diff --git a/xwords4/common/comms.c b/xwords4/common/comms.c
index 4d64f03e4..af93a6d62 100644
--- a/xwords4/common/comms.c
+++ b/xwords4/common/comms.c
@@ -1267,43 +1267,43 @@ relayPreProcess( CommsCtxt* comms, XWStreamCtxt* stream, XWHostID* senderID )
                    || comms->r.myHostID == srcID );
 
         if ( 0 == comms->r.cookieID ) {
-            XP_LOGF( "%s: cookieID still 0; most likely packet was lost", 
+            XP_LOGF( "%s: cookieID still 0; background send?", 
                      __func__ );
-            comms_transportFailed( comms );
-        } else {
-            comms->r.myHostID = srcID;
+        }
+        comms->r.myHostID = srcID;
 
-            XP_LOGF( "%s: set hostid: %x", __func__, comms->r.myHostID );
+        XP_LOGF( "%s: set hostid: %x", __func__, comms->r.myHostID );
 
 #ifdef DEBUG
-            {
-                XP_UCHAR connName[MAX_CONNNAME_LEN+1];
-                stringFromStreamHere( stream, connName, sizeof(connName) );
-                XP_ASSERT( comms->r.connName[0] == '\0' 
-                           || 0 == XP_STRCMP( comms->r.connName, connName ) );
-                XP_MEMCPY( comms->r.connName, connName, sizeof(comms->r.connName) );
-                XP_LOGF( "%s: connName: \"%s\"", __func__, connName );
-            }
+        {
+            XP_UCHAR connName[MAX_CONNNAME_LEN+1];
+            stringFromStreamHere( stream, connName, sizeof(connName) );
+            XP_ASSERT( comms->r.connName[0] == '\0' 
+                       || 0 == XP_STRCMP( comms->r.connName, connName ) );
+            XP_MEMCPY( comms->r.connName, connName, 
+                       sizeof(comms->r.connName) );
+            XP_LOGF( "%s: connName: \"%s\"", __func__, connName );
+        }
 #else
-            stringFromStreamHere( stream, comms->r.connName, 
-                                  sizeof(comms->r.connName) );
+        stringFromStreamHere( stream, comms->r.connName, 
+                              sizeof(comms->r.connName) );
 #endif
 
-            /* We're [re-]connected now.  Send any pending messages.  This may
-               need to be done later since we're inside the platform's socket read
-               proc now.  But don't resend if we were previously REconnected, as
-               we'll have sent then.  -- I don't see any send on RECONNECTED, so
-               removing the test for now to fix recon problems on android. */
-            /* if ( COMMS_RELAYSTATE_RECONNECTED != comms->r.relayState ) { */
-            comms_resendAll( comms );
-            /* } */
-            if ( XWRELAY_ALLHERE == cmd ) { /* initial connect? */
-                (*comms->procs.rconnd)( comms->procs.closure, 
-                                        comms->addr.u.ip_relay.invite, XP_FALSE,
-                                        comms->r.myHostID, XP_TRUE, 0 );
-            }
-            set_relay_state( comms, COMMS_RELAYSTATE_ALLCONNECTED );
+        /* We're [re-]connected now.  Send any pending messages.  This may
+           need to be done later since we're inside the platform's socket
+           read proc now.  But don't resend if we were previously
+           REconnected, as we'll have sent then.  -- I don't see any send
+           on RECONNECTED, so removing the test for now to fix recon
+           problems on android. */
+        /* if ( COMMS_RELAYSTATE_RECONNECTED != comms->r.relayState ) { */
+        comms_resendAll( comms );
+        /* } */
+        if ( XWRELAY_ALLHERE == cmd ) { /* initial connect? */
+            (*comms->procs.rconnd)( comms->procs.closure, 
+                                    comms->addr.u.ip_relay.invite, XP_FALSE,
+                                    comms->r.myHostID, XP_TRUE, 0 );
         }
+        set_relay_state( comms, COMMS_RELAYSTATE_ALLCONNECTED );
         break;
     case XWRELAY_MSG_FROMRELAY:
         cookieID = stream_getU16( stream );
diff --git a/xwords4/linux/linuxutl.c b/xwords4/linux/linuxutl.c
index 7a21e9af0..9271d8b13 100644
--- a/xwords4/linux/linuxutl.c
+++ b/xwords4/linux/linuxutl.c
@@ -483,32 +483,35 @@ formatConfirmTrade( const XP_UCHAR** tiles, XP_U16 nTiles,
 
 typedef struct _MsgRec {
     XP_U8* msg;
-    XP_U16 len;
-    gchar* relayID;
+    XP_U16 msglen;
 } MsgRec;
 
 void
 initNoConnStorage( CommonGlobals* cGlobals )
 {
     XP_ASSERT( NULL == cGlobals->noConnMsgs );
-    cGlobals->noConnMsgs = (GSList*)-1;  /* -1 is flag meaning "use me" */
+    cGlobals->noConnMsgs = g_hash_table_new( g_str_hash, g_str_equal );
 }
 
