diff --git a/core/net/src/main/java/org/onosproject/net/flow/impl/FlowRuleManager.java b/core/net/src/main/java/org/onosproject/net/flow/impl/FlowRuleManager.java
index 833a40c..d593e45 100644
--- a/core/net/src/main/java/org/onosproject/net/flow/impl/FlowRuleManager.java
+++ b/core/net/src/main/java/org/onosproject/net/flow/impl/FlowRuleManager.java
@@ -526,19 +526,28 @@
             checkNotNull(flowEntry, FLOW_RULE_NULL);
             checkValidity();
             FlowEntry storedEntry = store.getFlowEntry(flowEntry);
-            if ((storedEntry != null && storedEntry.state() != FlowEntry.FlowEntryState.PENDING_REMOVE)
-                    && checkRuleLiveness(flowEntry, storedEntry)) {
-                FlowRuleEvent event = store.addOrUpdateFlowRule(flowEntry);
-                if (event == null) {
-                    log.debug("No flow store event generated.");
-                    return false;
+            if (storedEntry != null) {
+                // Flow rule is still valid, let's try to update the stats
+                if (storedEntry.state() != FlowEntry.FlowEntryState.PENDING_REMOVE &&
+                        checkRuleLiveness(flowEntry, storedEntry)) {
+                    FlowRuleEvent event = store.addOrUpdateFlowRule(flowEntry);
+                    /* Something went wrong or there is no master
+                       better check if it is the latter */
+                    if (event == null) {
+                        log.debug("No flow store event generated for addOrUpdate of {}", flowEntry);
+                        return false;
+                    } else {
+                        log.trace("Flow {} {}", flowEntry, event.type());
+                        post(event);
+                    }
                 } else {
-                    log.trace("Flow {} {}", flowEntry, event.type());
-                    post(event);
+                    log.debug("Removing {}", flowEntry);
+                    removeFlowRules(flowEntry);
                 }
             } else {
-                log.debug("Removing flow rules....");
-                removeFlowRules(flowEntry);
+                /* It was already removed or there is no master
+                   better check if it is the latter */
+                return false;
             }
             return true;
         }
diff --git a/core/store/dist/src/main/java/org/onosproject/store/flow/impl/ECFlowRuleStore.java b/core/store/dist/src/main/java/org/onosproject/store/flow/impl/ECFlowRuleStore.java
index e4850d8..602f4d3 100644
--- a/core/store/dist/src/main/java/org/onosproject/store/flow/impl/ECFlowRuleStore.java
+++ b/core/store/dist/src/main/java/org/onosproject/store/flow/impl/ECFlowRuleStore.java
@@ -380,7 +380,7 @@
     public int getFlowRuleCount(DeviceId deviceId, FlowEntryState state) {
         NodeId master = mastershipService.getMasterFor(deviceId);
         if (master == null && deviceService.isAvailable(deviceId)) {
-            log.debug("Failed to getFlowRuleCount: No master for {}", deviceId);
+            log.warn("Failed to getFlowRuleCount: No master for {}", deviceId);
             return 0;
         }
 
@@ -405,7 +405,7 @@
         NodeId master = mastershipService.getMasterFor(rule.deviceId());
 
         if (master == null && deviceService.isAvailable(rule.deviceId())) {
-            log.debug("Failed to getFlowEntry: No master for {}", rule.deviceId());
+            log.warn("Failed to getFlowEntry: No master for {}", rule.deviceId());
             return null;
         }
 
@@ -451,7 +451,7 @@
         NodeId master = mastershipService.getMasterFor(deviceId);
 
         if (master == null) {
-            log.warn("No master for {} ", deviceId);
+            log.warn("Failed to storeBatch: No master for {}", deviceId);
 
             Set<FlowRule> allFailures = operation.getOperations()
                 .stream()
@@ -960,7 +960,7 @@
         NodeId master = mastershipService.getMasterFor(deviceId);
 
         if (master == null && deviceService.isAvailable(deviceId)) {
-            log.debug("Failed to getTableStats: No master for {}", deviceId);
+            log.warn("Failed to getTableStats: No master for {}", deviceId);
             return Collections.emptyList();
         }