diff --git a/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/ChatActivity.java b/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/ChatActivity.java
index e61fe4285..5a9904fd1 100644
--- a/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/ChatActivity.java
+++ b/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/ChatActivity.java
@@ -51,17 +51,19 @@ public class ChatActivity extends XWActivity implements View.OnClickListener {
         }
      
         DBUtils.HistoryPair[] pairs = DBUtils.getChatHistory( this, m_path );
-        LinearLayout layout = (LinearLayout)findViewById( R.id.chat_history );
-        LayoutInflater factory = LayoutInflater.from( this );
+        if ( null != pairs ) {
+            LinearLayout layout = (LinearLayout)findViewById( R.id.chat_history );
+            LayoutInflater factory = LayoutInflater.from( this );
 
-        for ( DBUtils.HistoryPair pair : pairs ) {
-            TextView view = 
-                (TextView)factory.inflate( pair.sourceLocal
-                                           ? R.layout.chat_history_local
-                                           : R.layout.chat_history_remote, 
-                                           null );
-            view.setText( pair.msg );
-            layout.addView( view );
+            for ( DBUtils.HistoryPair pair : pairs ) {
+                TextView view = 
+                    (TextView)factory.inflate( pair.sourceLocal
+                                               ? R.layout.chat_history_local
+                                               : R.layout.chat_history_remote, 
+                                               null );
+                view.setText( pair.msg );
+                layout.addView( view );
+            }
         }
 
         ((Button)findViewById( R.id.send_button )).setOnClickListener( this );
diff --git a/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/DBUtils.java b/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/DBUtils.java
index 07e965e31..55b7e0b5a 100644
--- a/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/DBUtils.java
+++ b/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/DBUtils.java
@@ -164,7 +164,7 @@ public class DBUtils {
             saveSummary( context, file, summary );
         }
         return summary;
-    }
+    } // getSummary
 
     public static void saveSummary( Context context, String path, 
                                     GameSummary summary )
@@ -482,13 +482,17 @@ public class DBUtils {
 
     public static HistoryPair[] getChatHistory( Context context, String path )
     {
+        HistoryPair[] result = null;
         final String localPrefix = context.getString( R.string.chat_local_id );
-        String[] msgs = getChatHistoryStr( context, path ).split( "\n" );
-        HistoryPair[] result = new HistoryPair[msgs.length];
-        for ( int ii = 0; ii < result.length; ++ii ) {
-            String msg = msgs[ii];
-            boolean isLocal = msg.startsWith( localPrefix );
-            result[ii] = new HistoryPair( msg, isLocal );
+        String history = getChatHistoryStr( context, path );
+        if ( null != history ) {
+            String[] msgs = history.split( "\n" );
+            result = new HistoryPair[msgs.length];
+            for ( int ii = 0; ii < result.length; ++ii ) {
+                String msg = msgs[ii];
+                boolean isLocal = msg.startsWith( localPrefix );
+                result[ii] = new HistoryPair( msg, isLocal );
+            }
         }
         return result;
     }