Li: TransactionManager does not get closed and future connections are rejected.

After connections are closed repeatedly, intermittently the switch is not able to make any connections with the controller.

Future connections are rejected as the TransactionChainManager status remains at WORKING.

These logs are printed repeatedly:
2015-12-09 19:16:26.178 GMT+00:00 [nioEventLoopGroup-12-3] INFO o.o.o.impl.device.DeviceManagerImpl - In deviceConnected, ownedByInvokingConnectionContext is false and TransactionChainManagerStatus.WORKING. Closing connection to device to start again.

Also an exception after the last successful TransactionChainManager close.

2015-12-09 19:16:26.171 GMT+00:00 [nioEventLoopGroup-12-3] WARN o.o.o.i.d.TransactionChainManager - Failed to close transaction chain manager's registration.
java.lang.NullPointerException: null
at org.opendaylight.openflowplugin.impl.device.TransactionChainManager.notifyReadyForNewTransactionChainAndCloseFactory(TransactionChainManager.java:229) [org.opendaylight.openflowplugin.impl:0.1.2.Lithium-SR2-00003-21]
at org.opendaylight.openflowplugin.impl.device.TransactionChainManager.close(TransactionChainManager.java:248) [org.opendaylight.openflowplugin.impl:0.1.2.Lithium-SR2-00003-21]
at org.opendaylight.openflowplugin.impl.device.DeviceContextImpl.tearDown(DeviceContextImpl.java:410) [org.opendaylight.openflowplugin.impl:0.1.2.Lithium-SR2-00003-21]
at org.opendaylight.openflowplugin.impl.device.DeviceContextImpl.onDeviceDisconnected(DeviceContextImpl.java:423) [org.opendaylight.openflowplugin.impl:0.1.2.Lithium-SR2-00003-21]
at org.opendaylight.openflowplugin.impl.connection.ConnectionContextImpl.propagateDeviceDisconnectedEvent(ConnectionContextImpl.java:160) [org.opendaylight.openflowplugin.impl:0.1.2.Lithium-SR2-00003-21]
at org.opendaylight.openflowplugin.impl.connection.ConnectionContextImpl.onConnectionClosed(ConnectionContextImpl.java:152) [org.opendaylight.openflowplugin.impl:0.1.2.Lithium-SR2-00003-21]
at org.opendaylight.openflowplugin.impl.connection.listener.SystemNotificationsListenerImpl.onDisconnectEvent(SystemNotificationsListenerImpl.java:45) [org.opendaylight.openflowplugin.impl:0.1.2.Lithium-SR2-00003-21]
at org.opendaylight.openflowjava.protocol.impl.core.connection.ConnectionAdapterImpl.consume(ConnectionAdapterImpl.java:280) [org.opendaylight.openflowjava.openflow-protocol-impl:0.6.2.Lithium-SR2-00003-21]
at org.opendaylight.openflowjava.protocol.impl.core.DelegatingInboundHandler.channelInactive(DelegatingInboundHandler.java:55) [org.opendaylight.openflowjava.openflow-protocol-impl:0.6.2.Lithium-SR2-00003-21]
at io.netty.channel.AbstractChannelHandlerContext.invokeChannelInactive(AbstractChannelHandlerContext.java:237) [io.netty.transport:4.0.27.Final]
at io.netty.channel.AbstractChannelHandlerContext.fireChannelInactive(AbstractChannelHandlerContext.java:223) [io.netty.transport:4.0.27.Final]
at io.netty.channel.ChannelInboundHandlerAdapter.channelInactive(ChannelInboundHandlerAdapter.java:75) [io.netty.transport:4.0.27.Final]
at io.netty.channel.AbstractChannelHandlerContext.invokeChannelInactive(AbstractChannelHandlerContext.java:237) [io.netty.transport:4.0.27.Final]
at io.netty.channel.AbstractChannelHandlerContext.fireChannelInactive(AbstractChannelHandlerContext.java:223) [io.netty.transport:4.0.27.Final]
at io.netty.handler.codec.ByteToMessageDecoder.channelInactive(ByteToMessageDecoder.java:294) [io.netty.codec:4.0.27.Final]
at io.netty.channel.AbstractChannelHandlerContext.invokeChannelInactive(AbstractChannelHandlerContext.java:237) [io.netty.transport:4.0.27.Final]
at io.netty.channel.AbstractChannelHandlerContext.fireChannelInactive(AbstractChannelHandlerContext.java:223) [io.netty.transport:4.0.27.Final]
at io.netty.handler.codec.ByteToMessageDecoder.channelInactive(ByteToMessageDecoder.java:294) [io.netty.codec:4.0.27.Final]
at io.netty.channel.AbstractChannelHandlerContext.invokeChannelInactive(AbstractChannelHandlerContext.java:237) [io.netty.transport:4.0.27.Final]
at io.netty.channel.AbstractChannelHandlerContext.fireChannelInactive(AbstractChannelHandlerContext.java:223) [io.netty.transport:4.0.27.Final]
at io.netty.channel.ChannelInboundHandlerAdapter.channelInactive(ChannelInboundHandlerAdapter.java:75) [io.netty.transport:4.0.27.Final]
at io.netty.handler.timeout.ReadTimeoutHandler.channelInactive(ReadTimeoutHandler.java:144) [io.netty.handler:4.0.27.Final]
at io.netty.channel.AbstractChannelHandlerContext.invokeChannelInactive(AbstractChannelHandlerContext.java:237) [io.netty.transport:4.0.27.Final]