diff --git a/src/main/java/net/floodlightcontroller/core/internal/OFSwitchHandshakeHandler.java b/src/main/java/net/floodlightcontroller/core/internal/OFSwitchHandshakeHandler.java
index 561ff3ff2240beabfc0b0fc9982a3fcf093bc0dd..aa9322d6442b5baec6863399decf5025d3cd2cf2 100644
--- a/src/main/java/net/floodlightcontroller/core/internal/OFSwitchHandshakeHandler.java
+++ b/src/main/java/net/floodlightcontroller/core/internal/OFSwitchHandshakeHandler.java
@@ -1332,10 +1332,11 @@ public class OFSwitchHandshakeHandler implements IOFConnectionListener {
 			 * If not defined there, the role will be set as MASTER
 			 */
 			OFControllerRole role = OFControllerRole.ROLE_MASTER;
-			if(OFSwitchManager.switchInitialRole.containsKey(mainConnection.getDatapathId())){
-				role = OFSwitchManager.switchInitialRole.get(mainConnection.getDatapathId());
-				log.info("Defining switch role from config file: {}", role);				
-			}
+			if(OFSwitchManager.switchInitialRole != null)
+				if(OFSwitchManager.switchInitialRole.containsKey(mainConnection.getDatapathId())){
+					role = OFSwitchManager.switchInitialRole.get(mainConnection.getDatapathId());
+					log.info("Defining switch role from config file: {}", role);				
+				}	
 			sendRoleRequest(role);			
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/src/main/java/net/floodlightcontroller/core/internal/OFSwitchManager.java b/src/main/java/net/floodlightcontroller/core/internal/OFSwitchManager.java
index 530be7059f3f6a107d30995e09a1d0511ace4aa4..1450bc3160f5e6bfe77bf689f7ff60db489ca54e 100644
--- a/src/main/java/net/floodlightcontroller/core/internal/OFSwitchManager.java
+++ b/src/main/java/net/floodlightcontroller/core/internal/OFSwitchManager.java
@@ -118,9 +118,6 @@ public class OFSwitchManager implements IOFSwitchManager, INewOFConnectionListen
 	private ConcurrentHashMap<DatapathId, IOFSwitchBackend> switches;
 	private ConcurrentHashMap<DatapathId, IOFSwitch> syncedSwitches;
 	
-	/**
-	 * Tulio Ribeiro
-	 */
 	protected static Map<DatapathId, OFControllerRole> switchInitialRole;
 
 	private ISwitchDriverRegistry driverRegistry;
@@ -735,13 +732,9 @@ public class OFSwitchManager implements IOFSwitchManager, INewOFConnectionListen
 		}
 		
 		
-		/**
-		 * Tulio Ribeiro
-		 */
 		//Define initial role per switch		
 		String switchesInitialState = configParams.get("switchesInitialState");
 		switchInitialRole = jsonToSwitchInitialRoleMap(switchesInitialState);
-		
 		log.debug("SwitchInitialRole: {}", switchInitialRole.entrySet());
 
 		/*