diff --git a/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/BoardActivity.java b/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/BoardActivity.java
index 572895e40..9069f7d03 100644
--- a/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/BoardActivity.java
+++ b/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/BoardActivity.java
@@ -940,9 +940,11 @@ public class BoardActivity extends XWActivity
                      && !NFCUtils.nfcAvail( this )[1] ) {
                     showDialog( ENABLE_NFC );
                 } else {
-                    GameUtils.launchInviteActivity( this, which,
-                                                    m_room, null, m_gi.dictLang, 
-                                                    m_gi.dictName, m_gi.nPlayers );
+                    String inviteID = GameUtils.formatGameID( m_gi.gameID );
+                    GameUtils.launchInviteActivity( this, which, m_room, 
+                                                    inviteID, m_gi.dictLang, 
+                                                    m_gi.dictName, 
+                                                    m_gi.nPlayers );
                 }
             }
         } else if ( AlertDialog.BUTTON_POSITIVE == which ) {
diff --git a/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/GameUtils.java b/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/GameUtils.java
index ea157dfd6..b542ca4b9 100644
--- a/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/GameUtils.java
+++ b/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/GameUtils.java
@@ -522,9 +522,8 @@ public class GameUtils {
                                              int lang, String dict, 
                                              int nPlayers )
     {
-        if ( null == inviteID ) {
-            inviteID = makeRandomID();
-        }
+        Assert.assertNotNull( inviteID );
+
         String msgString;
         if ( DlgDelegate.NFC_BTN == chosen ) {
             msgString = NetLaunchInfo.makeLaunchJSON( activity, room, inviteID,
@@ -870,10 +869,17 @@ public class GameUtils {
         activity.startActivity( intent );
     }
 
+    public static String formatGameID( int gameID )
+    {
+        Assert.assertTrue( 0 != gameID );
+        // substring: Keep it short so fits in SMS better
+        return String.format( "%X", gameID ).substring( 0, 4 );
+    }
+
     public static String makeRandomID()
     {
         int rint = newGameID();
-        return String.format( "%X", rint ).substring( 0, 4 );
+        return formatGameID( rint );
     }
 
     public static int newGameID()