diff --git a/oak-auth-external/pom.xml b/oak-auth-external/pom.xml
index 3c88129..566cd9e 100644
--- a/oak-auth-external/pom.xml
+++ b/oak-auth-external/pom.xml
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@
         <relativePath>../oak-parent/pom.xml</relativePath>
     </parent>
 
+    <version>1.0.19.1-SNAPSHOT</version>
     <artifactId>oak-auth-external</artifactId>
     <name>Oak External Authentication Support</name>
     <packaging>bundle</packaging>
@@ -103,7 +104,7 @@
         <dependency>
             <groupId>org.apache.jackrabbit</groupId>
             <artifactId>oak-core</artifactId>
-            <version>${project.version}</version>
+            <version>1.0.19</version>
         </dependency>
 
         <dependency>
@@ -144,7 +145,7 @@
         <dependency>
             <groupId>org.apache.jackrabbit</groupId>
             <artifactId>oak-core</artifactId>
-            <version>${project.version}</version>
+            <version>1.0.19</version>
             <classifier>tests</classifier>
             <scope>test</scope>
         </dependency>
diff --git a/oak-auth-external/src/main/java/org/apache/jackrabbit/oak/spi/security/authentication/external/impl/SyncedIdentityImpl.java b/oak-auth-external/src/main/java/org/apache/jackrabbit/oak/spi/security/authentication/external/impl/SyncedIdentityImpl.java
index 74d8010..630a791 100644
--- a/oak-auth-external/src/main/java/org/apache/jackrabbit/oak/spi/security/authentication/external/impl/SyncedIdentityImpl.java
+++ b/oak-auth-external/src/main/java/org/apache/jackrabbit/oak/spi/security/authentication/external/impl/SyncedIdentityImpl.java
@@ -61,4 +61,15 @@ public class SyncedIdentityImpl implements SyncedIdentity {
     public long lastSynced() {
         return lastSynced;
     }
+
+    @Override
+    public String toString() {
+        final StringBuilder sb = new StringBuilder("SyncedIdentityImpl{");
+        sb.append("id='").append(id).append('\'');
+        sb.append(", ref=").append(ref);
+        sb.append(", isGroup=").append(isGroup);
+        sb.append(", lastSynced=").append(lastSynced);
+        sb.append('}');
+        return sb.toString();
+    }
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/oak-auth-external/src/main/java/org/apache/jackrabbit/oak/spi/security/authentication/external/impl/jmx/SyncMBeanImpl.java b/oak-auth-external/src/main/java/org/apache/jackrabbit/oak/spi/security/authentication/external/impl/jmx/SyncMBeanImpl.java
index 42d5d19..1dcff87 100644
--- a/oak-auth-external/src/main/java/org/apache/jackrabbit/oak/spi/security/authentication/external/impl/jmx/SyncMBeanImpl.java
+++ b/oak-auth-external/src/main/java/org/apache/jackrabbit/oak/spi/security/authentication/external/impl/jmx/SyncMBeanImpl.java
@@ -163,9 +163,7 @@ public class SyncMBeanImpl implements SynchronizationMBean {
                     SyncResult r = context.sync(userId);
                     systemSession.save();
                     result.add(getJSONString(r));
-                } catch (SyncException e) {
-                    log.warn("Error while syncing user {}", userId, e);
-                } catch (RepositoryException e) {
+                } catch (Exception e) {
                     log.warn("Error while syncing user {}", userId, e);
                 }
             }
@@ -190,9 +188,8 @@ public class SyncMBeanImpl implements SynchronizationMBean {
                             SyncResult r = context.sync(id.getId());
                             systemSession.save();
                             list.add(getJSONString(r));
-                        } catch (SyncException e) {
-                            list.add(getJSONString(id, e));
-                        } catch (RepositoryException e) {
+                        } catch (Exception e) {
+                            log.error("Error while syncing user {}", id, e);
                             list.add(getJSONString(id, e));
                         }
                     }
@@ -228,9 +225,8 @@ public class SyncMBeanImpl implements SynchronizationMBean {
                 } catch (ExternalIdentityException e) {
                     log.warn("error while fetching the external identity {}", externalId, e);
                     list.add(getJSONString(ref, e));
-                } catch (SyncException e) {
-                    list.add(getJSONString(ref, e));
-                } catch (RepositoryException e) {
+                } catch (Exception e) {
+                    log.error("Error while syncing user {}", ref, e);
                     list.add(getJSONString(ref, e));
                 }
             }
@@ -251,10 +247,18 @@ public class SyncMBeanImpl implements SynchronizationMBean {
                     try {
                         SyncResult r = context.sync(user);
                         systemSession.save();
+                        if (r.getIdentity() == null) {
+                            r = new SyncResultImpl(
+                                    new SyncedIdentityImpl(user.getId(), user.getExternalId(), false, -1),
+                                    SyncResult.Status.NO_SUCH_IDENTITY
+                            );
+                            log.warn("sync failed. {}", r.getIdentity());
+                        } else {
+                            log.info("synced {}", r.getIdentity());
+                        }
                         list.add(getJSONString(r));
-                    } catch (SyncException e) {
-                        list.add(getJSONString(user.getExternalId(), e));
-                    } catch (RepositoryException e) {
+                    } catch (Exception e) {
+                        log.error("Error while syncing user {}", user, e);
                         list.add(getJSONString(user.getExternalId(), e));
                     }
                 }
@@ -275,16 +279,18 @@ public class SyncMBeanImpl implements SynchronizationMBean {
                 while (iter.hasNext()) {
                     SyncedIdentity id = iter.next();
                     if (isMyIDP(id)) {
-                        ExternalIdentity extId = idp.getIdentity(id.getExternalIdRef());
-                        if (extId == null) {
-                            list.add(id.getId());
+                        try {
+                            ExternalIdentity extId = idp.getIdentity(id.getExternalIdRef());
+                            if (extId == null) {
+                                list.add(id.getId());
+                            }
+                        } catch (Exception e) {
+                            log.error("Error while syncing identity {}", id, e);
                         }
                     }
                 }
             } catch (RepositoryException e) {
                 log.error("Error while listing orphaned users", e);
-            } catch (ExternalIdentityException e) {
-                log.error("Error while fetching external identity", e);
             }
             return list.toArray(new String[list.size()]);
         }
@@ -301,9 +307,7 @@ public class SyncMBeanImpl implements SynchronizationMBean {
                     SyncResult r = context.sync(userId);
                     systemSession.save();
                     result.add(getJSONString(r));
-                } catch (SyncException e) {
-                    log.warn("Error while syncing user {}", userId, e);
-                } catch (RepositoryException e) {
+                } catch (Exception e) {
                     log.warn("Error while syncing user {}", userId, e);
                 }
             }