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 ebb0f9191..6b8ef5871 100644
--- a/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/BoardActivity.java
+++ b/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/BoardActivity.java
@@ -693,6 +693,8 @@ public class BoardActivity extends Activity implements UtilCtxt {
                                        case JNIThread.QUERY_ENDGAME:
                                            showDialog( QUERY_ENDGAME );
                                            break;
+                                       case JNIThread.TOOLBAR_STATES:
+                                           m_toolbar.update( msg.arg1, msg.arg2 );
                                        }
                                    }
                                } );
@@ -706,7 +708,7 @@ public class BoardActivity extends Activity implements UtilCtxt {
 
                 // setTitle( GameUtils.gameName( this, m_path ) );
                 m_toolbar = 
-                    new Toolbar( findViewById( R.id.toolbar_horizontal ),
+                    new Toolbar( this, findViewById( R.id.toolbar_horizontal ),
                                  findViewById( R.id.toolbar_vertical ) );
 
                 boolean isLandscape = 
diff --git a/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/Toolbar.java b/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/Toolbar.java
index 1e5beae57..346cdc473 100644
--- a/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/Toolbar.java
+++ b/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/Toolbar.java
@@ -21,18 +21,45 @@
 
 package org.eehouse.android.xw4;
 
+import android.app.Activity;
 import android.content.Context;
 import android.view.View;
 import android.widget.LinearLayout;
-import android.widget.Button;
-import android.view.LayoutInflater;
-import java.util.HashMap;
-import junit.framework.Assert;
+import android.widget.ImageButton;
+//import android.view.LayoutInflater;
+//import java.util.HashMap;
+//import junit.framework.Assert;
 
 import org.eehouse.android.xw4.jni.*;
 
 public class Toolbar {
 
+    private static class TBButtonInfo {
+        public TBButtonInfo( int horID, int vertID ) {
+            m_horID = horID;
+            m_vertID = vertID;
+        }
+        public int m_horID;
+        public int m_vertID;
+    }
+
+    public static final int BUTTON_HINT_PREV = 0;
+    public static final int BUTTON_HINT_NEXT = 1;
+    public static final int BUTTON_FLIP = 2;
+
+    private static TBButtonInfo[] s_buttonInfo = {
+        // BUTTON_HINT_PREV
+        new TBButtonInfo(R.id.prevhint_button_horizontal, 
+                         R.id.prevhint_button_vertical),
+        // BUTTON_HINT_NEXT
+        new TBButtonInfo(R.id.nexthint_button_horizontal, 
+                         R.id.nexthint_button_vertical),
+        // BUTTON_FLIP
+        new TBButtonInfo(R.id.flip_button_horizontal,
+                         R.id.flip_button_vertical),
+    };
+
+    private Activity m_activity;
     private LinearLayout m_horLayout;
     private LinearLayout m_vertLayout;
 
@@ -42,8 +69,9 @@ public class Toolbar {
             };
     private ORIENTATION m_curOrient = ORIENTATION.ORIENT_UNKNOWN;
 
-    public Toolbar( View horLayout, View vertLayout )
+    public Toolbar( Activity activity, View horLayout, View vertLayout )
     {
+        m_activity = activity;
         m_horLayout = (LinearLayout)horLayout;
         m_vertLayout = (LinearLayout)vertLayout;
     }
@@ -70,4 +98,18 @@ public class Toolbar {
             nextLayout.setVisibility( View.VISIBLE );
         }
     }
+
+    public void update( int index, int enable )
+    {
+        boolean show = enable!=0;
+        TBButtonInfo info = s_buttonInfo[index];
+        int vis = enable != 0 ? View.VISIBLE : View.GONE;
+
+        ImageButton button;
+        button = (ImageButton)m_activity.findViewById( info.m_horID );
+        button.setVisibility( vis );
+        button = (ImageButton)m_activity.findViewById( info.m_vertID );
+        button.setVisibility( vis );
+    }
+
 }
diff --git a/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/jni/JNIThread.java b/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/jni/JNIThread.java
index f3beea02e..224f5bafc 100644
--- a/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/jni/JNIThread.java
+++ b/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/jni/JNIThread.java
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ import org.eehouse.android.xw4.R;
 import org.eehouse.android.xw4.BoardDims;
 import org.eehouse.android.xw4.GameUtils;
 import org.eehouse.android.xw4.DBUtils;
+import org.eehouse.android.xw4.Toolbar;
 import org.eehouse.android.xw4.jni.CurGameInfo.DeviceRole;
 
 public class JNIThread extends Thread {
@@ -79,6 +80,7 @@ public class JNIThread extends Thread {
     public static final int DRAW = 2;
     public static final int DIALOG = 3;
     public static final int QUERY_ENDGAME = 4;
+    public static final int TOOLBAR_STATES = 5;
 
     private boolean m_stopped = false;
     private int m_jniGamePtr;
@@ -245,6 +247,13 @@ public class JNIThread extends Thread {
             }
         }
         return draw;
+    } // processKeyEvent
+
+    private void checkButtons()
+    {
+        int canFlip = XwJNI.board_canFlip( m_jniGamePtr ) ? 1 : 0;
+        Message.obtain( m_handler, TOOLBAR_STATES, Toolbar.BUTTON_FLIP,
+                        canFlip ).sendToTarget();
     }
 
     public void run() 
@@ -481,6 +490,8 @@ public class JNIThread extends Thread {
                 // main UI thread has to invalidate view as it created
                 // it.
                 Message.obtain( m_handler, DRAW ).sendToTarget();
+
+                checkButtons();
             }
         }
         Utils.logf( "run exiting" );
@@ -492,4 +503,5 @@ public class JNIThread extends Thread {
         // Utils.logf( "adding: " + cmd.toString() );
         m_queue.add( elem );
     }
+
 }