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 1825726d4..43179014f 100644
--- a/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/BoardActivity.java
+++ b/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/BoardActivity.java
@@ -2095,6 +2095,7 @@ public class BoardActivity extends XWActivity
                 m_jniThread.waitToStop( save );
                 m_jniThread = null;
             }
+            m_view.stopHandling();
 
             clearThis();
 
diff --git a/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/BoardCanvas.java b/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/BoardCanvas.java
index 0c06a4b41..03a7bfb6c 100644
--- a/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/BoardCanvas.java
+++ b/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/BoardCanvas.java
@@ -165,10 +165,12 @@ public class BoardCanvas extends Canvas implements DrawCtx {
 
     public void setJNIThread( JNIThread jniThread )
     {
-        if ( ! jniThread.equals( m_jniThread ) ) {
+        DbgUtils.assertOnUIThread();
+        if ( null == jniThread ) {
+        } else if ( ! jniThread.equals( m_jniThread ) ) {
             DbgUtils.logf( "BoardCanvas changing threads" );
-            m_jniThread = jniThread;
         }
+        m_jniThread = jniThread;
     }
 
     public int getCurPlayer()
@@ -538,9 +540,9 @@ public class BoardCanvas extends Canvas implements DrawCtx {
                 m_dictChars = null;
                 m_activity.runOnUiThread( new Runnable() {
                         public void run() {
-                            m_dictChars = XwJNI.dict_getChars( dictPtr );
-                            // draw again
                             if ( null != m_jniThread ) {
+                                m_dictChars = XwJNI.dict_getChars( dictPtr );
+                                // draw again
                                 m_jniThread.handle( JNIThread.JNICmd
                                                     .CMD_INVALALL );
                             }
diff --git a/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/BoardView.java b/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/BoardView.java
index 1d35b0ebb..e2d82c187 100644
--- a/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/BoardView.java
+++ b/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/BoardView.java
@@ -269,6 +269,15 @@ public class BoardView extends View implements BoardHandler, SyncedDraw {
         invalidate();
     }
 
+    public void stopHandling()
+    {
+        m_jniThread = null;
+        m_jniGamePtr = 0;
+        if ( null != m_canvas ) {
+            m_canvas.setJNIThread( null );
+        }
+    }
+
     // SyncedDraw interface implementation
     public void doJNIDraw()
     {