This disclosure provides systems, methods and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for wireless communication in a neighbor aware network (NAN). In one aspect, a first device of a wireless network (such as a NAN), in response to detecting a low power condition, may transmit a beacon including a power indicator. Other devices of the NAN may process the beacon and determine whether to assume a role of master or non-master sync in the NAN based on the power indicator. For example, a second device of the NAN may determine, based on power information of the second device, to assume the role of master or non-master sync in the NAN. To assume the role of master (or non-master sync), the second device may transmit a second beacon that includes a modified rank value.