diff --git a/src/main/java/net/floodlightcontroller/core/internal/OFBarrierReplyFuture.java b/src/main/java/net/floodlightcontroller/core/internal/OFBarrierReplyFuture.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3de5a7d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/main/java/net/floodlightcontroller/core/internal/OFBarrierReplyFuture.java
@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+package net.floodlightcontroller.core.internal;
+
+import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;
+
+import net.floodlightcontroller.core.IOFSwitch;
+import net.floodlightcontroller.threadpool.IThreadPoolService;
+
+import org.projectfloodlight.openflow.protocol.OFBarrierReply;
+import org.projectfloodlight.openflow.protocol.OFMessage;
+import org.projectfloodlight.openflow.protocol.OFType;
+
+public class OFBarrierReplyFuture extends OFMessageFuture<OFBarrierReply> {
+    protected volatile boolean finished;
+
+    public OFBarrierReplyFuture(IThreadPoolService tp,
+            IOFSwitch sw, int transactionId) {
+        super(tp, sw, OFType.BARRIER_REPLY, transactionId);
+        init();
+    }
+
+    public OFBarrierReplyFuture(IThreadPoolService tp,
+            IOFSwitch sw, int transactionId, long timeout, TimeUnit unit) {
+        super(tp, sw, OFType.BARRIER_REPLY, transactionId, timeout, unit);
+        init();
+    }
+
+    private void init() {
+        this.finished = false;
+        this.result = null;
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    protected void handleReply(IOFSwitch sw, OFMessage msg) {
+        this.result = (OFBarrierReply) msg;
+        this.finished = true;
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    protected boolean isFinished() {
+        return finished;
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    protected void unRegister() {
+        super.unRegister();
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/main/java/net/floodlightcontroller/core/internal/OFChannelHandler.java b/src/main/java/net/floodlightcontroller/core/internal/OFChannelHandler.java
index b011e6b..e0e0691 100644
--- a/src/main/java/net/floodlightcontroller/core/internal/OFChannelHandler.java
+++ b/src/main/java/net/floodlightcontroller/core/internal/OFChannelHandler.java
@@ -1241,6 +1241,7 @@
             @Override
             void processOFBarrierReply(OFChannelHandler h, OFBarrierReply m)
                     throws IOException {
+                h.sw.deliverBarrierReply(m);
                 h.dispatchMessage(m);
             }
 
@@ -1665,6 +1666,9 @@
             if ((h.sw.getRole() == Role.MASTER && role == Role.SLAVE) ||
                     (h.sw.getRole() == Role.MASTER && role == Role.EQUAL)) {
                 // the mastership has changed
+                if (role == Role.SLAVE) {
+                    role = Role.EQUAL;
+                }
                 h.sw.setRole(role);
                 h.setState(EQUAL);
                 h.controller.transitionToEqualSwitch(h.sw.getId());
diff --git a/src/main/java/net/floodlightcontroller/core/internal/OFSwitchImplBase.java b/src/main/java/net/floodlightcontroller/core/internal/OFSwitchImplBase.java
index d92719c..442dd68 100644
--- a/src/main/java/net/floodlightcontroller/core/internal/OFSwitchImplBase.java
+++ b/src/main/java/net/floodlightcontroller/core/internal/OFSwitchImplBase.java
@@ -60,6 +60,7 @@
 import org.codehaus.jackson.map.annotate.JsonSerialize;
 import org.jboss.netty.channel.Channel;
 import org.projectfloodlight.openflow.protocol.OFActionType;
+import org.projectfloodlight.openflow.protocol.OFBarrierReply;
 import org.projectfloodlight.openflow.protocol.OFCapabilities;
 import org.projectfloodlight.openflow.protocol.OFDescStatsReply;
 import org.projectfloodlight.openflow.protocol.OFFactories;
@@ -133,6 +134,7 @@
     // XXX Consider removing the following 2 maps - not used anymore
     protected Map<Integer, IOFMessageListener> iofMsgListenersMap;
     protected Map<Integer, OFFeaturesReplyFuture> featuresFutureMap;
+    protected Map<Long, OFBarrierReplyFuture> barrierFutureMap;
     protected boolean connected;
     protected Role role;
     protected ReentrantReadWriteLock listenerLock;
@@ -209,6 +211,7 @@
         this.statsFutureMap = new ConcurrentHashMap<Integer, OFStatisticsFuture>();
         this.featuresFutureMap = new ConcurrentHashMap<Integer, OFFeaturesReplyFuture>();
         this.iofMsgListenersMap = new ConcurrentHashMap<Integer, IOFMessageListener>();
+        this.barrierFutureMap = new ConcurrentHashMap<Long, OFBarrierReplyFuture>();
         this.role = null;
         this.listenerLock = new ReentrantReadWriteLock();
         this.pendingRoleRequests = new LinkedList<OFSwitchImplBase.PendingRoleRequestEntry>();
@@ -1296,4 +1299,24 @@
         return "";
     }
 
+    public OFBarrierReplyFuture sendBarrier() throws IOException {
+        long xid = getNextTransactionId();
+        OFMessage br = getFactory()
+                .buildBarrierRequest()
+                .setXid(xid)
+                .build();
+        write(Collections.singletonList(br));
+        OFBarrierReplyFuture future = new OFBarrierReplyFuture(threadPool, this,
+                (int) xid);
+        barrierFutureMap.put(xid, future);
+        return future;
+    }
+
+    public void deliverBarrierReply(OFBarrierReply br) {
+        OFBarrierReplyFuture f = barrierFutureMap.get(br.getXid());
+        if (f != null) {
+            f.deliverFuture(this, br);
+            barrierFutureMap.remove(br.getXid());
+        }
+    }
 }