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 0c4fe200b..eeb509387 100644
--- a/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/BoardCanvas.java
+++ b/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/BoardCanvas.java
@@ -163,6 +163,14 @@ public class BoardCanvas extends Canvas implements DrawCtx {
         fillRect( m_boundsScratch, WHITE );
     }
 
+    public void setJNIThread( JNIThread jniThread )
+    {
+        if ( ! jniThread.equals( m_jniThread ) ) {
+            DbgUtils.logf( "BoardCanvas changing threads" );
+            m_jniThread = jniThread;
+        }
+    }
+
     public int getCurPlayer()
     {
         return m_trayOwner;
@@ -528,7 +536,8 @@ public class BoardCanvas extends Canvas implements DrawCtx {
                             m_dictChars = XwJNI.dict_getChars( dictPtr );
                             // draw again
                             if ( null != m_jniThread ) {
-                                m_jniThread.handle( JNIThread.JNICmd.CMD_DRAW );
+                                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 0dd191de4..6c570e67f 100644
--- a/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/BoardView.java
+++ b/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/BoardView.java
@@ -251,7 +251,10 @@ public class BoardView extends View implements BoardHandler, SyncedDraw {
             if ( null == m_canvas ) {
                 DbgUtils.logf( "layoutBoardOnce: allocating canvas for %d, %d",
                                bmWidth, bmHeight );
-                m_canvas = new BoardCanvas( m_parent, s_bitmap, m_jniThread, m_dims );
+                m_canvas = new BoardCanvas( m_parent, s_bitmap, m_jniThread, 
+                                            m_dims );
+            } else {
+                m_canvas.setJNIThread( m_jniThread );
             }
             m_jniThread.handle( JNIThread.JNICmd.CMD_SETDRAW, m_canvas );
             m_jniThread.handle( JNIThread.JNICmd.CMD_DRAW );
@@ -270,7 +273,6 @@ public class BoardView extends View implements BoardHandler, SyncedDraw {
                                int gamePtr, CurGameInfo gi, 
                                CommsAddrRec.CommsConnType connType ) 
     {
-        DbgUtils.logf( "startHandling()" );
         m_parent = parent;
         m_jniThread = thread;
         m_jniGamePtr = gamePtr;
@@ -279,6 +281,11 @@ public class BoardView extends View implements BoardHandler, SyncedDraw {
         m_layoutWidth = 0;
         m_layoutHeight = 0;
 
+        // Set the jni layout if we already have one
+        if ( null != m_dims ) {
+            m_jniThread.handle( JNIThread.JNICmd.CMD_LAYOUT, m_dims );
+        }
+
         // Make sure we draw.  Sometimes when we're reloading after
         // an obsuring Activity goes away we otherwise won't.
         invalidate();
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 26613d0c0..0ecf35c09 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
@@ -361,8 +361,15 @@ public class JNIThread extends Thread {
                 break;
 
             case CMD_LAYOUT:
-                doLayout( (Integer)args[0], (Integer)args[1], (Integer)args[2],
-                          (Integer)args[3] );
+                Object args0 = args[0];
+                BoardDims dims = null;
+                if ( args0 instanceof BoardDims ) {
+                    dims = (BoardDims)args0;
+                    XwJNI.board_applyLayout( m_jniGamePtr, dims );
+                } else {
+                    doLayout( (Integer)args0, (Integer)args[1], 
+                              (Integer)args[2], (Integer)args[3] );
+                }
                 draw = true;
                 // check and disable zoom button at limit
                 handle( JNICmd.CMD_ZOOM, 0 );
@@ -644,6 +651,11 @@ public class JNIThread extends Thread {
     {
         QueueElem elem = new QueueElem( cmd, true, args );
         m_queue.add( elem );
+        if ( m_stopped ) {
+            DbgUtils.logf( "WARNING: adding %s to stopped thread!!!", 
+                           cmd.toString() );
+            DbgUtils.printStack();
+        }
     }
 
     // public void run( boolean isUI, Runnable runnable )