diff --git a/table/server/common/src/main/java/alluxio/master/table/DatabaseInfo.java b/table/server/common/src/main/java/alluxio/master/table/DatabaseInfo.java
index 981760ad0fc1..35910c496f73 100644
--- a/table/server/common/src/main/java/alluxio/master/table/DatabaseInfo.java
+++ b/table/server/common/src/main/java/alluxio/master/table/DatabaseInfo.java
@@ -16,6 +16,8 @@
 import com.google.common.base.MoreObjects;
 
 import javax.annotation.Nullable;
+
+import java.util.Collections;
 import java.util.Map;
 import java.util.Objects;
 
@@ -47,7 +49,11 @@ public DatabaseInfo(String location, String ownerName, PrincipalType ownerType,
     mOwnerName = ownerName;
     mOwnerType = ownerType;
     mComment = comment;
-    mParameters = params;
+    if (params == null) {
+      mParameters = Collections.emptyMap();
+    } else {
+      mParameters = params;
+    }
   }
 
   /**
diff --git a/table/server/master/src/main/java/alluxio/master/table/AlluxioCatalog.java b/table/server/master/src/main/java/alluxio/master/table/AlluxioCatalog.java
index 12501a194ad2..3e5ee407f048 100644
--- a/table/server/master/src/main/java/alluxio/master/table/AlluxioCatalog.java
+++ b/table/server/master/src/main/java/alluxio/master/table/AlluxioCatalog.java
@@ -129,6 +129,8 @@ public SyncStatus attachDatabase(JournalContext journalContext, String udbType,
       } catch (Exception e) {
         // Failed to connect to and sync the udb.
         syncError = true;
+        // log the error and stack
+        LOG.error(String.format("Sync (during attach) failed for db '%s'.", dbName), e);
         throw new IOException(String
             .format("Failed to connect underDb for Alluxio db '%s': %s", dbName,
                 e.getMessage()), e);
@@ -153,6 +155,11 @@ public SyncStatus syncDatabase(JournalContext journalContext, String dbName) thr
     try (LockResource l = getDbLock(dbName)) {
       Database db = getDatabaseByName(dbName);
       return db.sync(journalContext);
+    } catch (Exception e) {
+      // log the error and stack
+      LOG.error(String.format("Sync failed for db '%s'.", dbName), e);
+      throw new IOException(
+          String.format("Sync failed for db '%s'. error: %s", dbName, e.getMessage()), e);
     }
   }
 
@@ -209,7 +216,7 @@ public List<String> getAllDatabases() throws IOException {
    * @param dbName database name
    * @return a database object
    */
-  public alluxio.grpc.table.Database getDatabase(String dbName)  throws IOException {
+  public alluxio.grpc.table.Database getDatabase(String dbName) throws IOException {
     Database db = getDatabaseByName(dbName);
     DatabaseInfo dbInfo = db.getDatabaseInfo();