A distributed system structure for a large-way, multi-bus, multiprocessor system using a bus-based cache-coherence protocol is provided. The distributed system structure contains an address switch, multiple memory subsystems, and multiple master devices, either processors, I/O agents, or coherent memory adapters, organized into a set of nodes supported by a node controller. The node controller receives commands from a master device, communicates with a master device as another master device or as a slave device, and queues commands received from a master device. The system allows for the implementation of a bus protocol that reports the state of a cache line to a master device along with the first beat of data delivery for a cacheable coherent Read. Since the achievement of coherency is distributed in time and space, the issue of data integrity is addressed through a variety of actions. In one implementation, the node controller helps to maintain cache coherency for commands by blocking a master device from receiving certain transactions so as to prevent Read-Read deadlocks. In another implementation, the master devices use a bus protocol that prevents Read-Read deadlocks in a distributed, multi-bus, multiprocessor system.