 XP_Bool
-storeNoConnMsg( CommonGlobals* cGlobals, const XP_U8* msg, XP_U16 len, 
+storeNoConnMsg( CommonGlobals* cGlobals, const XP_U8* msg, XP_U16 msglen, 
                 const XP_UCHAR* relayID )
 {
-    XP_Bool inUse =  NULL != cGlobals->noConnMsgs;
+    XP_ASSERT( 0 < msglen );
+    XP_Bool inUse = NULL != cGlobals->noConnMsgs;
     if ( inUse ) {
-        if ( (GSList*)-1 == cGlobals->noConnMsgs ) {
-            cGlobals->noConnMsgs = NULL;
-        }
+        GSList* list = g_hash_table_lookup( cGlobals->noConnMsgs, relayID );
+        gboolean missing = NULL == list;
+
         MsgRec* msgrec = g_malloc( sizeof(*msgrec) );
-        msgrec->msg = g_malloc( len );
-        XP_MEMCPY( msgrec->msg, msg, len );
-        msgrec->len = len;
-        msgrec->relayID = g_strdup( relayID );
-        cGlobals->noConnMsgs = g_slist_append( cGlobals->noConnMsgs, msgrec );
+        msgrec->msg = g_malloc( msglen );
+        XP_MEMCPY( msgrec->msg, msg, msglen );
+        msgrec->msglen = msglen;
+        list = g_slist_append( list, msgrec );
+        if ( missing ) {
+            gchar* key = g_strdup( relayID ); /* will leak */
+            g_hash_table_insert( cGlobals->noConnMsgs, key, list );
+        }
     }
     return inUse;
 }
@@ -516,12 +519,14 @@ storeNoConnMsg( CommonGlobals* cGlobals, const XP_U8* msg, XP_U16 len,
 void
 writeNoConnMsgs( CommonGlobals* cGlobals, int fd )
 {
-    guint nMsgs = (GSList*)-1 == cGlobals->noConnMsgs ? 
-        0 : g_slist_length( cGlobals->noConnMsgs );
-    if ( 0 < nMsgs ) {
-        gchar relayID[128] = {0};
-
-        strcpy( relayID, ((MsgRec*)(cGlobals->noConnMsgs->data))->relayID );
+    GHashTable* hash = cGlobals->noConnMsgs;
+    GList* keys = g_hash_table_get_keys( hash );
+    GList* iter;
+    for ( iter = keys; !!iter; iter = iter->next ) {
+        XP_UCHAR* relayID = (XP_UCHAR*)iter->data;
+        GSList* list = (GSList*)g_hash_table_lookup( hash, relayID );
+        guint nMsgs = g_slist_length( list );
+        XP_ASSERT( 0 < nMsgs );
 
         XWStreamCtxt* stream = 
             mem_stream_make( MPPARM(cGlobals->params->util->mpool)
@@ -534,17 +539,14 @@ writeNoConnMsgs( CommonGlobals* cGlobals, int fd )
 
         int ii;
         for ( ii = 0; ii < nMsgs; ++ii ) {
-            MsgRec* rec = g_slist_nth_data( cGlobals->noConnMsgs, ii );
-            stream_putU16( stream, rec->len );
-            stream_putBytes( stream, rec->msg, rec->len );
+            MsgRec* rec = g_slist_nth_data( list, ii );
+            stream_putU16( stream, rec->msglen );
+            stream_putBytes( stream, rec->msg, rec->msglen );
 
             g_free( rec->msg );
-            XP_ASSERT( 0 == strcmp( relayID, rec->relayID ) );
-            g_free( rec->relayID );
             g_free( rec );
         }
-        g_slist_free( cGlobals->noConnMsgs );
-        cGlobals->noConnMsgs = NULL;
+        g_slist_free( list );
 
         XP_U16 siz = stream_getSize( stream );
         /* XP_U8 buf[siz]; */
@@ -556,6 +558,9 @@ writeNoConnMsgs( CommonGlobals* cGlobals, int fd )
         XP_ASSERT( nwritten == siz );
         stream_destroy( stream );
     }
+    g_list_free( keys );
+    g_hash_table_unref( hash );
+    cGlobals->noConnMsgs = NULL;
 } /* writeNoConnMsgs */
 
 #ifdef TEXT_MODEL
diff --git a/xwords4/linux/main.h b/xwords4/linux/main.h
index acc155431..a22e7b453 100644
--- a/xwords4/linux/main.h
+++ b/xwords4/linux/main.h
@@ -163,7 +163,8 @@ struct CommonGlobals {
     AddAcceptorFunc addAcceptor;
     Acceptor acceptor;
 
