diff --git a/xwords4/android/app/src/main/java/org/eehouse/android/xw4/BoardCanvas.java b/xwords4/android/app/src/main/java/org/eehouse/android/xw4/BoardCanvas.java
index b747182f3..a2e6d1a62 100644
--- a/xwords4/android/app/src/main/java/org/eehouse/android/xw4/BoardCanvas.java
+++ b/xwords4/android/app/src/main/java/org/eehouse/android/xw4/BoardCanvas.java
@@ -49,7 +49,6 @@ public class BoardCanvas extends Canvas implements DrawCtx {
     private static final String TAG = BoardCanvas.class.getSimpleName();
     private static final int BLACK = 0xFF000000;
     private static final int WHITE = 0xFFFFFFFF;
-    private static final int LINE_PCT = 3;
     private static final int SCORE_HT_DROP = 2;
     private static final boolean DEBUG_DRAWFRAMES = false;
     private static final int NOT_TURN_ALPHA = 0x3FFFFFFF;
@@ -444,7 +443,10 @@ public class BoardCanvas extends Canvas implements DrawCtx {
             // frame the cell
             int frameColor = m_otherColors[CommonPrefs.COLOR_CELLLINE];
             m_strokePaint.setColor( adjustColor(frameColor) );
-            int width = Math.max(1, (rect.width() * LINE_PCT) / 100);
+            // PENDING: fetch/calculate this a lot less frequently!!
+            int linePct = XWPrefs.getPrefsInt( m_activity, R.string.key_board_line_pct, 1 );
+            linePct = Math.min( 25, linePct );
+            int width = Math.max(1, (rect.width() * linePct) / 100);
             m_strokePaint.setStrokeWidth( width );
             drawRect( rect, m_strokePaint );
 
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 096b3a3ec..5a61fe028 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
@@ -207,19 +207,21 @@ public class XWPrefs {
 
     public static int getPrefsInt( Context context, int keyID, int defaultValue )
     {
-        String key = context.getString( keyID );
-        SharedPreferences sp = PreferenceManager
-            .getDefaultSharedPreferences( context );
-        int result;
-        try {
-            result = sp.getInt( key, defaultValue );
-            // If it's in a pref, it'll be a string (editable) So will get CCE
-        } catch ( ClassCastException cce ) {
-            String asStr = sp.getString( key, String.format( "%d", defaultValue ) );
+        int result = defaultValue;
+        if ( null != context ) {
+            String key = context.getString( keyID );
+            SharedPreferences sp = PreferenceManager
+                .getDefaultSharedPreferences( context );
             try {
-                result = Integer.parseInt( asStr );
-            } catch ( Exception ex ) {
-                result = defaultValue;
+                result = sp.getInt( key, defaultValue );
+                // If it's in a pref, it'll be a string (editable) So will get CCE
+            } catch ( ClassCastException cce ) {
+                String asStr = sp.getString( key, String.format( "%d", defaultValue ) );
+                try {
+                    result = Integer.parseInt( asStr );
+                } catch ( Exception ex ) {
+                    result = defaultValue;
+                }
             }
         }
         return result;
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 45fdb86e9..398eb46e8 100644
--- a/xwords4/android/app/src/main/res/values/common_rsrc.xml
+++ b/xwords4/android/app/src/main/res/values/common_rsrc.xml
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@
   <string name="key_cellline">key_cellline</string>
   <string name="key_clr_crosshairs">key_clr_crosshairs</string>
   <string name="key_clr_bonushint">key_clr_bonushint</string>
+  <string name="key_board_line_pct">key_board_line_pct</string>
 
   <string name="key_relay_host">key_relay_host</string>
   <string name="key_relay_port">key_relay_port2</string>
diff --git a/xwords4/android/app/src/main/res/values/strings.xml b/xwords4/android/app/src/main/res/values/strings.xml
index a311ed0c7..d94c925a2 100644
--- a/xwords4/android/app/src/main/res/values/strings.xml
+++ b/xwords4/android/app/src/main/res/values/strings.xml
@@ -850,6 +850,9 @@
     <string name="keep_screenon">Keep screen on</string>
     <!-- clarification of above -->
     <string name="keep_screenon_summary">Keep board screen on 10 mins</string>
+
+    <!-- Preference title: cell line thickness as pct of cell width -->
+    <string name="board_line_pct">Cell line thickness (percent, limit 1 to 25)</string>
     <!--
        ############################################################
        # :Screens:
diff --git a/xwords4/android/app/src/main/res/xml/xwprefs.xml b/xwords4/android/app/src/main/res/xml/xwprefs.xml
index 2224324bb..e32ee71f4 100644
--- a/xwords4/android/app/src/main/res/xml/xwprefs.xml
+++ b/xwords4/android/app/src/main/res/xml/xwprefs.xml
@@ -249,6 +249,13 @@
           />
     </PreferenceScreen>
 
+    <org.eehouse.android.xw4.XWEditTextPreference
+        android:key="@string/key_board_line_pct"
+        android:title="@string/board_line_pct"
+        android:defaultValue="1"
+        android:numeric="decimal"
+        />
+
   </PreferenceScreen>
 
   <PreferenceScreen android:title="@string/prefs_behavior"