diff --git a/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/GameListAdapter.java b/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/GameListAdapter.java
index 51774e0b5..c690bd704 100644
--- a/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/GameListAdapter.java
+++ b/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/GameListAdapter.java
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ import android.view.ViewGroup;
 import android.widget.TextView;
 import android.database.DataSetObserver;
 import java.io.FileInputStream;
+import java.util.HashMap;
 import android.view.LayoutInflater;
 import junit.framework.Assert;
 
@@ -34,9 +35,10 @@ import org.eehouse.android.xw4.jni.*;
 import org.eehouse.android.xw4.jni.CurGameInfo.DeviceRole;
 
 public class GameListAdapter extends XWListAdapter {
-    Context m_context;
-    LayoutInflater m_factory;
-    int m_layoutId;
+    private Context m_context;
+    private LayoutInflater m_factory;
+    private int m_layoutId;
+    private HashMap<String,View> m_viewsCache;
 
     public GameListAdapter( Context context ) {
         super( context, GameUtils.gamesList(context).length );
@@ -50,6 +52,8 @@ public class GameListAdapter extends XWListAdapter {
 
         m_layoutId = sdk_int >= android.os.Build.VERSION_CODES.DONUT
             ? R.layout.game_list_item : R.layout.game_list_item_onefive;
+
+        m_viewsCache = new HashMap<String,View>();
     }
     
     public int getCount() {
@@ -58,34 +62,39 @@ public class GameListAdapter extends XWListAdapter {
     
     public Object getItem( int position ) 
     {
-        final View layout = m_factory.inflate( m_layoutId, null );
-
         String path = GameUtils.gamesList(m_context)[position];
-        byte[] stream = open( path );
-        if ( null != stream ) {
-            CurGameInfo gi = new CurGameInfo( m_context );
-            XwJNI.gi_from_stream( gi, stream );
+        View layout = m_viewsCache.get( path );
 
-            GameSummary summary = DBUtils.getSummary( m_context, path );
+        if ( null == layout ) {
+            Utils.logf( "creating new list elem for %s", path );
+            layout = m_factory.inflate( m_layoutId, null );
+            byte[] stream = open( path );
+            if ( null != stream ) {
+                CurGameInfo gi = new CurGameInfo( m_context );
+                XwJNI.gi_from_stream( gi, stream );
 
-            TextView view = (TextView)layout.findViewById( R.id.players );
-            String gameName = GameUtils.gameName( m_context, path );
-            view.setText( String.format( "%s: %s", gameName,
-                                         gi.summarizePlayers( m_context, 
-                                                              summary ) ) );
+                GameSummary summary = DBUtils.getSummary( m_context, path );
 
-            view = (TextView)layout.findViewById( R.id.state );
-            view.setText( gi.summarizeState( m_context, summary ) );
-            view = (TextView)layout.findViewById( R.id.dict );
-            view.setText( gi.summarizeDict( m_context ) );
+                TextView view = (TextView)layout.findViewById( R.id.players );
+                String gameName = GameUtils.gameName( m_context, path );
+                view.setText( String.format( "%s: %s", gameName,
+                                             gi.summarizePlayers( m_context, 
+                                                                  summary ) ) );
 
-            view = (TextView)layout.findViewById( R.id.role );
-            String roleSummary = gi.summarizeRole( m_context, summary );
-            if ( null != roleSummary ) {
-                view.setText( roleSummary );
-            } else {
-                view.setVisibility( View.GONE );
+                view = (TextView)layout.findViewById( R.id.state );
+                view.setText( gi.summarizeState( m_context, summary ) );
+                view = (TextView)layout.findViewById( R.id.dict );
+                view.setText( gi.summarizeDict( m_context ) );
+
+                view = (TextView)layout.findViewById( R.id.role );
+                String roleSummary = gi.summarizeRole( m_context, summary );
+                if ( null != roleSummary ) {
+                    view.setText( roleSummary );
+                } else {
+                    view.setVisibility( View.GONE );
+                }
             }
+            m_viewsCache.put( path, layout );
         }
         return layout;
     }
@@ -110,4 +119,10 @@ public class GameListAdapter extends XWListAdapter {
         }
         return stream;
     }
+
+
+    public void inval( String key ) 
+    {
+        m_viewsCache.remove( key );
+    }
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/GamesList.java b/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/GamesList.java
index 7849bdc85..e58c3c070 100644
--- a/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/GamesList.java
+++ b/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/GamesList.java
@@ -43,10 +43,11 @@ import junit.framework.Assert;
 import org.eehouse.android.xw4.jni.*;
 
 public class GamesList extends ListActivity implements View.OnClickListener {
-    private GameListAdapter m_adapter;
-
     private static final int WARN_NODICT = Utils.DIALOG_LAST + 1;
     private static final int CONFIRM_DELETE_ALL = Utils.DIALOG_LAST + 2;
+
+    private GameListAdapter m_adapter;
+    private String m_invalPath = null;
     private String m_missingDict;
 
     @Override
@@ -126,7 +127,9 @@ public class GamesList extends ListActivity implements View.OnClickListener {
     public void onWindowFocusChanged( boolean hasFocus )
     {
         super.onWindowFocusChanged( hasFocus );
-        if ( hasFocus ) {
+        if ( hasFocus && null != m_invalPath ) {
+            m_adapter.inval( m_invalPath );
+            m_invalPath = null;
             onContentChanged();
         }
     }
@@ -144,6 +147,7 @@ public class GamesList extends ListActivity implements View.OnClickListener {
     {
         boolean handled = true;
         byte[] stream;
+        String invalPath = null;
 
         AdapterView.AdapterContextMenuInfo info;
         try {
@@ -158,6 +162,7 @@ public class GamesList extends ListActivity implements View.OnClickListener {
 
         if ( R.id.list_item_delete == id ) {
             GameUtils.deleteGame( this, path );
+            invalPath = path;
         } else {
             String[] missingName = new String[1];
             boolean hasDict = GameUtils.gameDictHere( this, path, missingName );
@@ -168,16 +173,16 @@ public class GamesList extends ListActivity implements View.OnClickListener {
                 switch ( id ) {
                 case R.id.list_item_config:
                     doConfig( path );
-                    break;
-                case R.id.list_item_delete:
-                    GameUtils.deleteGame( this, path );
+                    invalPath = path;
                     break;
 
                 case R.id.list_item_reset:
                     GameUtils.resetGame( this, path, path );
+                    invalPath = path;
                     break;
                 case R.id.list_item_new_from:
                     String newName = GameUtils.resetGame( this, path );  
+                    invalPath = newName;
                     break;
 
                 case R.id.list_item_copy:
@@ -202,6 +207,10 @@ public class GamesList extends ListActivity implements View.OnClickListener {
             }
         }
 
+        if ( null != invalPath ) {
+            m_adapter.inval( invalPath );
+        }
+
         if ( handled ) {
             onContentChanged();
         }
@@ -272,6 +281,7 @@ public class GamesList extends ListActivity implements View.OnClickListener {
             Intent intent = new Intent( Intent.ACTION_EDIT, uri,
                                         this, BoardActivity.class );
             startActivity( intent );
+            m_invalPath = path;
         }
     }