diff --git a/xwords4/android/app/src/main/java/org/eehouse/android/xw4/Perms23.java b/xwords4/android/app/src/main/java/org/eehouse/android/xw4/Perms23.java
index 0b4a337ab..dc032b8f1 100644
--- a/xwords4/android/app/src/main/java/org/eehouse/android/xw4/Perms23.java
+++ b/xwords4/android/app/src/main/java/org/eehouse/android/xw4/Perms23.java
@@ -55,11 +55,6 @@ public class Perms23 {
         public String getString() { return m_str; }
         public boolean isBanned( Context context )
         {
-            // PENDING...  Once this has been here for a week or so, remove
-            // SMS_BANNED. That way absence of the permission from a variant's
-            // manifest is the only way being banned is expressed. It sucks
-            // keeping two things in sync.
-            // Assert.assertFalse( m_banned == permInManifest( context, this ) );
             return !permInManifest( context, this );
         }
         public static Perm getFor( String str ) {
@@ -159,9 +154,7 @@ public class Perms23 {
                     Assert.assertFalse( perm.isBanned(activity) );
                     askStrings.add( permStr );
 
-                    if ( null != m_onShow && ActivityCompat
-                         .shouldShowRequestPermissionRationale( activity,
-                                                                permStr ) ) {
+                    if ( null != m_onShow ) {
                         needShow.add( perm );
                     }
                 }
@@ -239,7 +232,7 @@ public class Perms23 {
                 doItAsk( validPerms, showRationale );
             }
             if ( 0 < bannedPerms.size() ) {
-                doItFail( bannedPerms );
+                postNeg();
             }
         }
 
@@ -253,8 +246,8 @@ public class Perms23 {
                             m_delegate.makeConfirmThenBuilder( m_rationaleMsg,
                                                                Action.PERMS_QUERY )
                                 .setTitle( R.string.perms_rationale_title )
-                                .setPosButton( R.string.button_ask_again )
-                                .setNegButton( R.string.button_skip )
+                                .setPosButton( R.string.button_ask )
+                                .setNegButton( R.string.button_deny )
                                 .setParams( QueryInfo.this.getParams() )
                                 .setNAKey( mNAKey )
                                 .show();
@@ -276,31 +269,25 @@ public class Perms23 {
                 } );
         }
 
-        // Cons up a call with a "no" answer, and post it.
-        private void doItFail( Set<Perm> bannedPerms )
-        {
-            m_delegate.post( new Runnable() {
-                    @Override
-                    public void run() {
-                        Log.d( TAG, "doItFail(); passing perms to onNegButton(%s)", m_action );
-                        m_delegate.onNegButton( m_action, m_params );
-                    }
-                } );
-        }
-
         // Post this in case we're called from inside dialog dismiss
         // code. Better to unwind the stack...
         private void handleButton( final boolean positive )
         {
-            m_delegate.post( new Runnable() {
-                    public void run() {
-                        if ( positive ) {
+            if ( positive ) {
+                m_delegate.post( new Runnable() {
+                        @Override
+                        public void run() {
                             doIt( false );
-                        } else {
-                            m_delegate.onNegButton( m_action, m_params );
                         }
-                    }
-                } );
+                    } );
+            } else {
+                postNeg();
+            }
+        }
+
+        private void postNeg()
+        {
+            Perms23.postNeg( m_delegate, m_action, m_params );
         }
     }
 
@@ -316,13 +303,31 @@ public class Perms23 {
      * Request permissions, giving rationale once, then call with action and
      * either positive or negative, the former if permission granted.
      */
-    private static void tryGetPermsImpl( DelegateBase delegate, Perm[] perms,
+    private static void tryGetPermsImpl( final DelegateBase delegate, Perm[] perms,
                                          String rationaleMsg, int naKey,
                                          final Action action, Object... params )
     {
         // Log.d( TAG, "tryGetPerms(%s)", perm.toString() );
-        new QueryInfo( delegate, action, perms, rationaleMsg, naKey, params )
-            .doIt( true );
+
+        if ( 0 != naKey &&
+             XWPrefs.getPrefsBoolean( delegate.getActivity(), naKey, false ) ) {
+            postNeg( delegate, action, params );
+        } else {
+            new QueryInfo( delegate, action, perms, rationaleMsg,
+                           naKey, params )
+                .doIt( true );
+        }
+    }
+
+    private static void postNeg( final DelegateBase delegate,
+                                 final Action action, final Object[] params )
+    {
+        delegate.post( new Runnable() {
+                @Override
+                public void run() {
+                    delegate.onNegButton( action, params );
+                }
+            } );
     }
 
     public static void tryGetPerms( DelegateBase delegate, Perm[] perms, int rationaleId,
diff --git a/xwords4/android/app/src/main/res/values/strings.xml b/xwords4/android/app/src/main/res/values/strings.xml
index b047d68ce..a936caf8f 100644
--- a/xwords4/android/app/src/main/res/values/strings.xml
+++ b/xwords4/android/app/src/main/res/values/strings.xml
@@ -2404,7 +2404,7 @@
   </string>
     <string name="dicts_storage_rationale">
     CrossWords can store and read wordlists in your device’s
-    Downloads area but it needs permission to access them
+    Downloads area but it needs to ask for permission to access them
     there.\n\nYou can safely deny this permission if you will never
     download wordlists except from inside CrossWords and have not
     previously stored any there.
@@ -2441,13 +2441,13 @@
     <string name="remove_sms">Remove SMS</string>
     <!-- In the permissions rationale explanation, means go ahead and
        have the OS ask for permission -->
-    <string name="button_ask_again">Ask again</string>
+    <string name="button_ask">Ask</string>
     <!-- Displayed as a toast -->
     <string name="sms_send_failed">SMS send failed</string>
     <!-- In the permissions rationale explanation, means don't have the
        OS ask for permission: user is denying it implicitly -->
-    <string name="button_skip">Skip</string>
-    <string name="perms_rationale_title">Android Permissions</string>
+    <string name="button_deny">Deny</string>
+    <string name="perms_rationale_title">Android Permission Explained</string>
     <string name="toast_no_permission">Permission not granted</string>
     <!-- Explanation in settings for always-on BT notification -->
     <string name="nbsproxy_channel_expl">Alerts about NBSProxy</string>