diff --git a/core/store/dist/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/store/device/impl/DeviceClockManager.java b/core/store/dist/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/store/device/impl/DeviceClockManager.java
index 48355cf..73ba735 100644
--- a/core/store/dist/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/store/device/impl/DeviceClockManager.java
+++ b/core/store/dist/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/store/device/impl/DeviceClockManager.java
@@ -44,6 +44,8 @@
     @Override
     public Timestamp getTimestamp(DeviceId deviceId) {
         MastershipTerm term = deviceMastershipTerms.get(deviceId);
+        log.info("term info for {} is: {}", deviceId, term);
+
         if (term == null) {
             throw new IllegalStateException("Requesting timestamp for a deviceId without mastership");
         }
@@ -52,6 +54,7 @@
 
     @Override
     public void setMastershipTerm(DeviceId deviceId, MastershipTerm term) {
+        log.info("adding term info {} {}", deviceId, term.master());
         deviceMastershipTerms.put(deviceId, term);
     }
 }
diff --git a/core/store/dist/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/store/device/impl/GossipDeviceStore.java b/core/store/dist/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/store/device/impl/GossipDeviceStore.java
index 2603da1..31a86a5 100644
--- a/core/store/dist/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/store/device/impl/GossipDeviceStore.java
+++ b/core/store/dist/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/store/device/impl/GossipDeviceStore.java
@@ -390,6 +390,7 @@
                                        List<PortDescription> portDescriptions) {
 
         final Timestamp newTimestamp = deviceClockService.getTimestamp(deviceId);
+        log.info("timestamp for {} {}", deviceId, newTimestamp);
 
         final Timestamped<List<PortDescription>> timestampedInput
                 = new Timestamped<>(portDescriptions, newTimestamp);
diff --git a/core/store/dist/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/store/link/impl/GossipLinkStore.java b/core/store/dist/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/store/link/impl/GossipLinkStore.java
index 6e8a367..8cf78e5 100644
--- a/core/store/dist/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/store/link/impl/GossipLinkStore.java
+++ b/core/store/dist/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/store/link/impl/GossipLinkStore.java
@@ -360,7 +360,14 @@
         final LinkKey key = linkKey(src, dst);
 
         DeviceId dstDeviceId = dst.deviceId();
-        Timestamp timestamp = deviceClockService.getTimestamp(dstDeviceId);
+        Timestamp timestamp = null;
+        try {
+            timestamp = deviceClockService.getTimestamp(dstDeviceId);
+        } catch (IllegalStateException e) {
+            //there are times when this is called before mastership
+            // handoff correctly completes.
+            return null;
+        }
 
         LinkEvent event = removeLinkInternal(key, timestamp);