diff --git a/xwords4/android/app/src/main/java/org/eehouse/android/xw4/RelayService.java b/xwords4/android/app/src/main/java/org/eehouse/android/xw4/RelayService.java
index ca83a12e2..8f4a1870e 100644
--- a/xwords4/android/app/src/main/java/org/eehouse/android/xw4/RelayService.java
+++ b/xwords4/android/app/src/main/java/org/eehouse/android/xw4/RelayService.java
@@ -801,11 +801,11 @@ public class RelayService extends XWService
 
     private void requestMessagesImpl( XWRelayReg reg )
     {
-        ByteArrayOutputStream bas = new ByteArrayOutputStream();
         try {
             DevIDType[] typp = new DevIDType[1];
             String devid = getDevID( typp );
             if ( null != devid ) {
+                ByteArrayOutputStream bas = new ByteArrayOutputStream();
                 DataOutputStream out = new DataOutputStream( bas );
                 writeVLIString( out, devid );
                 // Log.d( TAG, "requestMessagesImpl(): devid: %s; type: " + typp[0], devid );
@@ -1606,7 +1606,8 @@ public class RelayService extends XWService
     private boolean shouldMaintainConnection()
     {
         boolean result = relayEnabled( this )
-            && (XWApp.GCM_IGNORED || !s_gcmWorking);
+            && (!s_gcmWorking || XWPrefs.getIgnoreGCM( this ));
+
         if ( result ) {
             long interval = Utils.getCurSeconds() - m_lastGamePacketReceived;
             result = interval < MAX_KEEPALIVE_SECS;
diff --git a/xwords4/android/app/src/main/java/org/eehouse/android/xw4/XWApp.java b/xwords4/android/app/src/main/java/org/eehouse/android/xw4/XWApp.java
index dbf740b99..b76ed4bfb 100644
--- a/xwords4/android/app/src/main/java/org/eehouse/android/xw4/XWApp.java
+++ b/xwords4/android/app/src/main/java/org/eehouse/android/xw4/XWApp.java
@@ -39,7 +39,6 @@ public class XWApp extends Application {
     public static final boolean ATTACH_SUPPORTED = false;
     public static final boolean LOG_LIFECYLE = false;
     public static final boolean DEBUG_EXP_TIMERS = false;
-    public static final boolean GCM_IGNORED = false;
     public static final boolean UDP_ENABLED = true;
     public static final boolean SMS_INVITE_ENABLED = true;
     public static final boolean LOCUTILS_ENABLED = false;
diff --git a/xwords4/android/app/src/main/java/org/eehouse/android/xw4/XWPrefs.java b/xwords4/android/app/src/main/java/org/eehouse/android/xw4/XWPrefs.java
index 6747f05a2..ccf1779b7 100644
--- a/xwords4/android/app/src/main/java/org/eehouse/android/xw4/XWPrefs.java
+++ b/xwords4/android/app/src/main/java/org/eehouse/android/xw4/XWPrefs.java
@@ -67,6 +67,16 @@ public class XWPrefs {
         return getPrefsBoolean( context, R.string.key_enable_nfc_toself, false );
     }
 
+    public static boolean getIgnoreGCM( Context context )
+    {
+        return getPrefsBoolean( context, R.string.key_ignore_gcm, false );
+    }
+
+    public static boolean getToastGCM( Context context )
+    {
+        return getPrefsBoolean( context, R.string.key_show_gcm, false );
+    }
+
     public static boolean getRelayInviteToSelfEnabled( Context context )
     {
         return getPrefsBoolean( context, R.string.key_enable_relay_toself, false );
diff --git a/xwords4/android/app/src/main/res/values/common_rsrc.xml b/xwords4/android/app/src/main/res/values/common_rsrc.xml
index 50ab6a10b..ba3ebce7d 100644
--- a/xwords4/android/app/src/main/res/values/common_rsrc.xml
+++ b/xwords4/android/app/src/main/res/values/common_rsrc.xml
@@ -126,6 +126,8 @@
   <string name="key_enable_nfc_toself">key_enable_nfc_toself</string>
   <string name="key_enable_sms_toself">key_enable_sms_toself</string>
   <string name="key_enable_relay_toself">key_enable_relay_toself</string>
+  <string name="key_ignore_gcm">key_ignore_gcm</string>
+  <string name="key_show_gcm">key_show_gcm</string>
   <string name="key_nag_intervals">key_nag_intervals</string>
   <string name="key_download_path">key_download_path</string>
   <string name="key_got_langdict">key_got_langdict</string>
diff --git a/xwords4/android/app/src/main/res/values/strings.xml b/xwords4/android/app/src/main/res/values/strings.xml
index 57aa7015b..e7f43e917 100644
--- a/xwords4/android/app/src/main/res/values/strings.xml
+++ b/xwords4/android/app/src/main/res/values/strings.xml
@@ -2601,6 +2601,12 @@
   <string name="enable_relay_toself_title">Enable relay invites to self</string>
   <string name="enable_relay_toself_summary">(To aid testing and debugging)</string>
 
