diff --git a/xwords4/android/app/src/main/AndroidManifest.xml b/xwords4/android/app/src/main/AndroidManifest.xml
index c7db41c76..c198ca706 100644
--- a/xwords4/android/app/src/main/AndroidManifest.xml
+++ b/xwords4/android/app/src/main/AndroidManifest.xml
@@ -117,6 +117,7 @@
     </receiver>
     <receiver android:name="RelayReceiver"/>
     <receiver android:name="NagTurnReceiver"/>
+    <receiver android:name="SMSResendReceiver"/>
 
     <receiver android:name="UpdateCheckReceiver">
       <intent-filter>
@@ -209,7 +210,6 @@
         <data android:port="@string/nbs_port" /> 
         <data android:host="*" /> 
       </intent-filter> 
-
     </receiver>
 
     <receiver android:name="com.google.android.gcm.GCMBroadcastReceiver" 
diff --git a/xwords4/android/app/src/main/java/org/eehouse/android/xw4/OnBootReceiver.java b/xwords4/android/app/src/main/java/org/eehouse/android/xw4/OnBootReceiver.java
index 0072c778d..3a1088efe 100644
--- a/xwords4/android/app/src/main/java/org/eehouse/android/xw4/OnBootReceiver.java
+++ b/xwords4/android/app/src/main/java/org/eehouse/android/xw4/OnBootReceiver.java
@@ -41,5 +41,6 @@ public class OnBootReceiver extends BroadcastReceiver {
     {
         NagTurnReceiver.restartTimer( context );
         RelayReceiver.setTimer( context );
+        SMSResendReceiver.setTimer( context );
     }
 }
diff --git a/xwords4/android/app/src/main/java/org/eehouse/android/xw4/SMSResendReceiver.java b/xwords4/android/app/src/main/java/org/eehouse/android/xw4/SMSResendReceiver.java
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..752131d80
--- /dev/null
+++ b/xwords4/android/app/src/main/java/org/eehouse/android/xw4/SMSResendReceiver.java
@@ -0,0 +1,85 @@
+/* -*- compile-command: "find-and-gradle.sh insXw4Deb"; -*- */
+/*
+ * Copyright 2012 by Eric House (xwords@eehouse.org).  All rights
+ * reserved.
+ *
+ * This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
+ * modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as
+ * published by the Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of the
+ * License, or (at your option) any later version.
+ *
+ * This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but
+ * WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the GNU
+ * General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+ * along with this program; if not, write to the Free Software
+ * Foundation, Inc., 59 Temple Place - Suite 330, Boston, MA  02111-1307, USA.
+ */
+
+package org.eehouse.android.xw4;
+
+import android.app.AlarmManager;
+import android.app.PendingIntent;
+import android.content.BroadcastReceiver;
+import android.content.Context;
+import android.content.Intent;
+import android.os.SystemClock;
+
+import org.eehouse.android.xw4.jni.CommsAddrRec.CommsConnType;
+
+/*
+ * SMS messages get dropped. We resend pending relay messages when we gain
+ * network connectivity. There's no similar event for gaining the ability to
+ * send SMS, so this class handles doing it on a timer. With backoff.
+ */
+
+public class SMSResendReceiver extends BroadcastReceiver {
+    private static final String TAG = SMSResendReceiver.class.getSimpleName();
+
+    private static final String BACKOFF_KEY = TAG + "/backoff";
+    private static final int MIN_BACKOFF_SECONDS
+        = BuildConfig.DEBUG ? 10 : 60 * 5;
+    private static final int MAX_BACKOFF_SECONDS
+        = BuildConfig.DEBUG ? 60 * 5 : 60 * 60 * 12;
+
+    @Override
+    public void onReceive( Context context, Intent intent )
+    {
+        GameUtils.resendAllIf( context, CommsConnType.COMMS_CONN_SMS, true );
+        setTimer( context, true );
+    }
+
+    static void resetTimer( Context context )
+    {
+        DBUtils.setIntFor( context, BACKOFF_KEY, MIN_BACKOFF_SECONDS );
+        setTimer( context );
+    }
+
+    static void setTimer( Context context )
+    {
+        setTimer( context, false );
+    }
+    
+    private static void setTimer( Context context, boolean advance )
+    {
+        AlarmManager am =
+            (AlarmManager)context.getSystemService( Context.ALARM_SERVICE );
+
+        Intent intent = new Intent( context, SMSResendReceiver.class );
+        PendingIntent pi = PendingIntent.getBroadcast( context, 0, intent, 0 );
+        am.cancel( pi );
+
+        int backoff = DBUtils.getIntFor( context, BACKOFF_KEY, MIN_BACKOFF_SECONDS );
+        if ( advance ) {
+            backoff = Math.min( MAX_BACKOFF_SECONDS, backoff * 2 );
+            DBUtils.setIntFor( context, BACKOFF_KEY, backoff );
+        }
+
+        long millis = 1000L * backoff;
+        Log.d( TAG, "set for %d seconds from now", millis / 1000 );
+        millis += SystemClock.elapsedRealtime();
+        am.set( AlarmManager.ELAPSED_REALTIME,  millis, pi );
+    }
+}
diff --git a/xwords4/android/app/src/main/java/org/eehouse/android/xw4/SMSService.java b/xwords4/android/app/src/main/java/org/eehouse/android/xw4/SMSService.java
index 1d3d79607..8fe7f5add 100644
--- a/xwords4/android/app/src/main/java/org/eehouse/android/xw4/SMSService.java
+++ b/xwords4/android/app/src/main/java/org/eehouse/android/xw4/SMSService.java
@@ -538,6 +538,8 @@ public class SMSService extends XWService {
                 Log.w( TAG, "unexpected cmd %s", cmd.toString() );
                 break;
             }
+
+            SMSResendReceiver.resetTimer( this );
         } catch ( java.io.IOException ioe ) {
             Log.ex( TAG, ioe );
         }