diff --git a/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/DictsDelegate.java b/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/DictsDelegate.java
index d46a3d02f..8638655c6 100644
--- a/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/DictsDelegate.java
+++ b/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/DictsDelegate.java
@@ -69,13 +69,13 @@ import org.eehouse.android.xw4.DictUtils.DictLoc;
 import org.eehouse.android.xw4.DlgDelegate.Action;
 import org.eehouse.android.xw4.jni.GameSummary;
 import org.eehouse.android.xw4.loc.LocUtils;
+import org.eehouse.android.xw4.DwnldDelegate.DownloadFinishedListener;
 
 public class DictsDelegate extends ListDelegateBase
     implements View.OnClickListener, AdapterView.OnItemLongClickListener,
                SelectableItem, MountEventReceiver.SDCardNotifiee, 
                DlgDelegate.DlgClickNotify, GroupStateListener,
-               DwnldDelegate.DownloadFinishedListener, 
-               XWListItem.ExpandedListener {
+               DownloadFinishedListener, XWListItem.ExpandedListener {
 
     protected static final String DICT_SHOWREMOTE = "do_launch";
     protected static final String DICT_LANG_EXTRA = "use_lang";
@@ -989,6 +989,12 @@ public class DictsDelegate extends ListDelegateBase
         downloadForResult( activity, requestCode, 0, null );
     }
 
+    public static void downloadDefaultDict( Context context, String lc,
+                                            DownloadFinishedListener lstnr )
+    {
+        new GetDefaultDictTask( context, lc, lstnr ).execute();
+    }
+
     //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
     // XWListItem.ExpandedListener interface
     //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
@@ -1086,6 +1092,75 @@ public class DictsDelegate extends ListDelegateBase
         return result;
     }
 
+    private static class GetDefaultDictTask extends AsyncTask<Void, Void, Void> {
+        private Context m_context;
+        private String m_lc;
+        private DownloadFinishedListener m_lstnr;
+
+        public GetDefaultDictTask( Context context, String lc, 
+                                   DownloadFinishedListener lnr ) {
+            m_context = context;
+            m_lc = lc;
+            m_lstnr = lnr;
+        }
+
+        @Override 
+        public Void doInBackground( Void... unused )
+        {
+            // FIXME: this should pass up the language code to retrieve and
+            // parse less data
+            HttpPost post = UpdateCheckReceiver.makePost( m_context, "listDicts" );
+            if ( null != post ) {
+                JSONObject theOne = null;
+                String langName = null;
+                String json = UpdateCheckReceiver.runPost( post, new JSONObject() );
+                try {
+                    JSONObject obj = new JSONObject( json );
+                    JSONArray langs = obj.optJSONArray( "langs" );
+                    int nLangs = langs.length();
+                    for ( int ii = 0; ii < nLangs; ++ii ) {
+                        JSONObject langObj = langs.getJSONObject( ii );
+                        String langCode = langObj.getString( "lc" );
+                        if ( ! langCode.equals( m_lc ) ) {
+                            continue;
+                        }
+                        // we have our language; look for one marked default;
+                        // otherwise take the largest.
+                        langName = langObj.getString( "lang" );
+                        JSONArray dicts = langObj.getJSONArray( "dicts" );
+                        int nDicts = dicts.length();
+                        int theOneNWords = 0;
+                        for ( int jj = 0; jj < nDicts; ++jj ) {
+                            JSONObject dict = dicts.getJSONObject( jj );
+                            if ( dict.optBoolean( "isDflt", false ) ) {
+                                theOne = dict;
+                                break;
+                            } else {
+                                int nWords = dict.getInt( "nWords" );
+                                if ( null == theOne || nWords > theOneNWords ) {
+                                    theOne = dict;
+                                    theOneNWords = nWords;
+                                }
+                            }
+                        }
+                    }
+                } catch ( JSONException ex ) {
+                    DbgUtils.loge( ex );
+                    theOne = null;
+                }
+
+                if ( null != theOne ) {
+                    String name = theOne.optString( "xwd" );
+                    if ( null != name ) {
+                        DwnldDelegate.downloadDictInBack( m_context, langName, 
+                                                          name, m_lstnr );
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+            return null;
+        }
+    }
+
     private class FetchListTask extends AsyncTask<Void, Void, Boolean> 
         implements OnCancelListener {
         private Context m_context;
diff --git a/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/GamesListDelegate.java b/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/GamesListDelegate.java
index 0edec804f..a76506c6c 100644
--- a/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/GamesListDelegate.java
+++ b/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/GamesListDelegate.java
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@ import java.util.HashMap;
 import java.util.HashSet;
 import java.util.Iterator;
 import java.util.List;
+import java.util.Locale;
 import java.util.Map;
 import java.util.Set;
 