+  <string name="ignore_gcm_title">Ignore incoming GCM messages</string>
+  <string name="ignore_gcm_summary">Mimic life without a google account</string>
+
+  <string name="show_sms_title">Show SMS sends, receives</string>
+  <string name="show_gcm_title">Show GCM receives</string>
+
   <!-- Shown after "resend messages" menuitem chosen -->
   <plurals name="resent_msgs_fmt">
     <item quantity="one">One move sent</item>
diff --git a/xwords4/android/app/src/main/res/xml/xwprefs.xml b/xwords4/android/app/src/main/res/xml/xwprefs.xml
index 43dc96048..12fc30c9f 100644
--- a/xwords4/android/app/src/main/res/xml/xwprefs.xml
+++ b/xwords4/android/app/src/main/res/xml/xwprefs.xml
@@ -407,7 +407,7 @@
           />
 
       <CheckBoxPreference android:key="@string/key_show_sms"
-                          android:title="Show SMS sends, receives"
+                          android:title="@string/show_sms_title"
                           android:defaultValue="false"
                           />
     </PreferenceScreen>
@@ -420,6 +420,15 @@
                           android:summary="@string/enable_relay_toself_summary"
                           android:defaultValue="false"
                           />
+      <CheckBoxPreference android:key="@string/key_ignore_gcm"
+                          android:title="@string/ignore_gcm_title"
+                          android:summary="@string/ignore_gcm_summary"
+                          android:defaultValue="false"
+                          />
+      <CheckBoxPreference android:key="@string/key_show_gcm"
+                          android:title="@string/show_gcm_title"
+                          android:defaultValue="false"
+                          />
       <org.eehouse.android.xw4.XWEditTextPreference 
           android:key="@string/key_relay_host"
           android:title="@string/relay_host"
diff --git a/xwords4/android/app/src/xw4/java/org/eehouse/android/xw4/GCMIntentService.java b/xwords4/android/app/src/xw4/java/org/eehouse/android/xw4/GCMIntentService.java
index 7175e56d9..5069dea57 100644
--- a/xwords4/android/app/src/xw4/java/org/eehouse/android/xw4/GCMIntentService.java
+++ b/xwords4/android/app/src/xw4/java/org/eehouse/android/xw4/GCMIntentService.java
@@ -34,6 +34,8 @@ import junit.framework.Assert;
 public class GCMIntentService extends GCMBaseIntentService {
     private static final String TAG = GCMIntentService.class.getSimpleName();
 
+    private Boolean m_toastGCM;
+
     public GCMIntentService()
     {
         super( BuildConfig.GCM_SENDER_ID );
@@ -67,14 +69,19 @@ public class GCMIntentService extends GCMBaseIntentService {
     protected void onMessage( Context context, Intent intent )
     {
         Log.d( TAG, "onMessage()" );
-        notifyRelayService( context, true );
 
-        String value;
-        boolean ignoreIt = XWApp.GCM_IGNORED;
-        if ( ignoreIt ) {
-            Log.d( TAG, "received GCM but ignoring it" );
+        if ( null == m_toastGCM ) {
+            m_toastGCM = new Boolean( XWPrefs.getToastGCM( context ) );
+        }
+
+        if ( XWPrefs.getIgnoreGCM( context ) ) {
+            String logMsg = "received GCM but ignoring it";
+            Log.d( TAG, logMsg );
+            DbgUtils.showf( context, logMsg );
         } else {
-            value = intent.getStringExtra( "checkUpdates" );
+            notifyRelayService( context, true );
+
+            String value = intent.getStringExtra( "checkUpdates" );
             if ( null != value && Boolean.parseBoolean( value ) ) {
                 UpdateCheckReceiver.checkVersions( context, true );
             }
@@ -82,6 +89,9 @@ public class GCMIntentService extends GCMBaseIntentService {
             value = intent.getStringExtra( "getMoves" );
             if ( null != value && Boolean.parseBoolean( value ) ) {
                 RelayService.timerFired( context );
+                if ( m_toastGCM ) {
+                    DbgUtils.showf( context, "onMessage(): got 'getMoves'" );
+                }
             }
 
             value = intent.getStringExtra( "msgs64" );
@@ -90,6 +100,11 @@ public class GCMIntentService extends GCMBaseIntentService {
                 try {
                     JSONArray msgs64 = new JSONArray( value );
                     String[] strs64 = new String[msgs64.length()];
+                    if ( m_toastGCM ) {
+                        DbgUtils.showf( context, "onMessage(): got %d msgs",
+                                        strs64.length );
+                    }
+
                     for ( int ii = 0; ii < strs64.length; ++ii ) {
                         strs64[ii] = msgs64.optString(ii);
                     }
@@ -100,6 +115,7 @@ public class GCMIntentService extends GCMBaseIntentService {
                     }
                 } catch (org.json.JSONException jse ) {
                     Log.ex( TAG, jse );
+                    Assert.assertFalse( BuildConfig.DEBUG );
                 }
             }
 
@@ -145,10 +161,8 @@ public class GCMIntentService extends GCMBaseIntentService {
 
     private void notifyRelayService( Context context, boolean working )
     {
-        if ( working && XWApp.GCM_IGNORED ) {
-            working = false;
+        if ( !XWPrefs.getIgnoreGCM( context ) ) {
+            RelayService.gcmConfirmed( context, working );
         }
-        RelayService.gcmConfirmed( context, working );
     }
-
 }