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 c35dbd50e..45c07cf95 100644
--- a/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/BoardView.java
+++ b/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/BoardView.java
@@ -132,15 +132,11 @@ public class BoardView extends View implements DrawCtx, BoardHandler,
         
         switch ( action ) {
         case MotionEvent.ACTION_DOWN:
-            if ( m_useZoomControl && m_canZoom ) {
-                m_zoomButtons.setVisible( true );
-            }
+            enableZoomControlsIf();
             m_jniThread.handle( JNIThread.JNICmd.CMD_PEN_DOWN, xx, yy );
             break;
         case MotionEvent.ACTION_MOVE:
-            if ( m_useZoomControl && m_canZoom ) {
-                m_zoomButtons.setVisible( true );
-            }
+            enableZoomControlsIf();
             m_jniThread.handle( JNIThread.JNICmd.CMD_PEN_MOVE, xx, yy );
             break;
         case MotionEvent.ACTION_UP:
@@ -307,6 +303,15 @@ public class BoardView extends View implements DrawCtx, BoardHandler,
         return layoutDone;
     } // layoutBoardOnce
 
+    private void enableZoomControlsIf()
+    {
+        if ( m_useZoomControl && m_canZoom ) {
+            if ( m_layoutWidth <= m_layoutHeight ) {
+                m_zoomButtons.setVisible( true );
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
     // BoardHandler interface implementation
     public void startHandling( JNIThread thread, int gamePtr, CurGameInfo gi ) 
     {