diff --git a/xwords4/linux/gtkboard.c b/xwords4/linux/gtkboard.c
index d5223f5bd..188ea6fe6 100644
--- a/xwords4/linux/gtkboard.c
+++ b/xwords4/linux/gtkboard.c
@@ -1407,7 +1407,7 @@ handle_invite_button( GtkWidget* XP_UNUSED(widget), GtkGameGlobals* globals )
     XP_U32 relayDevID = 0;
     XP_Bool confirmed = gtkInviteDlg( globals, &inviteAddr, &nPlayers,
                                       &relayDevID );
-    XP_LOGF( "%s: inviteDlg => %s", __func__, boolToStr(confirmed) );
+    XP_LOGFF( "gtkInviteDlg() => %s", boolToStr(confirmed) );
 
     if ( confirmed ) {
         send_invites( cGlobals, nPlayers, relayDevID, NULL, &inviteAddr );
@@ -1417,25 +1417,25 @@ handle_invite_button( GtkWidget* XP_UNUSED(widget), GtkGameGlobals* globals )
 static void
 send_invites( CommonGlobals* cGlobals, XP_U16 nPlayers,
               XP_U32 relayDevID, const XP_UCHAR* relayID,
-              const CommsAddrRec* addrs )
+              const CommsAddrRec* destAddr )
 {
-    CommsAddrRec addr = {0};
+    CommsAddrRec myAddr = {0};
     CommsCtxt* comms = cGlobals->game.comms;
     XP_ASSERT( comms );
-    comms_getAddr( comms, &addr );
+    comms_getAddr( comms, &myAddr );
 
     gint forceChannel = 1;  /* 1 is what Android does. Limits to two-device games */
 
-    NetLaunchInfo nli = {0};
-    nli_init( &nli, cGlobals->gi, &addr, nPlayers, forceChannel );
-    if ( addr_hasType( &addr, COMMS_CONN_RELAY ) ) {
+    NetLaunchInfo nli = {0};    /* include everything!!! */
+    nli_init( &nli, cGlobals->gi, &myAddr, nPlayers, forceChannel );
+    if ( addr_hasType( &myAddr, COMMS_CONN_RELAY ) ) {
         XP_UCHAR buf[32];
         snprintf( buf, sizeof(buf), "%X", makeRandomInt() );
-        nli_setInviteID( &nli, buf ); /* should not be relay only!!! */
+        nli_setInviteID( &nli, buf ); /* PENDING: should not be relay only!!! */
     }
     // nli_setDevID( &nli, linux_getDevIDRelay( cGlobals->params ) );
 
-    if ( addr_hasType( &addr, COMMS_CONN_MQTT ) ) {
+    if ( addr_hasType( &myAddr, COMMS_CONN_MQTT ) ) {
         const MQTTDevID* devid = mqttc_getDevID( cGlobals->params );
         nli_setMQTTDevID( &nli, devid );
     }
@@ -1452,12 +1452,12 @@ send_invites( CommonGlobals* cGlobals, XP_U16 nPlayers,
     }
 #endif
 
-    if ( !!addrs && '\0' != addrs->u.sms.phone[0] && 0 < addrs->u.sms.port ) {
+    if ( !!destAddr && '\0' != destAddr->u.sms.phone[0] && 0 < destAddr->u.sms.port ) {
         gchar gameName[64];
         snprintf( gameName, VSIZE(gameName), "Game %d", cGlobals->gi->gameID );
 
         linux_sms_invite( cGlobals->params, &nli,
-                          addrs->u.sms.phone, addrs->u.sms.port );
+                          destAddr->u.sms.phone, destAddr->u.sms.port );
     }
 
     if ( 0 != relayDevID || !!relayID ) {
@@ -1465,8 +1465,8 @@ send_invites( CommonGlobals* cGlobals, XP_U16 nPlayers,
         relaycon_invite( cGlobals->params, relayDevID, relayID, &nli );
     }
 
-    if ( addr_hasType( addrs, COMMS_CONN_MQTT ) ) {
-        mqttc_invite( cGlobals->params, &nli, &addrs->u.mqtt.devID );
+    if ( addr_hasType( destAddr, COMMS_CONN_MQTT ) ) {
+        mqttc_invite( cGlobals->params, &nli, &destAddr->u.mqtt.devID );
     }
 
