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 a76f94ba3..07cd83c01 100644
--- a/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/ChatActivity.java
+++ b/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/ChatActivity.java
@@ -40,32 +40,39 @@ public class ChatActivity extends XWActivity implements View.OnClickListener {
     @Override
     public void onCreate( Bundle savedInstanceState ) 
     {
-        super.onCreate( savedInstanceState );
+        if ( XWApp.CHAT_SUPPORTED ) {
+            super.onCreate( savedInstanceState );
 
-        setContentView( R.layout.chat );
+            setContentView( R.layout.chat );
 
-        m_rowid = getIntent().getLongExtra( GameUtils.INTENT_KEY_ROWID, -1 );
+            m_rowid = getIntent().getLongExtra( GameUtils.INTENT_KEY_ROWID, -1 );
      
-        DBUtils.HistoryPair[] pairs = DBUtils.getChatHistory( this, m_rowid );
-        if ( null != pairs ) {
-            LinearLayout layout = (LinearLayout)findViewById( R.id.chat_history );
-            LayoutInflater factory = LayoutInflater.from( this );
+            DBUtils.HistoryPair[] pairs = DBUtils.getChatHistory( this, m_rowid );
+            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 );
+
+            setTitle( getString( R.string.chat_titlef, 
+                                 GameUtils.getName( this, m_rowid ) ) );
+        } else {
+            // Should really assert....
+            finish();
         }
-
-        ((Button)findViewById( R.id.send_button )).setOnClickListener( this );
-
-        setTitle( getString( R.string.chat_titlef, 
-                             GameUtils.getName( this, m_rowid ) ) );
     }
 
     @Override
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 d375a45c6..e6d017677 100644
--- a/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/DBUtils.java
+++ b/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/DBUtils.java
@@ -847,15 +847,17 @@ public class DBUtils {
     public static HistoryPair[] getChatHistory( Context context, long rowid )
     {
         HistoryPair[] result = null;
-        final String localPrefix = context.getString( R.string.chat_local_id );
-        String history = getChatHistoryStr( context, rowid );
-        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 );
+        if ( XWApp.CHAT_SUPPORTED ) {
+            final String localPrefix = context.getString( R.string.chat_local_id );
+            String history = getChatHistoryStr( context, rowid );
+            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;
@@ -1107,21 +1109,24 @@ public class DBUtils {
     private static String getChatHistoryStr( Context context, long rowid )
     {
         String result = null;
-        initDB( context );
-        synchronized( s_dbHelper ) {
-            SQLiteDatabase db = s_dbHelper.getReadableDatabase();
+        if ( XWApp.CHAT_SUPPORTED ) {
+            initDB( context );
+            synchronized( s_dbHelper ) {
+                SQLiteDatabase db = s_dbHelper.getReadableDatabase();
 
-            String[] columns = { DBHelper.CHAT_HISTORY };
-            String selection = String.format( ROW_ID_FMT, rowid );
-            Cursor cursor = db.query( DBHelper.TABLE_NAME_SUM, columns, 
-                                      selection, null, null, null, null );
-            if ( 1 == cursor.getCount() && cursor.moveToFirst() ) {
-                result = 
-                    cursor.getString( cursor
-                                      .getColumnIndex(DBHelper.CHAT_HISTORY));
+                String[] columns = { DBHelper.CHAT_HISTORY };
+                String selection = String.format( ROW_ID_FMT, rowid );
+                Cursor cursor = db.query( DBHelper.TABLE_NAME_SUM, columns, 
+                                          selection, null, null, null, null );
+                if ( 1 == cursor.getCount() && cursor.moveToFirst() ) {
+                    result = 
+                        cursor.getString( cursor
+                                          .getColumnIndex(DBHelper
+                                                          .CHAT_HISTORY));
+                }
+                cursor.close();
+                db.close();
             }
-            cursor.close();
-            db.close();
         }
         return result;
     }
@@ -1129,16 +1134,18 @@ public class DBUtils {
     public static void appendChatHistory( Context context, long rowid,
                                           String msg, boolean local )
     {
-        Assert.assertNotNull( msg );
-        int id = local ? R.string.chat_local_id : R.string.chat_other_id;
-        msg = context.getString( id ) + msg;
+        if ( XWApp.CHAT_SUPPORTED ) {
+            Assert.assertNotNull( msg );
+            int id = local ? R.string.chat_local_id : R.string.chat_other_id;
+            msg = context.getString( id ) + msg;
 
-        String cur = getChatHistoryStr( context, rowid );
-        if ( null != cur ) {
-            msg = cur + "\n" + msg;
+            String cur = getChatHistoryStr( context, rowid );
+            if ( null != cur ) {
+                msg = cur + "\n" + msg;
+            }
+
+            saveChatHistory( context, rowid, msg );
         }
-
-        saveChatHistory( context, rowid, msg );
     } // appendChatHistory
 
     public static void clearChatHistory( Context context, long rowid )