diff --git a/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/BTService.java b/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/BTService.java
index a5d14eda1..872784eb0 100644
--- a/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/BTService.java
+++ b/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/BTService.java
@@ -1124,7 +1124,8 @@ public class BTService extends XWService {
         if ( null == rowids || 0 == rowids.length ) {
             CommsAddrRec addr = nli.makeAddrRec( BTService.this );
             long rowid = GameUtils.makeNewMultiGame( BTService.this, nli, 
-                                                     m_btMsgSink, null );
+                                                     m_btMsgSink,
+                                                     getUtilCtxt() );
             if ( DBUtils.ROWID_NOTFOUND == rowid ) {
                 result = BTCmd.INVITE_FAILED;
             } else {
diff --git a/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/RelayService.java b/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/RelayService.java
index 07cb39fba..359fa1fd1 100644
--- a/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/RelayService.java
+++ b/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/RelayService.java
@@ -53,8 +53,6 @@ import org.eehouse.android.xw4.jni.CommsAddrRec;
 import org.eehouse.android.xw4.jni.GameSummary;
 import org.eehouse.android.xw4.jni.LastMoveInfo;
 import org.eehouse.android.xw4.jni.UtilCtxt.DevIDType;
-import org.eehouse.android.xw4.jni.UtilCtxt;
-import org.eehouse.android.xw4.jni.UtilCtxtImpl;
 import org.eehouse.android.xw4.jni.XwJNI;
 import org.eehouse.android.xw4.loc.LocUtils;
 
@@ -256,8 +254,8 @@ public class RelayService extends XWService
             // make the initial connection -- needs access to util. That
             // should be fixable -- eventually.
             RelayMsgSink sink = new RelayMsgSink();
-            UtilCtxt util = new UtilCtxtImpl( this );
-            long rowid = GameUtils.makeNewMultiGame( this, nli, sink, util );
+            long rowid = GameUtils.makeNewMultiGame( this, nli, sink,
+                                                     getUtilCtxt() );
             if ( DBUtils.ROWID_NOTFOUND != rowid ) {
                 if ( null != nli.gameName && 0 < nli.gameName.length() ) {
                     DBUtils.setName( this, rowid, nli.gameName );
diff --git a/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/SMSService.java b/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/SMSService.java
index c17ccee2a..c13e02c70 100644
--- a/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/SMSService.java
+++ b/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/SMSService.java
@@ -637,24 +637,13 @@ public class SMSService extends XWService {
 
     private void makeForInvite( String phone, NetLaunchInfo nli )
     {
-        SMSMsgSink sink = new SMSMsgSink( this );
-        long rowid = GameUtils.makeNewMultiGame( this, nli, sink, null );
+        long rowid = GameUtils.makeNewMultiGame( this, nli,
+                                                 new SMSMsgSink( this ),
+                                                 getUtilCtxt() );
         postNotification( phone, nli.gameID(), rowid );
         ackInvite( phone, nli.gameID() );
     }
 
-    private void makeForInvite( String phone, int gameID, String gameName, 
-                                int lang, String dict, int nPlayersT, 
-                                int nPlayersH, int forceChannel )
-    {
-        long rowid = 
-            GameUtils.makeNewGame( this, gameID, new CommsAddrRec( phone ), 
-                                   lang, dict, nPlayersT, nPlayersH, 
-                                   forceChannel, gameName );
-        postNotification( phone, gameID, rowid );
-        ackInvite( phone, gameID );
-    }
-
     private PendingIntent makeStatusIntent( String msg )
     {
         Intent intent = new Intent( msg );
diff --git a/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/XWService.java b/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/XWService.java
index eb1be40ac..7a131cdb3 100644
--- a/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/XWService.java
+++ b/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/XWService.java
@@ -28,13 +28,16 @@ import java.util.HashSet;
 import java.util.Set;
 
 import org.eehouse.android.xw4.MultiService.MultiEvent;
-
+import org.eehouse.android.xw4.jni.UtilCtxt;
+import org.eehouse.android.xw4.jni.UtilCtxtImpl;
 
 public class XWService extends Service {
 
     protected static MultiService s_srcMgr = null;
     private static Set<String> s_seen = new HashSet<String>();
 
+    private UtilCtxt m_utilCtxt;
+
     @Override
     public IBinder onBind( Intent intent )
     {
@@ -74,4 +77,12 @@ public class XWService extends Service {
         DbgUtils.logf( "XWService.checkNotDupe(%s) => %b", inviteID, !isDupe );
         return !isDupe;
     }
+
+    protected UtilCtxt getUtilCtxt()
+    {
+        if ( null == m_utilCtxt ) {
+            m_utilCtxt = new UtilCtxtImpl( this );
+        }
+        return m_utilCtxt;
+    }
 }