diff --git a/xwords4/android/app/src/main/java/org/eehouse/android/xw4/XWService.java b/xwords4/android/app/src/main/java/org/eehouse/android/xw4/XWService.java
index c1f305fb1..fc2e666ae 100644
--- a/xwords4/android/app/src/main/java/org/eehouse/android/xw4/XWService.java
+++ b/xwords4/android/app/src/main/java/org/eehouse/android/xw4/XWService.java
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ class XWService extends Service {
                 s_seen.add( inviteID );
             }
         }
-        Log.d( TAG, "checkNotDupe(%s) => %b", inviteID, !isDupe );
+        Log.d( TAG, "checkNotDupe('%s') => %b", inviteID, !isDupe );
         return !isDupe;
     }
 
diff --git a/xwords4/common/nli.c b/xwords4/common/nli.c
index e54c72a8f..29ea12285 100644
--- a/xwords4/common/nli.c
+++ b/xwords4/common/nli.c
@@ -61,6 +61,13 @@ nli_setDevID( NetLaunchInfo* nli, XP_U32 devID )
     types_addType( &nli->_conTypes, COMMS_CONN_RELAY );
 }
 
+void
+nli_setInviteID( NetLaunchInfo* nli, const XP_UCHAR* inviteID )
+{
+    nli->inviteID[0] = '\0';
+    XP_STRCAT( nli->inviteID, inviteID );
+}
+
 void 
 nli_saveToStream( const NetLaunchInfo* nli, XWStreamCtxt* stream )
 {
diff --git a/xwords4/common/nli.h b/xwords4/common/nli.h
index 721a839c4..47f572585 100644
--- a/xwords4/common/nli.h
+++ b/xwords4/common/nli.h
@@ -76,6 +76,7 @@ void nli_saveToStream( const NetLaunchInfo* invit, XWStreamCtxt* stream );
 void nli_makeAddrRec( const NetLaunchInfo* invit, CommsAddrRec* addr );
 
 void nli_setDevID( NetLaunchInfo* invit, XP_U32 devID );
+void nli_setInviteID( NetLaunchInfo* invit, const XP_UCHAR* inviteID );
 
 
 #endif
diff --git a/xwords4/linux/gtkboard.c b/xwords4/linux/gtkboard.c
index 7abae1409..0930e3935 100644
--- a/xwords4/linux/gtkboard.c
+++ b/xwords4/linux/gtkboard.c
@@ -1640,6 +1640,9 @@ send_invites( CommonGlobals* cGlobals, XP_U16 nPlayers,
 
     NetLaunchInfo nli = {0};
     nli_init( &nli, cGlobals->gi, &addr, nPlayers, forceChannel );
+    XP_UCHAR buf[32];
+    snprintf( buf, sizeof(buf), "%X", makeRandomInt() );
+    nli_setInviteID( &nli, buf );
     nli_setDevID( &nli, linux_getDevIDRelay( cGlobals->params ) );
 
 #ifdef DEBUG
diff --git a/xwords4/linux/linuxmain.c b/xwords4/linux/linuxmain.c
index ba38e5143..948054cd6 100644
--- a/xwords4/linux/linuxmain.c
+++ b/xwords4/linux/linuxmain.c
@@ -1558,8 +1558,8 @@ linuxChangeRoles( CommonGlobals* cGlobals )
 }
 #endif
 
-static unsigned int
-defaultRandomSeed()
+unsigned int
+makeRandomInt()
 {
     /* use kernel device rather than time() so can run multiple times/second
        without getting the same results. */
@@ -2034,7 +2034,7 @@ main( int argc, char** argv )
     XP_Bool isServer = XP_FALSE;
     // char* portNum = NULL;
     // char* hostName = "localhost";
-    unsigned int seed = defaultRandomSeed();
+    unsigned int seed = makeRandomInt();
     LaunchParams mainParams;
     XP_U16 nPlayerDicts = 0;
     XP_U16 robotCount = 0;
diff --git a/xwords4/linux/linuxmain.h b/xwords4/linux/linuxmain.h
index 5f902c810..a3622257e 100644
--- a/xwords4/linux/linuxmain.h
+++ b/xwords4/linux/linuxmain.h
@@ -111,6 +111,8 @@ const XP_UCHAR* linux_getDevID( LaunchParams* params, DevIDType* typ );
 void linux_doInitialReg( LaunchParams* params, XP_Bool idIsNew );
 XP_Bool linux_setupDevidParams( LaunchParams* params );
 
+unsigned int makeRandomInt();
+
 /* void initParams( LaunchParams* params ); */
 /* void freeParams( LaunchParams* params ); */