diff --git a/xwords4/relay/Makefile b/xwords4/relay/Makefile
index 7991ed17c..b0241fea5 100644
--- a/xwords4/relay/Makefile
+++ b/xwords4/relay/Makefile
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ SRC = xwrelay.cpp \
 
 # STATIC ?= -static
 GITINFO = gitversion.txt
-HASH=$(shell ../scripts/gitversion.sh)
+HASH=$(shell git describe)
 
 OBJ = $(patsubst %.cpp,%.o,$(SRC))
 #LDFLAGS += -pthread -g -lmcheck $(STATIC)
diff --git a/xwords4/relay/ctrl.cpp b/xwords4/relay/ctrl.cpp
index dfd8eda4b..76cb50bd3 100644
--- a/xwords4/relay/ctrl.cpp
+++ b/xwords4/relay/ctrl.cpp
@@ -522,7 +522,7 @@ cmd_lock( int socket, const char** args )
 static bool
 cmd_help( int socket, const char** args )
 {
-    if ( 0 == strcmp( "help", args[1] ) ) {
+    if ( NULL != args[1] && 0 == strcmp( "help", args[1] ) ) {
         print_to_sock( socket, true, "* %s  -- prints this", args[0] );
     } else {