diff --git a/apps/cip/src/main/java/org/onosproject/cip/ClusterIpManager.java b/apps/cip/src/main/java/org/onosproject/cip/ClusterIpManager.java
index a3cf7b3..a6f3d1c 100644
--- a/apps/cip/src/main/java/org/onosproject/cip/ClusterIpManager.java
+++ b/apps/cip/src/main/java/org/onosproject/cip/ClusterIpManager.java
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
 package org.onosproject.cip;
 
 import com.google.common.io.ByteStreams;
+
 import org.apache.felix.scr.annotations.Activate;
 import org.apache.felix.scr.annotations.Component;
 import org.apache.felix.scr.annotations.Deactivate;
@@ -93,7 +94,7 @@
         cfgService.registerProperties(getClass());
 
         localId = clusterService.getLocalNode().id();
-        processLeadershipChange(leadershipService.getLeader(CLUSTER_IP));
+        processLeaderChange(leadershipService.getLeader(CLUSTER_IP));
 
         leadershipService.addListener(listener);
         leadershipService.runForLeadership(CLUSTER_IP);
@@ -137,10 +138,7 @@
         }
     }
 
-    private synchronized void processLeadershipChange(NodeId newLeader) {
-        if (newLeader == null) {
-            return;
-        }
+    private synchronized void processLeaderChange(NodeId newLeader) {
         boolean isLeader = Objects.equals(newLeader, localId);
         log.info("Processing leadership change; wasLeader={}, isLeader={}", wasLeader, isLeader);
         if (!wasLeader && isLeader) {
@@ -189,11 +187,15 @@
 
     // Listens for leadership changes.
     private class InternalLeadershipListener implements LeadershipEventListener {
+
+        @Override
+        public boolean isRelevant(LeadershipEvent event) {
+            return CLUSTER_IP.equals(event.subject().topic());
+        }
+
         @Override
         public void event(LeadershipEvent event) {
-            if (event.subject().topic().equals(CLUSTER_IP)) {
-                processLeadershipChange(event.subject().leader());
-            }
+             processLeaderChange(event.subject().leaderNodeId());
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/apps/mlb/src/main/java/org/onosproject/mlb/MastershipLoadBalancer.java b/apps/mlb/src/main/java/org/onosproject/mlb/MastershipLoadBalancer.java
index bcf4e2e..b2a33a9 100644
--- a/apps/mlb/src/main/java/org/onosproject/mlb/MastershipLoadBalancer.java
+++ b/apps/mlb/src/main/java/org/onosproject/mlb/MastershipLoadBalancer.java
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
 import com.google.common.util.concurrent.ListenableScheduledFuture;
 import com.google.common.util.concurrent.ListeningScheduledExecutorService;
 import com.google.common.util.concurrent.MoreExecutors;
+
 import org.apache.felix.scr.annotations.Activate;
 import org.apache.felix.scr.annotations.Component;
 import org.apache.felix.scr.annotations.Deactivate;
@@ -105,10 +106,7 @@
         log.info("Stopped");
     }
 
-    private synchronized void processLeadershipChange(NodeId newLeader) {
-        if (newLeader == null) {
-            return;
-        }
+    private synchronized void processLeaderChange(NodeId newLeader) {
         boolean currLeader = newLeader.equals(localId);
         if (isLeader.getAndSet(currLeader) != currLeader) {
             if (currLeader) {
@@ -159,7 +157,7 @@
 
         @Override
         public void event(LeadershipEvent event) {
-            processLeadershipChange(event.subject().leader());
+            processLeaderChange(event.subject().leaderNodeId());
         }
     }
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}
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 {
 
     }
diff --git a/apps/test/election/src/main/java/org/onosproject/election/ElectionTest.java b/apps/test/election/src/main/java/org/onosproject/election/ElectionTest.java
index b2a7207..e0d3b27 100644
--- a/apps/test/election/src/main/java/org/onosproject/election/ElectionTest.java
+++ b/apps/test/election/src/main/java/org/onosproject/election/ElectionTest.java
@@ -24,12 +24,11 @@
 import org.apache.felix.scr.annotations.ReferenceCardinality;
 import org.onosproject.cluster.ClusterService;
 import org.onosproject.core.CoreService;
-import org.onosproject.cluster.ControllerNode;
 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.slf4j.Logger;
 
 
@@ -56,7 +55,7 @@
     private LeadershipEventListener leadershipEventListener =
             new InnerLeadershipEventListener();
 
-    private ControllerNode localControllerNode;
+    private NodeId localNodeId;
 
 
     @Activate
@@ -65,7 +64,7 @@
 
         appId = coreService.registerApplication(ELECTION_APP);
 
-        localControllerNode = clusterService.getLocalNode();
+        localNodeId = clusterService.getLocalNode().id();
 
         leadershipService.addListener(leadershipEventListener);
     }
@@ -100,20 +99,10 @@
             log.debug("Leadership Event: time = {} type = {} event = {}",
                     event.time(), event.type(), event);
 
-            if (!event.subject().leader().equals(
-                    localControllerNode.id())) {
-                return;         // The event is not about this instance: ignore
-            }
-
             switch (event.type()) {
-                case LEADER_ELECTED:
-                    log.info("Election-test app leader elected");
-                    break;
-                case LEADER_BOOTED:
-                    log.info("Election-test app lost election");
-                    break;
-                case LEADER_REELECTED:
-                    log.debug("Election-test app was re-elected");
+                case LEADER_CHANGED:
+                case LEADER_AND_CANDIDATES_CHANGED:
+                    log.info("Election-test app leader changed. New leadership: {}", event.subject());
                     break;
                 default:
                     break;