diff --git a/core/store/dist/src/main/java/org/onosproject/store/mastership/impl/ConsistentDeviceMastershipStore.java b/core/store/dist/src/main/java/org/onosproject/store/mastership/impl/ConsistentDeviceMastershipStore.java
index a2a0081..bd5eea5 100644
--- a/core/store/dist/src/main/java/org/onosproject/store/mastership/impl/ConsistentDeviceMastershipStore.java
+++ b/core/store/dist/src/main/java/org/onosproject/store/mastership/impl/ConsistentDeviceMastershipStore.java
@@ -236,7 +236,8 @@
 
         String leadershipTopic = createDeviceMastershipTopic(deviceId);
         Leadership leadership = leadershipService.getLeadership(leadershipTopic);
-        return leadership != null ? MastershipTerm.of(leadership.leaderNodeId(), leadership.leader().term()) : null;
+        return leadership != null && leadership.leaderNodeId() != null ?
+            MastershipTerm.of(leadership.leaderNodeId(), leadership.leader().term()) : null;
     }
 
     @Override
@@ -349,4 +350,4 @@
         Matcher m = DEVICE_MASTERSHIP_TOPIC_PATTERN.matcher(topic);
         return m.matches();
     }
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}