A method in a first network device (304, 307) for supporting Precision Time Protocol, PTP, in a network, the method comprising: receiving, by a first PTP port (345, 375) associated with the first network device configured as a PTP slave port, PTP timing messages from a second PTP port (314, 342) associated with a second network device (301, 303) configured as a PTP master port, wherein the PTP timing messages include timing information of a PTP master clock maintained by the second network device; maintaining a PTP master clock based on the timing information included in the PTP timing messages received from the second network device via the first PTP port; receiving, by a third PTP port (346, 374) associated with the first network device configured as a PTP passive port, PTP timing messages from a fourth PTP port (316, 333) associated with a third network device (301, 303) configured as a PTP master port, wherein the PTP timing messages include timing information of a PTP master clock maintained by the third network device; determining the third PTP port (346, 374) is a protective passive port based on a stepsRemoved value associated with the third network device (301, 303), wherein a stepsRemoved value indicates a number of boundary clock levels a respective network device is away from a PTP grandmaster clock of the network; and in response to determining the third PTP port (346, 374) is a protective passive port, maintaining a PTP auxiliary clock based on the timing information included in the PTP timing messages received from the third network device (301, 303) via the third PTP port (346, 374), wherein in an event that the first network device fails to receive PTP timing messages from the second network device (301, 303) via the first PTP port (345, 375), the PTP auxiliary clock is utilized by the first network device to synchronize its PTP master clock to the PTP master clock maintained by the third network device (301, 303). receiving, by a first PTP port (345, 375) associated with the first network device configured as a PTP slave port, PTP timing messages from a second PTP port (314, 342) associated with a second network device (301, 303) configured as a PTP master port, wherein the PTP timing messages include timing information of a PTP master clock maintained by the second network device; maintaining a PTP master clock based on the timing information included in the PTP timing messages received from the second network device via the first PTP port; receiving, by a third PTP port (346, 374) associated with the first network device configured as a PTP passive port, PTP timing messages from a fourth PTP port (316, 333) associated with a third network device (301, 303) configured as a PTP master port, wherein the PTP timing messages include timing information of a PTP master clock maintained by the third network device; determining the third PTP port (346, 374) is a protective passive port based on a stepsRemoved value associated with the third network device (301, 303), wherein a stepsRemoved value indicates a number of boundary clock levels a respective network device is away from a PTP grandmaster clock of the network; and in response to determining the third PTP port (346, 374) is a protective passive port, maintaining a PTP auxiliary clock based on the timing information included in the PTP timing messages received from the third network device (301, 303) via the third PTP port (346, 374), wherein in an event that the first network device fails to receive PTP timing messages from the second network device (301, 303) via the first PTP port (345, 375), the PTP auxiliary clock is utilized by the first network device to synchronize its PTP master clock to the PTP master clock maintained by the third network device (301, 303).