diff --git a/xwords4/android/app/src/main/java/org/eehouse/android/xw4/BTInviteDelegate.java b/xwords4/android/app/src/main/java/org/eehouse/android/xw4/BTInviteDelegate.java
index 546292ddb..868486775 100644
--- a/xwords4/android/app/src/main/java/org/eehouse/android/xw4/BTInviteDelegate.java
+++ b/xwords4/android/app/src/main/java/org/eehouse/android/xw4/BTInviteDelegate.java
@@ -314,8 +314,7 @@ public class BTInviteDelegate extends InviteDelegate {
     {
         if ( null == sPersisted ) {
             try {
-                String str64 = DBUtils.getStringFor( context, KEY_PERSIST, null );
-                sPersisted = (Persisted)Utils.string64ToSerializable( str64 );
+                sPersisted = (Persisted)DBUtils.getSerializableFor( context, KEY_PERSIST );
             } catch ( Exception ex ) {} // NPE, de-serialization problems, etc.
 
             if ( null == sPersisted ) {
@@ -326,9 +325,7 @@ public class BTInviteDelegate extends InviteDelegate {
 
     private synchronized static void store( Context context )
     {
-        String str64 = sPersisted == null
-            ? "" : Utils.serializableToString64( sPersisted );
-        DBUtils.setStringFor( context, KEY_PERSIST, str64 );
+        DBUtils.setSerializableFor( context, KEY_PERSIST, sPersisted );
     }
 
     // DlgDelegate.DlgClickNotify interface
diff --git a/xwords4/android/app/src/main/java/org/eehouse/android/xw4/ConnStatusHandler.java b/xwords4/android/app/src/main/java/org/eehouse/android/xw4/ConnStatusHandler.java
index 3b90df8ce..d671b063b 100644
--- a/xwords4/android/app/src/main/java/org/eehouse/android/xw4/ConnStatusHandler.java
+++ b/xwords4/android/app/src/main/java/org/eehouse/android/xw4/ConnStatusHandler.java
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@ import java.util.Map;
 
 public class ConnStatusHandler {
     private static final String TAG = ConnStatusHandler.class.getSimpleName();
+    private static final String RECS_KEY = TAG + "/recs";
 
     public interface ConnStatusCBacks {
         public void invalidateParent();
@@ -355,14 +356,10 @@ public class ConnStatusHandler {
     {
         synchronized( ConnStatusHandler.class ) {
             if ( s_records == null ) {
-                String as64 = XWPrefs.getPrefsString( context,
-                                                      R.string.key_connstat_data );
-                if ( null != as64 && 0 < as64.length() ) {
-                    s_records = (HashMap<CommsConnType,SuccessRecord[]>)Utils.
-                        string64ToSerializable(as64);
-                }
+                s_records = (HashMap<CommsConnType, SuccessRecord[]>)
+                    DBUtils.getSerializableFor( context, RECS_KEY );
                 if ( null == s_records ) {
-                    s_records = new HashMap<CommsConnType,SuccessRecord[]>();
+                    s_records = new HashMap<>();
                 }
             }
         }
@@ -472,9 +469,7 @@ public class ConnStatusHandler {
     private static void doSave( Context context )
     {
         synchronized( ConnStatusHandler.class ) {
-            String as64 = Utils.serializableToString64( getRecords( context ) );
-            XWPrefs.setPrefsString( context, R.string.key_connstat_data,
-                                    as64 );
+            DBUtils.setSerializableFor( context, RECS_KEY, getRecords( context ) );
             s_needsSave = false;
         }
     }
diff --git a/xwords4/android/app/src/main/java/org/eehouse/android/xw4/DBUtils.java b/xwords4/android/app/src/main/java/org/eehouse/android/xw4/DBUtils.java
index e785dc230..504aa4e92 100644
--- a/xwords4/android/app/src/main/java/org/eehouse/android/xw4/DBUtils.java
+++ b/xwords4/android/app/src/main/java/org/eehouse/android/xw4/DBUtils.java
@@ -2517,6 +2517,23 @@ public class DBUtils {
         return bytes;
     }
 
+    public static Serializable getSerializableFor( Context context, String key )
+    {
+        Serializable value = null;
+        String str64 = getStringFor( context, key, "" );
+        if ( str64 != null ) {
+            value = (Serializable)Utils.string64ToSerializable( str64 );
+        }
+        return value;
+    }
+
+    public static void setSerializableFor( Context context, String key,
+                                           Serializable value )
+    {
+        String str64 = null == value ? "" : Utils.serializableToString64( value );
+        setStringFor( context, key, str64 );
+    }
+
     public static void appendLog( String tag, String msg )
     {
         appendLog( XWApp.getContext(), msg );
diff --git a/xwords4/android/app/src/main/java/org/eehouse/android/xw4/RelayInviteDelegate.java b/xwords4/android/app/src/main/java/org/eehouse/android/xw4/RelayInviteDelegate.java
index 89e9fd218..b6a4ecb29 100644
--- a/xwords4/android/app/src/main/java/org/eehouse/android/xw4/RelayInviteDelegate.java
+++ b/xwords4/android/app/src/main/java/org/eehouse/android/xw4/RelayInviteDelegate.java
@@ -471,20 +471,15 @@ public class RelayInviteDelegate extends InviteDelegate {
 
     private void getSavedState()
     {
-        String dataString = DBUtils.getStringFor( m_activity, RECS_KEY, null );
-        if ( null != dataString ) {
-            m_devIDRecs = (ArrayList<DevIDRec>)Utils.string64ToSerializable( dataString );
-        }
-
+        m_devIDRecs = (ArrayList<DevIDRec>)DBUtils.getSerializableFor( m_activity, RECS_KEY );
         if ( null == m_devIDRecs ) {
-            m_devIDRecs = new ArrayList<DevIDRec>();
+            m_devIDRecs = new ArrayList<>();
         }
     }
 
     private void saveAndRebuild()
     {
-        String as64 = Utils.serializableToString64( m_devIDRecs );
-        DBUtils.setStringFor( m_activity, RECS_KEY, as64 );
+        DBUtils.setSerializableFor( m_activity, RECS_KEY, m_devIDRecs );
         rebuildList( false );
     }
 
diff --git a/xwords4/android/app/src/main/java/org/eehouse/android/xw4/Utils.java b/xwords4/android/app/src/main/java/org/eehouse/android/xw4/Utils.java
index 1d8306fe0..74c76393c 100644
--- a/xwords4/android/app/src/main/java/org/eehouse/android/xw4/Utils.java
+++ b/xwords4/android/app/src/main/java/org/eehouse/android/xw4/Utils.java
@@ -618,7 +618,7 @@ public class Utils {
                 new ObjectInputStream( new ByteArrayInputStream(bytes) );
             result = ois.readObject();
         } catch ( Exception ex ) {
-            Log.d( TAG, ex.getMessage() );
+            Log.d( TAG, "%s", ex.getMessage() );
         }
         return result;
     }