diff --git a/core/api/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/net/device/DeviceProviderService.java b/core/api/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/net/device/DeviceProviderService.java
index 7f28374..d043eca 100644
--- a/core/api/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/net/device/DeviceProviderService.java
+++ b/core/api/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/net/device/DeviceProviderService.java
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@
      * mastership role on the device.
      *
      * @param deviceId identity of the device
-     * @param role mastership role being asserted
+     * @param role mastership role that was asserted but failed
      */
     void unableToAssertRole(DeviceId deviceId, MastershipRole role);
 
diff --git a/openflow/ctl/src/test/java/org/onlab/onos/openflow/controller/impl/RoleManagerTest.java b/openflow/ctl/src/test/java/org/onlab/onos/openflow/controller/impl/RoleManagerTest.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..285635a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/openflow/ctl/src/test/java/org/onlab/onos/openflow/controller/impl/RoleManagerTest.java
@@ -0,0 +1,284 @@
+package org.onlab.onos.openflow.controller.impl;
+
+import java.io.IOException;
+import java.util.List;
+
+import org.jboss.netty.channel.Channel;
+import org.junit.After;
+import org.junit.Before;
+import org.junit.Test;
+import org.onlab.onos.openflow.controller.RoleState;
+import org.onlab.onos.openflow.controller.driver.OpenFlowAgent;
+import org.onlab.onos.openflow.controller.driver.OpenFlowSwitchDriver;
+import org.onlab.onos.openflow.controller.driver.RoleHandler;
+import org.onlab.onos.openflow.controller.driver.RoleRecvStatus;
+import org.onlab.onos.openflow.controller.driver.RoleReplyInfo;
+import org.onlab.onos.openflow.controller.driver.SwitchStateException;
+import org.projectfloodlight.openflow.protocol.OFDescStatsReply;
+import org.projectfloodlight.openflow.protocol.OFErrorMsg;
+import org.projectfloodlight.openflow.protocol.OFFactories;
+import org.projectfloodlight.openflow.protocol.OFFactory;
+import org.projectfloodlight.openflow.protocol.OFFeaturesReply;
+import org.projectfloodlight.openflow.protocol.OFMessage;
+import org.projectfloodlight.openflow.protocol.OFPortDesc;
+import org.projectfloodlight.openflow.protocol.OFPortDescStatsReply;
+import org.projectfloodlight.openflow.protocol.OFVersion;
+import org.projectfloodlight.openflow.types.U64;
+
+import static org.junit.Assert.assertEquals;
+import static org.onlab.onos.openflow.controller.RoleState.*;
+import static org.onlab.onos.openflow.controller.driver.RoleRecvStatus.*;
+
+public class RoleManagerTest {
+
+    private static final U64 GID = U64.of(10L);
+    private static final long XID = 1L;
+
+    private OpenFlowSwitchDriver sw;
+    private RoleManager manager;
+
+    @Before
+    public void setUp() {
+        sw = new TestSwitchDriver();
+        manager = new RoleManager(sw);
+    }
+
+    @After
+    public void tearDown() {
+        manager = null;
+        sw = null;
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void deliverRoleReply() {
+        RoleRecvStatus status;
+
+        RoleReplyInfo asserted = new RoleReplyInfo(MASTER, GID, XID);
+        RoleReplyInfo unasserted = new RoleReplyInfo(SLAVE, GID, XID);
+
+        try {
+            //call without sendRoleReq() for requestPending = false
+            //first, sw.role == null
+            status = manager.deliverRoleReply(asserted);
+            assertEquals("expectation wrong", OTHER_EXPECTATION, status);
+
+            sw.setRole(MASTER);
+            assertEquals("expectation wrong", OTHER_EXPECTATION, status);
+            sw.setRole(SLAVE);
+
+            //match to pendingRole = MASTER, requestPending = true
+            manager.sendRoleRequest(MASTER, MATCHED_CURRENT_ROLE);
+            status = manager.deliverRoleReply(asserted);
+            assertEquals("expectation wrong", MATCHED_CURRENT_ROLE, status);
+
+            //requestPending never gets reset -- this might be a bug.
+            status = manager.deliverRoleReply(unasserted);
+            assertEquals("expectation wrong", OTHER_EXPECTATION, status);
+            assertEquals("pending role mismatch", MASTER, ((TestSwitchDriver) sw).failed);
+
+        } catch (IOException | SwitchStateException e) {
+            assertEquals("unexpected error thrown",
+                    SwitchStateException.class, e.getClass());
+        }
+    }
+
+    private class TestSwitchDriver implements OpenFlowSwitchDriver {
+
+        RoleState failed = null;
+        RoleState current = null;
+
+        @Override
+        public void sendMsg(OFMessage msg) {
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public void sendMsg(List<OFMessage> msgs) {
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public void handleMessage(OFMessage fromSwitch) {
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public void setRole(RoleState role) {
+            current = role;
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public RoleState getRole() {
+            return current;
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public List<OFPortDesc> getPorts() {
+            return null;
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public OFFactory factory() {
+            // return what-ever triggers requestPending = true
+            return OFFactories.getFactory(OFVersion.OF_10);
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public String getStringId() {
+            return "100";
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public long getId() {
+            return 0;
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public String manfacturerDescription() {
+            return null;
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public String datapathDescription() {
+            return null;
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public String hardwareDescription() {
+            return null;
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public String softwareDescription() {
+            return null;
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public String serialNumber() {
+            return null;
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public void disconnectSwitch() {
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public void returnRoleAssertFailure(RoleState role) {
+            failed = role;
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public void setAgent(OpenFlowAgent agent) {
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public void setRoleHandler(RoleHandler roleHandler) {
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public void reassertRole() {
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public boolean handleRoleError(OFErrorMsg error) {
+            return false;
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public void handleNiciraRole(OFMessage m) throws SwitchStateException {
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public void handleRole(OFMessage m) throws SwitchStateException {
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public void startDriverHandshake() {
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public boolean isDriverHandshakeComplete() {
+            return false;
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public void processDriverHandshakeMessage(OFMessage m) {
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public boolean connectSwitch() {
+            return false;
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public boolean activateMasterSwitch() {
+            return false;
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public boolean activateEqualSwitch() {
+            return false;
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public void transitionToEqualSwitch() {
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public void transitionToMasterSwitch() {
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public void removeConnectedSwitch() {
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public void setPortDescReply(OFPortDescStatsReply portDescReply) {
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public void setFeaturesReply(OFFeaturesReply featuresReply) {
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public void setSwitchDescription(OFDescStatsReply desc) {
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public int getNextTransactionId() {
+            return (int) XID;
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public Boolean supportNxRole() {
+            return true;
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public void setOFVersion(OFVersion ofV) {
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public void setTableFull(boolean full) {
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public void setChannel(Channel channel) {
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public void setConnected(boolean connected) {
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public boolean isConnected() {
+            return false;
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public void write(OFMessage msg) {
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public void write(List<OFMessage> msgs) {
+        }
+
+    }
+}