diff --git a/entanglement/protocol/__init__.py b/entanglement/protocol/__init__.py
index 41d8a63..55e5f12 100644
--- a/entanglement/protocol/__init__.py
+++ b/entanglement/protocol/__init__.py
@@ -226,6 +226,7 @@ def _handle_receive(self, sync_repr, flags):
         try:
             self._handle_meta(sync_repr, flags)
             if '_sync_type' not in sync_repr: # metadata only
+                logger.error(f'unrecognized message: {sync_repr}')
                 return
             response_for = None
             if flags&_MSG_FLAG_RESPONSE_NEEDED:
diff --git a/entanglement/sql/base.py b/entanglement/sql/base.py
index f20a6c6..545b34b 100644
--- a/entanglement/sql/base.py
+++ b/entanglement/sql/base.py
@@ -585,11 +585,12 @@ def sync_owner_id(self):
 
     @property
     def _sync_owner(self):
-        return self.sync_owner.id
+        return self.sync_owner and self.sync_owner.id
+
     @_sync_owner.setter
     def _sync_owner(self, val):
-        if val !=self._sync_owner:
-            raise ValueError('Cannot Change sync_owner this way')
+        if val != self._sync_owner:
+            raise ValueError('Cannot change sync_owner this way')
         
     _sync_owner:GUID = interface.sync_property(_sync_owner)