diff --git a/src/main/java/net/floodlightcontroller/core/internal/RoleChanger.java b/src/main/java/net/floodlightcontroller/core/internal/RoleChanger.java
index 2d1e3e8..b2de649 100644
--- a/src/main/java/net/floodlightcontroller/core/internal/RoleChanger.java
+++ b/src/main/java/net/floodlightcontroller/core/internal/RoleChanger.java
@@ -277,11 +277,21 @@
                     // Handle cases #1 and #2
                 	log.debug("Sending NxRoleRequest to {}", sw);
                     sw.sendNxRoleRequest(role, cookie);
-                } else {
-                	log.debug("Switch {} doesn't support NxRoleRequests so we can't send " + 
-                				"a {} request - doing nothing", sw, role);
-                    // 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