@@ -63,12 +64,13 @@ import org.eehouse.android.xw4.jni.*;
 import org.eehouse.android.xw4.jni.CommsAddrRec.CommsConnType;
 import org.eehouse.android.xw4.jni.CommsAddrRec.CommsConnTypeSet;
 import org.eehouse.android.xw4.loc.LocUtils;
+import org.eehouse.android.xw4.DwnldDelegate.DownloadFinishedListener;
 
 public class GamesListDelegate extends ListDelegateBase
     implements OnItemLongClickListener,
                DBUtils.DBChangeListener, SelectableItem, 
-               DwnldDelegate.DownloadFinishedListener,
-               DlgDelegate.HasDlgDelegate, GroupStateListener {
+               DownloadFinishedListener, DlgDelegate.HasDlgDelegate, 
+               GroupStateListener {
     
 
     private static final String SAVE_ROWID = "SAVE_ROWID";
@@ -909,6 +911,8 @@ public class GamesListDelegate extends ListDelegateBase
 
         askDefaultNameIf();
 
+        getDictForLangIf();
+
         m_origTitle = getTitle();
     } // init
 
@@ -1865,6 +1869,36 @@ public class GamesListDelegate extends ListDelegateBase
         }
     }
 
+    private void getDictForLangIf()
+    { 
+        String lc = Locale.getDefault().getLanguage();
+        if ( !lc.equals("en") ) {
+            int code = LocUtils.codeForLangCode( m_activity, lc );
+            String[] names = DictLangCache.getHaveLang( m_activity, code );
+            if ( 0 == names.length ) {
+                DownloadFinishedListener lstnr = new DownloadFinishedListener() {
+                        public void downloadFinished( final String lang, 
+                                                      String name, 
+                                                      boolean success ) {
+                            if ( success ) {
+                                runOnUiThread( new Runnable() {
+                                        public void run() {
+                                            showGotDictForLang( lang );
+                                        }
+                                    } );
+                            }
+                        }
+                    };
+                DictsDelegate.downloadDefaultDict( m_activity, lc, lstnr );
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    private void showGotDictForLang( String lang )
+    {
+        showOKOnlyDialog( String.format( "got dict for %s", lang ) );
+    }
+
     private void updateField()
     {
         String newField = CommonPrefs.getSummaryField( m_activity );
diff --git a/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/loc/LocUtils.java b/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/loc/LocUtils.java
index d43519196..c48df7905 100644
--- a/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/loc/LocUtils.java
+++ b/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/loc/LocUtils.java
@@ -142,6 +142,24 @@ public class LocUtils {
         return xlated;
     }
 
+    private static Map<String, Integer> s_langCodeMap = null;
+    public static int codeForLangCode( Context context, String lc )
+    {
+        if ( null == s_langCodeMap ) {
+            s_langCodeMap = new HashMap<String, Integer>();
+            String[] langCodes = 
+                context.getResources().getStringArray( R.array.language_codes );
+            for ( int ii = 0; ii < langCodes.length; ++ii ) {
+                String item = langCodes[ii];
+                if ( 0 < item.length() ) {
+                    s_langCodeMap.put( item, ii );
+                }
+            }
+        }
+
+        return s_langCodeMap.get( lc );
+    }
+
     public static void xlateView( Activity activity )
     {
         xlateView( activity, Utils.getContentView( activity ) );