diff --git a/core/api/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/net/link/DefaultLinkDescription.java b/core/api/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/net/link/DefaultLinkDescription.java
index 65d8d6d..037b796 100644
--- a/core/api/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/net/link/DefaultLinkDescription.java
+++ b/core/api/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/net/link/DefaultLinkDescription.java
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 package org.onlab.onos.net.link;
 
+import com.google.common.base.MoreObjects;
 import org.onlab.onos.net.AbstractDescription;
 import org.onlab.onos.net.ConnectPoint;
 import org.onlab.onos.net.Link;
@@ -46,4 +47,11 @@
         return type;
     }
 
+    @Override
+    public String toString() {
+        return MoreObjects.toStringHelper("Link").add("src", src())
+                                .add("dst", dst())
+                                .add("type", type()).toString();
+    }
+
 }
diff --git a/core/net/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/net/link/impl/LinkManager.java b/core/net/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/net/link/impl/LinkManager.java
index 7b35f1c..835c47e 100644
--- a/core/net/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/net/link/impl/LinkManager.java
+++ b/core/net/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/net/link/impl/LinkManager.java
@@ -201,10 +201,10 @@
             ConnectPoint dst = linkDescription.dst();
             // if we aren't master for the device associated with the ConnectPoint
             // we probably shouldn't be doing this.
-            if ((deviceService.getRole(src.deviceId()) != MastershipRole.MASTER) ||
-                    (deviceService.getRole(dst.deviceId()) != MastershipRole.MASTER)) {
-                return;
-            }
+
+//            if (deviceService.getRole(dst.deviceId()) != MastershipRole.MASTER) {
+//                return;
+//            }
             LinkEvent event = store.createOrUpdateLink(provider().id(),
                                                        linkDescription);
             if (event != null) {
@@ -220,14 +220,8 @@
 
             ConnectPoint src = linkDescription.src();
             ConnectPoint dst = linkDescription.dst();
-            // if we aren't master for the device associated with the ConnectPoint
-            // we probably shouldn't be doing this.
-            if ((deviceService.getRole(src.deviceId()) != MastershipRole.MASTER) ||
-                    (deviceService.getRole(dst.deviceId()) != MastershipRole.MASTER)) {
-                return;
-            }
-            LinkEvent event = store.removeLink(linkDescription.src(),
-                                               linkDescription.dst());
+
+            LinkEvent event = store.removeLink(src, dst);
             if (event != null) {
                 log.info("Link {} vanished", linkDescription);
                 post(event);
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 312d072..9e58904 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
@@ -239,11 +239,14 @@
         LinkKey key = linkKey(linkDescription.src(), linkDescription.dst());
         final LinkEvent event;
         final Timestamped<LinkDescription> mergedDesc;
-        synchronized (getOrCreateLinkDescriptions(key)) {
+        Map<ProviderId, Timestamped<LinkDescription>> map = getOrCreateLinkDescriptions(key);
+        synchronized (map) {
             event = createOrUpdateLinkInternal(providerId, deltaDesc);
-            mergedDesc = getOrCreateLinkDescriptions(key).get(providerId);
+            mergedDesc = map.get(providerId);
         }
 
+
+
         if (event != null) {
             log.info("Notifying peers of a link update topology event from providerId: "
                     + "{}  between src: {} and dst: {}",
@@ -252,8 +255,8 @@
                 notifyPeers(new InternalLinkEvent(providerId, mergedDesc));
             } catch (IOException e) {
                 log.info("Failed to notify peers of a link update topology event from providerId: "
-                        + "{}  between src: {} and dst: {}",
-                        providerId, linkDescription.src(), linkDescription.dst());
+                                 + "{}  between src: {} and dst: {}",
+                         providerId, linkDescription.src(), linkDescription.dst());
             }
         }
         return event;