diff --git a/src/main/java/net/floodlightcontroller/core/RoleInfo.java b/src/main/java/net/floodlightcontroller/core/RoleInfo.java
index 248cd17b694037c12e86a93aaedf7a80556fea0c..26c1a510bd556e5cedb5eb0b91f45e45ebe0e456 100644
--- a/src/main/java/net/floodlightcontroller/core/RoleInfo.java
+++ b/src/main/java/net/floodlightcontroller/core/RoleInfo.java
@@ -16,7 +16,9 @@
 
 package net.floodlightcontroller.core;
 
+import java.text.SimpleDateFormat;
 import java.util.Date;
+import java.util.TimeZone;
 
 import net.floodlightcontroller.core.IFloodlightProviderService.Role;
 
@@ -64,7 +66,11 @@ public class RoleInfo {
     }
     @JsonProperty(value="change-date-time")
     public String getRoleChangeDateTime() {
-        return roleChangeDateTime == null ? "" : roleChangeDateTime.toString();
+        SimpleDateFormat formatter =
+                new SimpleDateFormat("yyyy-MM-dd'T'HH:mm:ss.SSS'Z'");
+        formatter.setTimeZone(TimeZone.getTimeZone("UTC"));
+        return roleChangeDateTime == null ?
+                  "" : formatter.format(roleChangeDateTime);
     }
 
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/main/java/net/floodlightcontroller/core/internal/Controller.java b/src/main/java/net/floodlightcontroller/core/internal/Controller.java
index 0c4d6d2432badde800bb421955207a2305f36cdb..3fa9a16a1c45f834fed4e059e66acdd004817a3f 100644
--- a/src/main/java/net/floodlightcontroller/core/internal/Controller.java
+++ b/src/main/java/net/floodlightcontroller/core/internal/Controller.java
@@ -184,7 +184,7 @@ public class Controller implements IFloodlightProviderService,
     // The current role of the controller.
     // If the controller isn't configured to support roles, then this is null.
     protected Role role;
-    protected String lastRoleChangeDescription = "Inital role set during startup.";
+    protected String lastRoleChangeDescription = "Controller startup.";
     protected Date roleChangeDateTime = new Date();
     // This is the role of the controller based on HARoleChange notifications
     // we have sent. I.e., this field reflects the last role notification