diff --git a/clean-cassandra.sh b/drop-keyspace.sh
similarity index 100%
rename from clean-cassandra.sh
rename to drop-keyspace.sh
diff --git a/src/main/java/net/floodlightcontroller/core/internal/Controller.java b/src/main/java/net/floodlightcontroller/core/internal/Controller.java
index 4057bc9..24eeab5 100644
--- a/src/main/java/net/floodlightcontroller/core/internal/Controller.java
+++ b/src/main/java/net/floodlightcontroller/core/internal/Controller.java
@@ -560,7 +560,9 @@
                     removeSwitch(sw);
                 }
                 synchronized(roleChanger) {
-                	registryService.releaseControl(sw.getId());
+                	if (controlRequested) {
+                		registryService.releaseControl(sw.getId());
+                	}
                     connectedSwitches.remove(sw);
                 }
                 sw.setConnected(false);
@@ -795,8 +797,10 @@
                     dfuture);
 
         }
-        
+ 
+      	volatile Boolean controlRequested = Boolean.FALSE;
         protected void checkSwitchReady() {
+  
             if (state.hsState == HandshakeState.FEATURES_REPLY &&
                     state.hasDescription && state.hasGetConfigReply) {
                 
@@ -821,10 +825,12 @@
                     	
                     	//Request control of the switch from the global registry
                     	try {
+                    		controlRequested = Boolean.TRUE;
 							registryService.requestControl(sw.getId(), 
 									new RoleChangeCallback());
 						} catch (RegistryException e) {
 							log.debug("Registry error: {}", e.getMessage());
+							controlRequested = Boolean.FALSE;
 						}
                     	
                     	
@@ -858,6 +864,16 @@
                         state.firstRoleReplyReceived = true;
                     }
                 }
+                if (!controlRequested) {
+                	// yield to allow other thread(s) to release control
+                	try {
+						Thread.sleep(10);
+					} catch (InterruptedException e) {
+						// Ignore interruptions						
+					}
+                	// safer to bounce the switch to reconnect here than proceeding further
+                	sw.channel.close();
+                }
             }
         }
                 
