diff --git a/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/gms/Gossiper.java b/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/gms/Gossiper.java
index <HASH>..<HASH> 100644
--- a/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/gms/Gossiper.java
+++ b/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/gms/Gossiper.java
@@ -987,7 +987,7 @@ public class Gossiper implements IFailureDetectionEventListener, GossiperMBean
                 if (logger.isTraceEnabled())
                     logger.trace(ep + "local generation " + localGeneration + ", remote generation " + remoteGeneration);
 
-                if (remoteGeneration > localGeneration + MAX_GENERATION_DIFFERENCE)
+                if (localGeneration != 0 && remoteGeneration > localGeneration + MAX_GENERATION_DIFFERENCE)
                 {
                     // assume some peer has corrupted memory and is broadcasting an unbelievable generation about another peer (or itself)
                     logger.warn("received an invalid gossip generation for peer {}; local generation = {}, received generation = {}", ep, localGeneration, remoteGeneration);
Don't do generation safety check when the local gen is zero

Patch by brandonwilliams, reviewed by jasobrown for CASSANDRA-<I>