diff --git a/xwords4/common/game.c b/xwords4/common/game.c
index 70074ee1e..6507ba204 100644
--- a/xwords4/common/game.c
+++ b/xwords4/common/game.c
@@ -44,8 +44,9 @@ assertUtilOK( XW_UtilCtxt* util )
 # define assertUtilOK(u)
 #endif
 
+#ifdef XWFEATURE_CHANGEDICT
 static void gi_setDict( MPFORMAL CurGameInfo* gi, const DictionaryCtxt* dict );
-
+#endif
 
 static void
 checkServerRole( CurGameInfo* gi, XP_U16* nPlayersHere, XP_U16* nPlayersTotal )
@@ -186,6 +187,7 @@ game_reset( MPFORMAL XWGame* game, CurGameInfo* gi,
     board_prefsChanged( game->board, cp );
 } /* game_reset */
 
+#ifdef XWFEATURE_CHANGEDICT
 void
 game_changeDict( MPFORMAL XWGame* game, CurGameInfo* gi, DictionaryCtxt* dict )
 {
@@ -194,6 +196,7 @@ game_changeDict( MPFORMAL XWGame* game, CurGameInfo* gi, DictionaryCtxt* dict )
     gi_setDict( MPPARM(mpool) gi, dict );
     server_resetEngines( game->server );
 }
+#endif
 
 XP_Bool
 game_makeFromStream( MPFORMAL XWStreamCtxt* stream, XWGame* game, 
@@ -572,6 +575,7 @@ gi_writeToStream( XWStreamCtxt* stream, const CurGameInfo* gi )
     }
 } /* gi_writeToStream */
 
+#ifdef XWFEATURE_CHANGEDICT
 static void
 gi_setDict( MPFORMAL CurGameInfo* gi, const DictionaryCtxt* dict )
 {
@@ -583,6 +587,7 @@ gi_setDict( MPFORMAL CurGameInfo* gi, const DictionaryCtxt* dict )
         XP_FREEP( mpool, &pl->dictName );
     }    
 }
+#endif
 
 XP_Bool
 player_hasPasswd( LocalPlayer* player )
diff --git a/xwords4/common/server.c b/xwords4/common/server.c
index ec537368e..abc5b5852 100644
--- a/xwords4/common/server.c
+++ b/xwords4/common/server.c
@@ -1581,6 +1581,7 @@ server_getEngineFor( ServerCtxt* server, XP_U16 playerNum )
     return engine;
 } /* server_getEngineFor */
 
+#ifdef XWFEATURE_CHANGEDICT
 void
 server_resetEngines( ServerCtxt* server )
 {
@@ -1589,6 +1590,7 @@ server_resetEngines( ServerCtxt* server )
         server_resetEngine( server, nPlayers );
     }
 }
+#endif
 
 void
 server_resetEngine( ServerCtxt* server, XP_U16 playerNum )
diff --git a/xwords4/linux/Makefile b/xwords4/linux/Makefile
index ee44da715..1459e6580 100644
--- a/xwords4/linux/Makefile
+++ b/xwords4/linux/Makefile
@@ -108,6 +108,8 @@ DEFINES += -DXWFEATURE_TRAYUNDO_ONE
 DEFINES += -DXWFEATURE_BONUSALL
 # DEFINES += -DXWFEATURE_BONUSALLHINT
 DEFINES += -DXWFEATURE_HILITECELL
+# allow change dict inside running game
+DEFINES += -DXWFEATURE_CHANGEDICT
 
 # MAX_ROWS controls STREAM_VERS_BIGBOARD and with it move hashing
 DEFINES += -DMAX_ROWS=32
diff --git a/xwords4/linux/gtkmain.c b/xwords4/linux/gtkmain.c
index 74ee145a2..f42ce4afd 100644
--- a/xwords4/linux/gtkmain.c
+++ b/xwords4/linux/gtkmain.c
@@ -861,6 +861,7 @@ save_game( GtkWidget* XP_UNUSED(widget), GtkAppGlobals* XP_UNUSED(globals) )
 {
 } /* save_game */
 
+#ifdef XWFEATURE_CHANGEDICT
 static void
 change_dictionary( GtkWidget* XP_UNUSED(widget), GtkAppGlobals* globals )
 {
@@ -877,6 +878,7 @@ change_dictionary( GtkWidget* XP_UNUSED(widget), GtkAppGlobals* globals )
 	}
 	g_slist_free( dicts );
 } /* change_dictionary */
+#endif
 
 static void
 handle_undo( GtkWidget* XP_UNUSED(widget), GtkAppGlobals* XP_UNUSED(globals) )
@@ -1020,10 +1022,10 @@ makeMenus( GtkAppGlobals* globals, int XP_UNUSED(argc),
                          GTK_SIGNAL_FUNC(load_game), globals );
     (void)createAddItem( fileMenu, "Save game", 
                          GTK_SIGNAL_FUNC(save_game), globals );
-
+#ifdef XWFEATURE_CHANGEDICT
     (void)createAddItem( fileMenu, "Change dictionary", 
                          GTK_SIGNAL_FUNC(change_dictionary), globals );
-
+#endif
     (void)createAddItem( fileMenu, "Cancel trade", 
                          GTK_SIGNAL_FUNC(handle_trade_cancel), globals );