diff --git a/xwords4/relay/cref.cpp b/xwords4/relay/cref.cpp
index a71c9775a..fecc451a0 100644
--- a/xwords4/relay/cref.cpp
+++ b/xwords4/relay/cref.cpp
@@ -826,9 +826,10 @@ void
 CookieRef::setAllConnectedTimer()
 {
     time_t inHowLong;
-    RelayConfigs::GetConfigs()->GetValueFor( "ALLCONN", &inHowLong );
-    TimerMgr::GetTimerMgr()->SetTimer( inHowLong,
-                                       s_checkAllConnected, this, 0 );
+    if ( RelayConfigs::GetConfigs()->GetValueFor( "ALLCONN", &inHowLong ) ) {
+        TimerMgr::GetTimerMgr()->SetTimer( inHowLong,
+                                           s_checkAllConnected, this, 0 );
+    }
 }
 
 void
diff --git a/xwords4/relay/xwrelay.conf b/xwords4/relay/xwrelay.conf
index 12560dbe0..7281af01a 100644
--- a/xwords4/relay/xwrelay.conf
+++ b/xwords4/relay/xwrelay.conf
@@ -9,7 +9,8 @@ HEARTBEAT=60
 # How long after the first connection on a cookie until we need to
 # have heard from all players in the game?  After this long passes we
 # kill the connection after notifying all that have connected.
-ALLCONN=300
+# Default -- if not set -- is an infinite timeout.
+# ALLCONN=300
 
 # How many worker threads in the thread pool?  Default is five.
 NTHREADS=3