diff --git a/xwords4/android/XWords4/jni/andutils.c b/xwords4/android/XWords4/jni/andutils.c
index ad3f51c10..4d3a0ee44 100644
--- a/xwords4/android/XWords4/jni/andutils.c
+++ b/xwords4/android/XWords4/jni/andutils.c
@@ -444,3 +444,13 @@ and_empty_stream( MPFORMAL AndGlobals* globals )
     return stream;
 }
 
+/* #ifdef DEBUG */
+/* XP_U32 */
+/* andy_rand( const char* caller ) */
+/* { */
+/*     XP_U32 result = rand(); */
+/*     XP_LOGF( "%s: returning 0x%lx to %s", __func__, result, caller ); */
+/*     LOG_RETURNF( "%lx", result ); */
+/*     return result; */
+/* } */
+/* #endif */
diff --git a/xwords4/android/XWords4/jni/xwjni.c b/xwords4/android/XWords4/jni/xwjni.c
index 0c9205b83..dfc45f618 100644
--- a/xwords4/android/XWords4/jni/xwjni.c
+++ b/xwords4/android/XWords4/jni/xwjni.c
@@ -337,6 +337,10 @@ Java_org_eehouse_android_xw4_jni_XwJNI_initJNI
     MPASSIGN( state->mpool, mpool );
     globals->vtMgr = make_vtablemgr(MPPARM_NOCOMMA(mpool));
 
+    XP_U32 secs = and_util_getCurSeconds( NULL );
+    XP_LOGF( "initing srand with %ld", secs );
+    srandom( secs );
+
     return (jint) state;
 }