@@ -1084,6 +1100,7 @@
                     shouldHandleMessage = handleVendorMessage((OFVendor)m);
                     break;
                 case ERROR:
+                	log.debug("Recieved ERROR message from switch {}: {}", sw, m);
                     // TODO: we need better error handling. Especially for 
                     // request/reply style message (stats, roles) we should have
                     // a unified way to lookup the xid in the error message. 
@@ -1107,6 +1124,7 @@
                         // is not a spurious error
                         shouldLogError = !isBadVendorError;
                         if (isBadVendorError) {
+                        	log.debug("Handling bad vendor error for {}", sw);
                             if (state.firstRoleReplyReceived && (role != null)) {
                                 log.warn("Received ERROR from sw {} that "
                                           +"indicates roles are not supported "
@@ -1114,16 +1132,21 @@
                                           +"role reply earlier", sw);
                             }
                             state.firstRoleReplyReceived = true;
-                            sw.deliverRoleRequestNotSupported(error.getXid());
+                            Role requestedRole = 
+                            		sw.deliverRoleRequestNotSupported(error.getXid());
                             synchronized(roleChanger) {
                                 if (sw.role == null && Controller.this.role==Role.SLAVE) {
+                                	//This will now never happen. The Controller's role
+                                	//is now never SLAVE, always MASTER.
                                     // the switch doesn't understand role request
                                     // messages and the current controller role is
                                     // slave. We need to disconnect the switch. 
                                     // @see RoleChanger for rationale
                                     sw.getChannel().close();
                                 }
-                                else if (sw.role == null) {
+                                else if (sw.role == null && requestedRole == Role.MASTER) {
+                                	log.debug("Adding switch {} because we got an error" +
+                                			" returned from a MASTER role request", sw);
                                     // Controller's role is master: add to
                                     // active 
                                     // TODO: check if clearing flow table is
diff --git a/src/main/java/net/floodlightcontroller/core/internal/OFSwitchImpl.java b/src/main/java/net/floodlightcontroller/core/internal/OFSwitchImpl.java
index 5ffd9bc..7313619 100644
--- a/src/main/java/net/floodlightcontroller/core/internal/OFSwitchImpl.java
+++ b/src/main/java/net/floodlightcontroller/core/internal/OFSwitchImpl.java
@@ -787,15 +787,17 @@
      * Otherwise we ignore it.
      * @param xid
      */
-    protected void deliverRoleRequestNotSupported(int xid) {
+    protected Role deliverRoleRequestNotSupported(int xid) {
         synchronized(pendingRoleRequests) {
             PendingRoleRequestEntry head = pendingRoleRequests.poll();
             this.role = null;
             if (head!=null && head.xid == xid) {
                 setAttribute(SWITCH_SUPPORTS_NX_ROLE, false);
+                return head.role;
             }
             else {
                 this.channel.close();
+                return null;
             }
         }
     }
diff --git a/src/main/java/net/floodlightcontroller/core/internal/RoleChanger.java b/src/main/java/net/floodlightcontroller/core/internal/RoleChanger.java
index 6378136..b2de649 100644
--- a/src/main/java/net/floodlightcontroller/core/internal/RoleChanger.java
+++ b/src/main/java/net/floodlightcontroller/core/internal/RoleChanger.java
@@ -275,10 +275,23 @@
                         sw.getAttribute(IOFSwitch.SWITCH_SUPPORTS_NX_ROLE);
                 if ((supportsNxRole == null) || supportsNxRole) {
                     // Handle cases #1 and #2
+                	log.debug("Sending NxRoleRequest to {}", sw);
                     sw.sendNxRoleRequest(role, cookie);
-                } else {
-                    // Handle case #3
-                    if (role == Role.SLAVE) {
+                } else {         
+                	if (role == Role.MASTER) {
+                		log.debug("Switch {} doesn't support NxRoleRequests, but sending " + 
+                					"{} request anyway", sw, role);
+                		//Send the role request anyway, even though we know the switch
+                		//doesn't support it. The switch will give an error and in our
+                		//error handling code we will add the switch.
+                		//NOTE we *could* just add the switch right away rather than
+                		//going through the overhead of sending a role request - however
+                		//we then have to deal with concurrency issues resulting from
+                		//calling addSwitch outside of a netty handler.
+                		sw.sendNxRoleRequest(role, cookie);
+                	}
+                	// Handle case #3
+                	else if (role == Role.SLAVE) {
                         log.debug("Disconnecting switch {} that doesn't support " +
                         "role request messages from a controller that went to SLAVE mode");
                         // Closing the channel should result in a call to
diff --git a/src/main/java/net/floodlightcontroller/flowcache/FlowManager.java b/src/main/java/net/floodlightcontroller/flowcache/FlowManager.java
index d55979e..d64476d 100644
--- a/src/main/java/net/floodlightcontroller/flowcache/FlowManager.java
+++ b/src/main/java/net/floodlightcontroller/flowcache/FlowManager.java
@@ -101,12 +101,13 @@
 		for (IFlowEntry flowEntryObj : allFlowEntries) {
 		    FlowEntryId flowEntryId =
 			new FlowEntryId(flowEntryObj.getFlowEntryId());
-		    String userState = "User State: " + flowEntryObj.getUserState();
-		    String switchState = "Switch State: " + flowEntryObj.getSwitchState();
+		    String userState = flowEntryObj.getUserState();
+		    String switchState = flowEntryObj.getSwitchState();
 
 		    log.debug("Found Flow Entry {}: {}",
 			      flowEntryId.toString(),
-			      userState + " " + switchState);
+			      "User State: " + userState +
+			      " Switch State: " + switchState);
 
 		    if (! switchState.equals("FE_SWITCH_NOT_UPDATED")) {
 			// Ignore the entry: nothing to do
@@ -160,6 +161,8 @@
 			flowModCommand = OFFlowMod.OFPFC_DELETE_STRICT;
 		    } else {
 			// Unknown user state. Ignore the entry
+			log.debug("Flow Entry ignored (FlowEntryId = {}): unknown user state {}",
+				  flowEntryId.toString(), userState);
 			continue;
 		    }
 
diff --git a/src/main/java/net/floodlightcontroller/onoslistener/OnosPublisher.java b/src/main/java/net/floodlightcontroller/onoslistener/OnosPublisher.java
index c6fe108..36cde95 100644
--- a/src/main/java/net/floodlightcontroller/onoslistener/OnosPublisher.java
+++ b/src/main/java/net/floodlightcontroller/onoslistener/OnosPublisher.java
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@
 	protected static final String CleanupEnabled = "EnableCleanup";
 	protected IThreadPoolService threadPool;
 	