     /* while ( gtkaskm( "Invite how many and how?", infos, VSIZE(infos) ) ) {  */
diff --git a/xwords4/linux/gtkmain.c b/xwords4/linux/gtkmain.c
index 359d983ba..9584d8427 100644
--- a/xwords4/linux/gtkmain.c
+++ b/xwords4/linux/gtkmain.c
@@ -749,7 +749,7 @@ gameFromInvite( GtkAppGlobals* apg, const NetLaunchInfo* invite,
 }
 
 void
-relayInviteReceivedGTK( void* closure, const NetLaunchInfo* invite )
+inviteReceivedGTK( void* closure, const NetLaunchInfo* invite )
 {
     GtkAppGlobals* apg = (GtkAppGlobals*)closure;
 
@@ -951,7 +951,7 @@ gtkmain( LaunchParams* params )
                 .msgNoticeReceived = gtkNoticeRcvd,
                 .devIDReceived = gtkDevIDReceived,
                 .msgErrorMsg = gtkErrorMsgRcvd,
-                .inviteReceived = relayInviteReceivedGTK,
+                .inviteReceived = inviteReceivedGTK,
             };
 
             relaycon_init( params, &procs, &apg, 
diff --git a/xwords4/linux/gtkmain.h b/xwords4/linux/gtkmain.h
index 9e5e5f903..fddbc4e46 100644
--- a/xwords4/linux/gtkmain.h
+++ b/xwords4/linux/gtkmain.h
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ int gtkmain( LaunchParams* params );
 void windowDestroyed( GtkGameGlobals* globals );
 void gtkOnGameSaved( void* closure, sqlite3_int64 rowid, XP_Bool firstTime );
 void make_rematch( GtkAppGlobals* apg, const CommonGlobals* cGlobals );
-void relayInviteReceivedGTK( void* closure, const NetLaunchInfo* invite );
+void inviteReceivedGTK( void* closure, const NetLaunchInfo* invite );
 void msgReceivedGTK( void* closure, const CommsAddrRec* from, XP_U32 gameID,
                      const XP_U8* buf, XP_U16 len );
 void gameGoneGTK( void* closure, const CommsAddrRec* from, XP_U32 gameID );
diff --git a/xwords4/linux/lindutil.c b/xwords4/linux/lindutil.c
index 125b112a0..dea3ad24d 100644
--- a/xwords4/linux/lindutil.c
+++ b/xwords4/linux/lindutil.c
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ linux_dutil_onInviteReceived( XW_DUtilCtxt* duc, XWEnv XP_UNUSED(xwe),
         nli_makeAddrRec( nli, &addr );
         inviteReceivedCurses( params->appGlobals, nli, &addr );
     } else {
-        relayInviteReceivedGTK( params->appGlobals, nli );
+        inviteReceivedGTK( params->appGlobals, nli );
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/xwords4/linux/linuxsms.c b/xwords4/linux/linuxsms.c
index 28b052dda..d1e7dfe29 100644
--- a/xwords4/linux/linuxsms.c
+++ b/xwords4/linux/linuxsms.c
@@ -331,13 +331,19 @@ linux_sms_send( LaunchParams* params, const XP_U8* buf,
                 XP_U16 buflen, const XP_UCHAR* msgNo, const XP_UCHAR* phone,
                 XP_U16 port, XP_U32 gameID )
 {
+    XP_S16 nSent = -1;
     LinSMSData* storage = getStorage( params );
-    XP_U16 waitSecs;
-    SMSMsgArray* arr = smsproto_prepOutbound( storage->protoState, NULL_XWE, DATA, gameID,
-                                              buf, buflen, phone, port,
-                                              XP_TRUE, &waitSecs );
-    sendOrRetry( params, arr, DATA, waitSecs, phone, port, gameID, msgNo );
-    return buflen;
+    if ( !!storage->protoState ) {
+        XP_U16 waitSecs;
+        SMSMsgArray* arr = smsproto_prepOutbound( storage->protoState, NULL_XWE, DATA, gameID,
+                                                  buf, buflen, phone, port,
+                                                  XP_TRUE, &waitSecs );
+        sendOrRetry( params, arr, DATA, waitSecs, phone, port, gameID, msgNo );
+        nSent = buflen;
+    } else {
+        XP_LOGFF( "dropping: sms not configured" );
+    }
+    return nSent;
 }
 
 typedef struct _RetryClosure {