diff --git a/xwords4/android/app/src/main/java/org/eehouse/android/xw4/NetLaunchInfo.java b/xwords4/android/app/src/main/java/org/eehouse/android/xw4/NetLaunchInfo.java
index 891f4841b..ebc7a99f0 100644
--- a/xwords4/android/app/src/main/java/org/eehouse/android/xw4/NetLaunchInfo.java
+++ b/xwords4/android/app/src/main/java/org/eehouse/android/xw4/NetLaunchInfo.java
@@ -27,8 +27,13 @@ import android.net.Uri;
 import android.os.Bundle;
 import android.text.TextUtils;
 
+import java.io.ByteArrayInputStream;
+import java.io.ByteArrayOutputStream;
+import java.io.DataInputStream;
+import java.io.DataOutputStream;
 import java.io.InputStream;
 import java.io.Serializable;
+
 import java.util.Iterator;
 
 import org.json.JSONException;
@@ -139,6 +144,20 @@ public class NetLaunchInfo implements Serializable {
         return nli;
     }
 
+    public static NetLaunchInfo makeFrom( Context context, byte[] data )
+    {
+        NetLaunchInfo nli = null;
+        try {
+            ByteArrayInputStream bais = new ByteArrayInputStream( data );
+            DataInputStream dis = new DataInputStream( bais );
+            String nliData = dis.readUTF();
+            nli = NetLaunchInfo.makeFrom( context, nliData );
+        } catch ( java.io.IOException ex ) {
+            Assert.assertFalse( BuildConfig.DEBUG );
+        }
+        return nli;
+    }
+
     public NetLaunchInfo( Context context, Uri data )
     {
         this();
@@ -595,6 +614,20 @@ public class NetLaunchInfo implements Serializable {
         return makeLaunchJSON();
     }
 
+    public byte[] asByteArray()
+    {
+        byte[] result = null;
+        try {
+            ByteArrayOutputStream bas = new ByteArrayOutputStream();
+            DataOutputStream das = new DataOutputStream( bas );
+            das.writeUTF( makeLaunchJSON() );
+            result = bas.toByteArray();
+        } catch ( java.io.IOException ex ) {
+            Assert.assertFalse( BuildConfig.DEBUG );
+        }
+        return result;
+    }
+
     public static void putExtras( Intent intent, int gameID, String btAddr )
     {
         Assert.fail();
diff --git a/xwords4/android/app/src/main/java/org/eehouse/android/xw4/SMSService.java b/xwords4/android/app/src/main/java/org/eehouse/android/xw4/SMSService.java
index 222930539..43af25959 100644
--- a/xwords4/android/app/src/main/java/org/eehouse/android/xw4/SMSService.java
+++ b/xwords4/android/app/src/main/java/org/eehouse/android/xw4/SMSService.java
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ public class SMSService extends XWService {
     private static final String BUFFER = "BUFFER";
     private static final String BINBUFFER = "BINBUFFER";
     private static final String PHONE = "PHONE";
-    private static final String GAMEDATA_STR = "GD";
+    private static final String GAMEDATA_BA = "GD";
 
     private static final String PHONE_RECS_KEY =
         SMSService.class.getName() + "_PHONES";
@@ -193,9 +193,9 @@ public class SMSService extends XWService {
     {
         Intent intent = getIntentTo( context, SMSAction.INVITE );
         intent.putExtra( PHONE, phone );
-        String asString = nli.toString();
-        Log.w( TAG, "inviteRemote(%s, '%s')", phone, asString );
-        intent.putExtra( GAMEDATA_STR, asString );
+        Log.w( TAG, "inviteRemote(%s, '%s')", phone, nli );
+        byte[] data = nli.asByteArray();
+        intent.putExtra( GAMEDATA_BA, data );
         context.startService( intent );
     }
 
@@ -337,7 +337,8 @@ public class SMSService extends XWService {
                     break;
                 case INVITE:
                     phone = intent.getStringExtra( PHONE );
-                    inviteRemote( phone, intent.getStringExtra( GAMEDATA_STR ) );
+                    buffer = intent.getByteArrayExtra( GAMEDATA_BA );
+                    inviteRemote( phone, buffer );
                     break;
                 case ADDED_MISSING:
                     NetLaunchInfo nli
@@ -373,19 +374,9 @@ public class SMSService extends XWService {
         return result;
     } // onStartCommand
 
-    private void inviteRemote( String phone, String nliData )
+    private void inviteRemote( String phone, byte[] asBytes )
     {
-        try {
-            ByteArrayOutputStream bas = new ByteArrayOutputStream();
-            DataOutputStream das = new DataOutputStream( bas );
-            das.writeUTF( nliData );
-            byte[] asBytes = bas.toByteArray();
-            resendFor( phone, SMS_CMD.INVITE, 0, asBytes, true );
-        } catch ( java.io.UnsupportedEncodingException uee ) {
-            Log.ex( TAG, uee );
-        } catch ( java.io.IOException ioe ) {
-            Log.ex( TAG, ioe );
-        }
+        resendFor( phone, SMS_CMD.INVITE, 0, asBytes, true );
     }
 
     private void ackInvite( String phone, int gameID )
@@ -464,7 +455,7 @@ public class SMSService extends XWService {
         Log.i( TAG, "receive(cmd=%s)", msg.cmd );
         switch( msg.cmd ) {
         case INVITE:
-            makeForInvite( phone, msg.data );
+            makeForInvite( phone, NetLaunchInfo.makeFrom( this, msg.data ) );
             break;
         case DATA:
             if ( feedMessage( msg.gameID, msg.data, new CommsAddrRec( phone ) ) ) {
@@ -508,26 +499,10 @@ public class SMSService extends XWService {
         GameUtils.postInvitedNotification( this, gameID, body, rowid );
     }
 
-    private void makeForInvite( String phone, byte[] data )
-    {
-        try {
-            ByteArrayInputStream bais = new ByteArrayInputStream( data );
-            DataInputStream dis = new DataInputStream( bais );
-            String nliData = dis.readUTF();
-            NetLaunchInfo nli = NetLaunchInfo.makeFrom( this, nliData );
-            if ( null != nli ) {
-                makeForInvite( phone, nli );
-            } else {
-                Log.e( TAG, "null nli; bad data?" );
-            }
-        } catch ( java.io.IOException ioe ) {
-            Log.ex( TAG, ioe );
-        }
-    }
-
     private void makeForInvite( String phone, NetLaunchInfo nli )
     {
-        if ( handleInvitation( nli, phone, DictFetchOwner.OWNER_SMS ) ) {
+        if ( nli != null &&
+             handleInvitation( nli, phone, DictFetchOwner.OWNER_SMS ) ) {
             ackInvite( phone, nli.gameID() );
         }
     }