL_NODE =
+            new DefaultControllerNode(new NodeId("foo"), IpAddress.valueOf("127.0.0.1"));
+
     @Before
     public void setUp() throws Exception {
         super.setUp();
@@ -105,6 +113,7 @@
         intentSynchronizer = new TestIntentSynchronizer();
 
         intentSynchronizer.coreService = new TestCoreService();
+        intentSynchronizer.clusterService = new TestClusterService();
         intentSynchronizer.leadershipService = new TestLeadershipService();
         intentSynchronizer.intentService = intentService;
 
@@ -441,6 +450,13 @@
         }
     }
 
+    private class TestClusterService extends ClusterServiceAdapter {
+        @Override
+        public ControllerNode getLocalNode() {
+            return LOCAL_NODE;
+        }
+    }
+
     private class TestLeadershipService extends LeadershipServiceAdapter {
 
     }