diff --git a/sy_old/mars_light.c b/sy_old/mars_light.c
index 0a2da69f..67db6fa3 100644
--- a/sy_old/mars_light.c
+++ b/sy_old/mars_light.c
@@ -1867,14 +1867,36 @@ done:
 	return status;
 }
 
+static
+int __update_all_links(struct mars_global *global, struct mars_dent *parent, struct trans_logger_brick *trans_brick)
+{
+	struct trans_logger_input *old_input = NULL; // FIXME: kludge, do it right(tm)
+	int i;
+	int status = 0;
+
+	for (i = TL_INPUT_FW_LOG1; i <= TL_INPUT_FW_LOG2; i++) {
+		struct trans_logger_input *trans_input;
+		trans_input = trans_brick->inputs[i];
+		if (!trans_input || trans_input == old_input) {
+			continue;
+		}
+		status = _update_replaylink(parent, trans_input->inf_host, trans_input->inf_sequence, trans_input->replay_min_pos, trans_input->replay_max_pos, true);
+		status = _update_versionlink(global, parent, trans_input->inf_host, trans_input->inf_sequence, trans_input->replay_min_pos, trans_input->replay_max_pos);
+		old_input = trans_input;
+	}
+	return status;
+}
+
 static
 int make_log_finalize(struct mars_global *global, struct mars_dent *dent)
 {
 	struct mars_dent *parent = dent->d_parent;
-	struct mars_rotate *rot = parent->d_private;
+	struct mars_rotate *rot;
 	struct trans_logger_brick *trans_brick;
 	int status = -EINVAL;
 
+	CHECK_PTR(parent, done);
+	rot = parent->d_private;
 	CHECK_PTR(rot, done);
 	trans_brick = rot->trans_brick;
 	status = 0;
@@ -1899,18 +1921,7 @@ int make_log_finalize(struct mars_global *global, struct mars_dent *dent)
 		MARS_DBG("do_stop = %d\n", (int)do_stop);
 
 		if (do_stop || (long long)jiffies > rot->last_jiffies + 5 * HZ) {
-			struct trans_logger_input *old_input = NULL; // FIXME: kludge, do it right(tm)
-			int i;
-			for (i = TL_INPUT_FW_LOG1; i <= TL_INPUT_FW_LOG2; i++) {
-				struct trans_logger_input *trans_input;
-				trans_input = trans_brick->inputs[i];
-				if (!trans_input || trans_input == old_input) {
-					continue;
-				}
-				status = _update_replaylink(parent, trans_input->inf_host, trans_input->inf_sequence, trans_input->replay_min_pos, trans_input->replay_max_pos, true);
-				status = _update_versionlink(global, parent, trans_input->inf_host, trans_input->inf_sequence, trans_input->replay_min_pos, trans_input->replay_max_pos);
-				old_input = trans_input;
-			}
+			status = __update_all_links(global, parent, trans_brick);
 			rot->last_jiffies = jiffies;
 		}
 		if (do_stop) {
@@ -1941,6 +1952,9 @@ int make_log_finalize(struct mars_global *global, struct mars_dent *dent)
 
 		if (do_start) {
 			status = _start_trans(rot);
+			if (status >= 0) {
+				status = __update_all_links(global, parent, trans_brick);
+			}
 			rot->current_log = rot->relevant_log;
 		}
 	} else {
@@ -2267,6 +2281,7 @@ static int make_sync(void *buf, struct mars_dent *dent)
 	const char *copy_path = NULL;
 	const char *src = NULL;
 	const char *dst = NULL;
+	bool do_start = true;
 	int status;
 
 	if (!global->global_power.button || !dent->d_parent || !dent->new_link) {
@@ -2307,8 +2322,7 @@ static int make_sync(void *buf, struct mars_dent *dent)
 	}
 	if (start_pos == end_pos) {
 		MARS_DBG("no data sync necessary, size = %lld\n", start_pos);
-		status = 0;
-		goto done;
+		do_start = false;
 	}
 	brick_string_free(tmp);
 
@@ -2339,11 +2353,11 @@ static int make_sync(void *buf, struct mars_dent *dent)
 	if (unlikely(!src || !dst || !copy_path || !switch_path))
 		goto done;
 
