diff --git a/xwords4/linux/gtkmain.c b/xwords4/linux/gtkmain.c
index 7a3a7e0e6..2e5efaa03 100644
--- a/xwords4/linux/gtkmain.c
+++ b/xwords4/linux/gtkmain.c
@@ -330,7 +330,7 @@ relay_connd_gtk( void* XP_UNUSED(closure), XP_Bool allHere, XP_U16 nMissing )
     }
 
     if ( !skip ) {
-        (void)gtkask_timeout( buf, GTK_BUTTONS_OK, 3 );
+        (void)gtkask_timeout( buf, GTK_BUTTONS_OK, 1 );
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/xwords4/linux/scripts/newrelay.sh b/xwords4/linux/scripts/newrelay.sh
index 577cbabe8..a4e74773c 100755
--- a/xwords4/linux/scripts/newrelay.sh
+++ b/xwords4/linux/scripts/newrelay.sh
@@ -4,11 +4,14 @@ DICT=${DICT:-./dict.xwd}
 COOKIE=${COOKIE:-foo}
 NGAMES=${NGAMES:-1}
 NPLAYERS=${NPLAYERS:-2}
+USE_GTK=${USE_GTK:-FALSE}
+
+[ $USE_GTK = FALSE ] && CURSES_PARM="-u -0"
 
 usage() {
     echo "usage: [env=val *] $0" 1>&2
     echo " current env variables and their values: " 1>&2
-    for VAR in COOKIE DICT NGAMES NPLAYERS; do
+    for VAR in COOKIE DICT NGAMES NPLAYERS USE_GTK; do
         echo "$VAR:" $(eval "echo \$${VAR}") 1>&2
     done
     exit 0
@@ -28,8 +31,8 @@ for II in $(seq $NGAMES); do
         REMOTES="${REMOTES} -N"
     done
     for JJ in $(seq $NPLAYERS); do
-        ./obj_linux_memdbg/xwords -u -0 -d $DICT -r Eric $REMOTES -C $COOKIE \
-            -q 2 2>log_${II}_${JJ}.txt >/dev/null &
+        ./obj_linux_memdbg/xwords $CURSES_PARM -d $DICT -r Eric $REMOTES \
+            -C $COOKIE -q 2 2>log_${II}_${JJ}.txt >/dev/null &
     done
 done