-	protected final int CLEANUP_TASK_INTERVAL = 999; // 999 ms
+	protected final int CLEANUP_TASK_INTERVAL = 10; // 10 sec
 	protected SingletonTask cleanupTask;
 	
 	/**
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@
                 log.error("Error in cleanup thread", e);
             } finally {
                     cleanupTask.reschedule(CLEANUP_TASK_INTERVAL,
-                                              TimeUnit.MILLISECONDS);
+                                              TimeUnit.SECONDS);
             }
         }
 
@@ -74,30 +74,29 @@
 			// TODO Auto-generated method stub
 			
 			if (hasControl) {
-				log.debug("got control to set inactive sw {}", dpid);
+				log.debug("got control to set inactive sw {}", HexString.toHexString(dpid));
 				swStore.update(HexString.toHexString(dpid),SwitchState.INACTIVE, DM_OPERATION.UPDATE);
 			    registryService.releaseControl(dpid);	
 			}						
 		}
     }
-    
 
-    
     protected void switchCleanup() {
-    	
     	TopoSwitchServiceImpl impl = new TopoSwitchServiceImpl();
     	Iterable<ISwitchObject> switches = impl.getActiveSwitches();
+    	
+    	log.debug("Checking for inactive switches");
     	// For each switch check if a controller exists in controller registry
     	for (ISwitchObject sw: switches) {
-			log.debug("checking if switch is inactive: {}", sw.getDPID());
+			//log.debug("checking if switch is inactive: {}", sw.getDPID());
 			try {
 				long dpid = HexString.toLong(sw.getDPID());
 				String controller = registryService.getControllerForSwitch(dpid);
 				if (controller == null) {
-					log.debug("request Control to set inactive sw {}", dpid);
+					log.debug("request Control to set inactive sw {}", HexString.toHexString(dpid));
 					registryService.requestControl(dpid, new SwitchCleanup());
 				} else {
-					log.debug("sw {} is controlled by controller: {}",dpid,controller);
+					log.debug("sw {} is controlled by controller: {}",HexString.toHexString(dpid),controller);
 				}
 			} catch (NumberFormatException e) {
 				// TODO Auto-generated catch block
@@ -223,10 +222,10 @@
 
 		deviceService.addListener(this);
 	       // Setup the Cleanup task. 
-		if (cleanupNeeded != null &&cleanupNeeded.equals("True")) {
+		if (cleanupNeeded == null || !cleanupNeeded.equals("False")) {
 				ScheduledExecutorService ses = threadPool.getScheduledExecutor();
 				cleanupTask = new SingletonTask(ses, new SwitchCleanup());
-				cleanupTask.reschedule(CLEANUP_TASK_INTERVAL, TimeUnit.MILLISECONDS);
+				cleanupTask.reschedule(CLEANUP_TASK_INTERVAL, TimeUnit.SECONDS);
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/src/main/java/net/onrc/onos/registry/controller/SwitchRegistryResource.java b/src/main/java/net/onrc/onos/registry/controller/SwitchRegistryResource.java
index d6f3dee..0a7ac5d 100644
--- a/src/main/java/net/onrc/onos/registry/controller/SwitchRegistryResource.java
+++ b/src/main/java/net/onrc/onos/registry/controller/SwitchRegistryResource.java
@@ -26,11 +26,11 @@
 			switches = new HashMap<String, List<ControllerRegistryEntry>>();
 		}
 		
-		for (List<ControllerRegistryEntry> list: switches.values()){
+		/*for (List<ControllerRegistryEntry> list: switches.values()){
 			for (ControllerRegistryEntry en : list) {
 				log.debug("Controller id {}", en.getControllerId());
 			}
-		}
+		}*/
 		
 		return switches;
 	}
diff --git a/src/main/java/net/onrc/onos/registry/controller/ZookeeperRegistry.java b/src/main/java/net/onrc/onos/registry/controller/ZookeeperRegistry.java
index 5f6ef78..b666db7 100644
--- a/src/main/java/net/onrc/onos/registry/controller/ZookeeperRegistry.java
+++ b/src/main/java/net/onrc/onos/registry/controller/ZookeeperRegistry.java
@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@
 		@Override
 		public void childEvent(CuratorFramework client,
 				PathChildrenCacheEvent event) throws Exception {
-			log.debug("Root switch path cache got {} event", event.getType());
+			//log.debug("Root switch path cache got {} event", event.getType());
 			
