diff --git a/xwords4/relay/dbmgr.cpp b/xwords4/relay/dbmgr.cpp
index 84528a1c0..6d015378c 100644
--- a/xwords4/relay/dbmgr.cpp
+++ b/xwords4/relay/dbmgr.cpp
@@ -814,14 +814,14 @@ DBMgr::StoreMessage( const char* const connName, int hid,
 }
 
 void
-decodeMessage( PGresult* result, bool useB64, int b64indx, int byteaIndex, 
-               unsigned char* buf, size_t* buflen )
+DBMgr::decodeMessage( PGresult* result, bool useB64, int b64indx, int byteaIndex, 
+                      unsigned char* buf, size_t* buflen )
 {
     const char* from = NULL;
     if ( useB64 ) {
         from = PQgetvalue( result, 0, b64indx );
     }
-    if ( NULL == from ) {
+    if ( NULL == from || '\0' == from[0] ) {
         useB64 = false;
         from = PQgetvalue( result, 0, byteaIndex );
     }
diff --git a/xwords4/relay/dbmgr.h b/xwords4/relay/dbmgr.h
index 6218e1aa2..ec716422b 100644
--- a/xwords4/relay/dbmgr.h
+++ b/xwords4/relay/dbmgr.h
@@ -123,6 +123,8 @@ class DBMgr {
     DevIDRelay getDevID( const DevID* devID );
     int getCountWhere( const char* table, string& test );
     void RemoveStoredMessages( string& msgIDs );
+    void decodeMessage( PGresult* result, bool useB64, int b64indx, 
+                        int byteaIndex, unsigned char* buf, size_t* buflen );
 
     PGconn* getThreadConn( void );