diff --git a/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/NetUtils.java b/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/NetUtils.java
index abfa4893c..5f085cf25 100644
--- a/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/NetUtils.java
+++ b/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/NetUtils.java
@@ -120,10 +120,10 @@ public class NetUtils {
         }
     }
 
-    public static String[] queryRelay( Context context, String[] ids,
-                                       int nBytes )
+    public static byte[][][] queryRelay( Context context, String[] ids,
+                                         int nBytes )
     {
-        String[] result = null;
+        byte[][][] msgs = null;
         try {
             Socket socket = MakeProxySocket( context, 8000 );
             DataOutputStream outStream = 
@@ -148,7 +148,7 @@ public class NetUtils {
                 new DataInputStream(socket.getInputStream());
             short resLen = dis.readShort();
             short nameCount = dis.readShort();
-            byte[][][] msgs = null;
+
             if ( nameCount == ids.length ) {
                 msgs = new byte[nameCount][][];
                 for ( int ii = 0; ii < nameCount; ++ii ) {
@@ -168,25 +168,6 @@ public class NetUtils {
             }
             socket.close();
 
-            if ( null != msgs ) {
-                ArrayList<String> idsWMsgs =
-                    new ArrayList<String>( nameCount );
-                for ( int ii = 0; ii < nameCount; ++ii ) {
-                    // if game has messages, open it and feed 'em
-                    // to it.
-                    if ( null != msgs[ii] ) {
-                        if( GameUtils.feedMessages( context, ids[ii], 
-                                                    msgs[ii] ) ) {
-                            idsWMsgs.add( ids[ii] );
-                        }
-                    }
-                }
-                if ( 0 < idsWMsgs.size() ) {
-                    ids = new String[idsWMsgs.size()];
-                    result = idsWMsgs.toArray( ids );
-                }
-            }
-
         } catch( java.net.UnknownHostException uhe ) {
             Utils.logf( uhe.toString() );
         } catch( java.io.IOException ioe ) {
@@ -194,7 +175,7 @@ public class NetUtils {
         } catch( NullPointerException npe ) {
             Utils.logf( npe.toString() );
         }
-        return result;
+        return msgs;
     } // queryRelay
 
 }
diff --git a/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/RelayService.java b/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/RelayService.java
index 7ef40e73a..7572795a8 100644
--- a/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/RelayService.java
+++ b/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/RelayService.java
@@ -51,12 +51,31 @@ public class RelayService extends Service {
                     int[] nBytes = new int[1];
                     String[] ids = collectIDs( nBytes );
                     if ( null != ids && 0 < ids.length ) {
-                        String[] relayIDs = 
+                        byte[][][] msgs =
                             NetUtils.queryRelay( RelayService.this,
                                                  ids, nBytes[0] );
-                        if ( null != relayIDs ) {
-                            if ( !DispatchNotify.tryHandle( relayIDs ) ) {
-                                setupNotification( relayIDs );
+
+                        int nameCount = ids.length;
+                        if ( null != msgs ) {
+                            ArrayList<String> idsWMsgs =
+                                new ArrayList<String>( nameCount );
+                            for ( int ii = 0; ii < nameCount; ++ii ) {
+                                // if game has messages, open it and feed 'em
+                                // to it.
+                                if ( null != msgs[ii] ) {
+                                    if ( GameUtils.feedMessages( RelayService.this,
+                                                                ids[ii], 
+                                                                msgs[ii] ) ) {
+                                        idsWMsgs.add( ids[ii] );
+                                    }
+                                }
+                            }
+                            if ( 0 < idsWMsgs.size() ) {
+                                String[] relayIDs = new String[idsWMsgs.size()];
+                                idsWMsgs.toArray( relayIDs );
+                                if ( !DispatchNotify.tryHandle( relayIDs ) ) {
+                                    setupNotification( relayIDs );
+                                }
                             }
                         }
                     }