 			String strSwitch = null;
 			if (event.getData() != null){
@@ -158,7 +158,7 @@
 		
 		if (switches.get(dpidStr) != null){
 			log.debug("Already contesting {}, returning", HexString.toHexString(dpid));
-			return;
+			throw new RegistryException("Already contesting control for " + dpidStr);
 		}
 		
 		LeaderLatch latch = new LeaderLatch(client, latchPath, controllerId);
@@ -355,7 +355,8 @@
 					 new ArrayList<ControllerRegistryEntry>(); 
 			
 			if (entry.getValue().getCurrentData().size() < 1){
-				log.info("Switch entry with no leader elections: {}", entry.getKey());
+				//TODO prevent even having the PathChildrenCache in this case
+				//log.info("Switch entry with no leader elections: {}", entry.getKey());
 				continue;
 			}
 			
diff --git a/src/main/resources/floodlightdefault.properties b/src/main/resources/floodlightdefault.properties
index 498fce5..5e1c13f 100644
--- a/src/main/resources/floodlightdefault.properties
+++ b/src/main/resources/floodlightdefault.properties
@@ -17,3 +17,4 @@
 net.floodlightcontroller.forwarding.Forwarding.idletimeout = 5
 net.floodlightcontroller.forwarding.Forwarding.hardtimeout = 0
 net.floodlightcontroller.onoslistener.OnosPublisher.dbconf = /tmp/cassandra.titan
+net.floodlightcontroller.onoslistener.OnosPublisher.EnableCleanup = True
diff --git a/start-onos.sh b/start-onos.sh
index 166ce74..3c7ce1e 100755
--- a/start-onos.sh
+++ b/start-onos.sh
@@ -21,32 +21,6 @@
 # Set classpath to include titan libs
 CLASSPATH=`echo ${FL_HOME}/lib/*.jar ${FL_HOME}/lib/titan/*.jar | sed 's/ /:/g'`
 
-# Create a logback file if required
-cat <<EOF_LOGBACK >${FL_LOGBACK}
-<configuration scan="true" debug="true">
-<appender name="STDOUT" class="ch.qos.logback.core.ConsoleAppender">
-<encoder>
-<pattern>%level [%logger:%thread] %msg%n</pattern>
-</encoder>
-</appender>
-
-<appender name="FILE" class="ch.qos.logback.core.FileAppender">
-<file>${FL_LOG}</file>
-<encoder>
-<pattern>%date %level [%thread] %logger{10} [%file:%line] %msg%n</pattern>
-</encoder>
-</appender>
-
-<logger name="org" level="WARN"/>
-<logger name="LogService" level="WARN"/> <!-- Restlet access logging -->
-<logger name="net.floodlightcontroller.logging" level="WARN"/>
-
-<root level="DEBUG">
-<appender-ref ref="FILE" />
-</root>
-</configuration>
-EOF_LOGBACK
-
 #<logger name="net.floodlightcontroller.linkdiscovery.internal" level="TRACE"/>
 #<appender-ref ref="STDOUT" />
 
@@ -75,6 +49,32 @@
     fi
   done
 
+# Create a logback file if required
+  cat <<EOF_LOGBACK >${FL_LOGBACK}
+<configuration scan="true" debug="true">
+<appender name="STDOUT" class="ch.qos.logback.core.ConsoleAppender">
+<encoder>
+<pattern>%level [%logger:%thread] %msg%n</pattern>
+</encoder>
+</appender>
+
+<appender name="FILE" class="ch.qos.logback.core.FileAppender">
+<file>${FL_LOG}</file>
+<encoder>
+<pattern>%date %level [%thread] %logger{10} [%file:%line] %msg%n</pattern>
+</encoder>
+</appender>
+
+<logger name="org" level="WARN"/>
+<logger name="LogService" level="WARN"/> <!-- Restlet access logging -->
+<logger name="net.floodlightcontroller.logging" level="WARN"/>
+
+<root level="DEBUG">
+<appender-ref ref="FILE" />
+</root>
+</configuration>
+EOF_LOGBACK
+
   # Run floodlight
   echo "Starting ONOS controller ..."
   echo