-	MARS_DBG("starting initial sync '%s' => '%s'\n", src, dst);
+	MARS_DBG("initial sync '%s' => '%s' do_start = %d\n", src, dst, do_start);
 
 	{
 		const char *argv[2] = { src, dst };
-		status = __make_copy(global, dent, switch_path, copy_path, dent->d_parent->d_path, argv, start_pos, &copy);
+		status = __make_copy(global, dent, do_start ? switch_path : "", copy_path, dent->d_parent->d_path, argv, start_pos, &copy);
 	}
 
 	/* Update syncstatus symlink
@@ -2363,16 +2377,11 @@ static int make_sync(void *buf, struct mars_dent *dent)
 
 done:
 	MARS_DBG("status = %d\n", status);
-	if (tmp)
-		brick_string_free(tmp);
-	if (src)
-		brick_string_free(src);
-	if (dst)
-		brick_string_free(dst);
-	if (copy_path)
-		brick_string_free(copy_path);
-	if (switch_path)
-		brick_string_free(switch_path);
+	brick_string_free(tmp);
+	brick_string_free(src);
+	brick_string_free(dst);
+	brick_string_free(copy_path);
+	brick_string_free(switch_path);
 	return status;
 }
 
diff --git a/userspace/marsadm b/userspace/marsadm
index 2b96f09c..ff01835d 100644
--- a/userspace/marsadm
+++ b/userspace/marsadm
@@ -95,12 +95,25 @@ sub check_primary_gone {
   }
 }
 
+sub check_todo {
+  my ($res, $key, $val, $wait) = @_;
+  for(;;) {
+    my $path = "$mars/resource-$res/todo-$host/$key";
+    my $link = readlink($path) or die "cannot read symlink '$path'\n";
+    last if $link == $val;
+    die "$path must have value $val\n" if $wait;
+    print "waiting until $key reaches the value $val....\n";
+    sleep(5);
+  }
+}
+
 sub check_status {
-  my ($res, $key, $val) = @_;
+  my ($res, $key, $val, $wait) = @_;
   for(;;) {
     my $path = "$mars/resource-$res/actual-$host/$key";
     my $link = readlink($path) or die "cannot read symlink '$path'\n";
     last if $link == $val;
+    die "$path must have value $val\n" if $wait;
     print "waiting until $key reaches the value $val....\n";
     sleep(5);
   }
@@ -109,7 +122,12 @@ sub check_status {
 sub check_splitbrain {
   my ($res, $host) = @_;
   my @links = glob("$mars/resource-$res/version-[0-9]*-$host");
-  die "no version information available for host $host\n" unless @links;
+  if(!@links) {
+    my @links = glob("$mars/resource-$res/version-[0-9]*-*");
+    die "no version information available\n" unless @links;
+    print "assuming that I am primary for the first time\n";
+    return;
+  }
   my $link = pop @links;
   die "cannot pop last link element\n" unless $link;
   my $version = readlink($link);
@@ -290,15 +308,6 @@ sub create_res {
     }
     die "sizes differ: real size = $oldsize, but requested size = $size\n" unless $oldsize == $size;
     $replay = readlink("$tmp/replay-$primary") or die "cannot read replay status of primary '$primary'\n";
-    $replay =~ s/,[0-9]+,[0-9]+$/,0,0/ or die "something is wrong here\n";
-    my $nr = $replay;
-    $nr =~ s/^.*log-([0-9]+)-.+$/$1/;
-    if($nr > 1) { # fake version symlink for predecessor logfile
-      my $prev = sprintf("$tmp/version-%09d-$primary", $nr - 1);
-      my $version = readlink($prev) or die "cannot read symlink '$prev'\n";
-      my $old = sprintf("$tmp/version-%09d-$host", $nr - 1);
-      symlink($version, $old) or die "cann create symlink '$old'\n";
-    }
   }
 
   my $file = "$tmp/data-$host";
@@ -453,6 +462,7 @@ sub primary_res {
   } else { # try to switch myself to primary
     print "trying to switch $host to primary...\n";
     check_sync_finished($res, $host);
+    check_todo($res, "connect", 1, 1);
     _primary_res($res, "(none)", $pri, $old) unless $old eq "(none)";
     check_primary_gone($res);
     check_splitbrain($res, $host);