-    GSList* noConnMsgs;
+    /* hash by relayID of lists of messages */
+    GHashTable* noConnMsgs;
 
 #ifdef XWFEATURE_RELAY
     int socket;                 /* relay */
diff --git a/xwords4/linux/scripts/test_backsend.sh b/xwords4/linux/scripts/test_backsend.sh
index 446dda640..36c128f06 100755
--- a/xwords4/linux/scripts/test_backsend.sh
+++ b/xwords4/linux/scripts/test_backsend.sh
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ set -e -u
 
 SEED=""
 RELAY_LOG="../relay/xwrelay.log"
+NDEVS=${NDEVS:-2}
 
 usage() {
     echo "usage: $(basename $0) [--seed RANDOM_SEED]"
@@ -38,7 +39,10 @@ DIR=$(basename $0)_$PID
 DICT=dict.xwd
 
 APP=./obj_linux_memdbg/xwords
-COMMON_ARGS="--room $ROOM --curses --robot Eric --remote-player --game-dict $DICT --quit-after 2"
+COMMON_ARGS="--room $ROOM --curses --robot Eric --game-dict $DICT --quit-after 2"
+for NUM in $(seq 2 $NDEVS); do
+    COMMON_ARGS="$COMMON_ARGS --remote-player"
+done
 
 mkdir -p $DIR
 
@@ -50,7 +54,7 @@ else
 fi
 
 # Run once to connect each with the relay
-for NUM in $(seq 1 2); do
+for NUM in $(seq 1 $((NDEVS))); do
     LOG="$(logname $NUM)"
     ARGS=$COMMON_ARGS
     if [ -n "$SEED" ]; then
@@ -58,7 +62,7 @@ for NUM in $(seq 1 2); do
     fi
     $APP $ARGS --file $DIR/game_${NUM}.xwg > /dev/null 2>>$LOG &
     PID1=$!
-    sleep 4
+    sleep 2
     kill $PID1
     wait $PID1
 done
@@ -68,7 +72,7 @@ NBS=$DIR/nbs
 ZERO_COUNT=0
 while [ $ZERO_COUNT -lt 2 ]; do
     WORK_DONE=""
-    for NUM in $(seq 1 2); do
+    for NUM in $(seq 1 $((NDEVS))); do
         LOG="$(logname $NUM)"
         RELAYID=$(./scripts/relayID.sh --short $LOG)
         MSG_COUNT=$(../relay/rq -m $RELAYID 2>/dev/null | sed 's,^.*-- ,,')
@@ -79,7 +83,8 @@ while [ $ZERO_COUNT -lt 2 ]; do
             if [ -n "$SEED" ]; then
                 ARGS="$ARGS --seed $((SEED+NUM))"
             fi
-            $APP $ARGS --file $DIR/game_${NUM}.xwg --with-nbs $NBS > /dev/null 2>>$LOG &
+            $APP $ARGS --file $DIR/game_${NUM}.xwg --with-nbs $NBS \
+                > /dev/null 2>>$LOG &
             PID1=$!
 
             ../relay/rq -f $RELAYID -b $NBS
@@ -98,7 +103,7 @@ done
 # the game's over.  Strictly speaking we need to get beyond that, but
 # reaching it is the first step.  Debug failure to get that far first.
 ENDED=""
-for NUM in $(seq 1 2); do
+for NUM in $(seq 1 $((NDEVS))); do
     LOG="$(logname $NUM)"
     if grep -q 'waiting for server to end game' $LOG; then
         ENDED=1
@@ -107,7 +112,7 @@ for NUM in $(seq 1 2); do
 done
 
 if [ -z "$ENDED" ]; then
-    for NUM in $(seq 1 2); do
+    for NUM in $(seq 1 $((NDEVS))); do
         LOG="$(logname $NUM)"
         if ! grep -q 'all remaining tiles' $LOG; then
             echo "$LOG didn't seem to end correctly"
diff --git a/xwords4/relay/rq.c b/xwords4/relay/rq.c
index 3d455b5b7..b626f6dd0 100644
--- a/xwords4/relay/rq.c
+++ b/xwords4/relay/rq.c
@@ -390,7 +390,8 @@ do_deletes( int sockfd, const char** connNames, int nConnNames )
     char buf[4096];
     int nused = 0;
     for ( ii = 0; ii < nConnNames; ++ii ) {
-        char tmp[32];
+        char tmp[128];
+        assert( strlen(connNames[ii]) < sizeof(tmp)-1 );
         strcpy( tmp, connNames[ii] );
         char* seedp = strrchr( tmp, '/' );
         assert( !!seedp );