Aspects of the embodiments are directed to synchronizing at least a portion of a link-state database. A network element can lose an adjacency. The network element can transmit a request to a neighboring network element for synchronization of a link-state database. The request can include a version number of a last synchronized link-state database from the neighboring network element. The neighboring network element can determine whether the version of the link-state database is greater than or less than a copy of the link-state database stored by the neighboring network element. If the requested version number is less than the neighboring network element's link-state database version number, then the neighboring network element can send changes to the link-state database since the requested link-state database version number.