diff --git a/afrouter/afrouter/request.go b/afrouter/afrouter/request.go
index 0af20e3..8fc15aa 100644
--- a/afrouter/afrouter/request.go
+++ b/afrouter/afrouter/request.go
@@ -22,6 +22,8 @@
 	"errors"
 	"github.com/opencord/voltha-go/common/log"
 	"google.golang.org/grpc"
+	"google.golang.org/grpc/codes"
+	"google.golang.org/grpc/status"
 	"io"
 	"sync"
 )
@@ -48,6 +50,8 @@
 	isStreamingResponse bool
 }
 
+var transactionNotAcquiredErrorString = status.Error(codes.Canceled, "transaction-not-acquired").Error()
+
 // catchupRequestStreamThenForwardResponseStream must be called with request.mutex pre-locked
 func (r *request) catchupRequestStreamThenForwardResponseStream(connName string, stream grpc.ClientStream) {
 	r.streams[connName] = stream
@@ -78,6 +82,10 @@
 	activeStream := false
 	for {
 		err = stream.RecvMsg(&frame)
+		// if this is an inactive responder, ignore everything it sends
+		if err != nil && err.Error() == transactionNotAcquiredErrorString {
+			break
+		}
 		// the first thread to reach this point (first to receive a response frame) will become the active stream
 		r.activeResponseStreamOnce.Do(func() { activeStream = true })
 		if err != nil {
@@ -123,6 +131,11 @@
 	delete(r.streams, connName)
 	streamsLeft := len(r.streams)
 
+	// handle the case where no cores are the active responder.  Should never happen, but just in case...
+	if streamsLeft == 0 {
+		r.activeResponseStreamOnce.Do(func() { activeStream = true })
+	}
+
 	// if this the active stream (for non-streaming requests), or this is the last stream (for streaming requests)
 	if (activeStream && !r.isStreamingRequest && !r.isStreamingResponse) || (streamsLeft == 0 && (r.isStreamingRequest || r.isStreamingResponse)) {
 		// request is complete, cleanup