diff --git a/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/BoardActivity.java b/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/BoardActivity.java
index 661a84c5d..9d207ba5b 100644
--- a/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/BoardActivity.java
+++ b/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/BoardActivity.java
@@ -342,8 +342,6 @@ public class BoardActivity extends XWActivity
         setContentView( R.layout.board );
         m_timers = new TimerRunnable[4]; // needs to be in sync with
                                          // XWTimerReason
-        m_gi = new CurGameInfo( this );
-
         m_view = (BoardView)findViewById( R.id.board_view );
         m_tradeButtons = findViewById( R.id.exchange_buttons );
         m_exchCommmitButton = (Button)findViewById( R.id.exchange_commit );
@@ -1171,20 +1169,19 @@ public class BoardActivity extends XWActivity
     private void loadGame()
     {
         if ( 0 == m_jniGamePtr ) {
-            String[] dictNames = m_gi.dictNames();
+            String[] dictNames = GameUtils.dictNames( this, m_rowid );
             GameUtils.DictPairs pairs = GameUtils.openDicts( this, dictNames );
 
             if ( pairs.anyMissing( dictNames ) ) {
                 showDictGoneFinish();
             } else {
-
-                String langName = m_gi.langName();
-
                 Assert.assertNull( m_gameLock );
                 m_gameLock = new GameUtils.GameLock( m_rowid, true ).lock();
 
                 byte[] stream = GameUtils.savedGame( this, m_gameLock );
+                m_gi = new CurGameInfo( this );
                 XwJNI.gi_from_stream( m_gi, stream );
+                String langName = m_gi.langName();
 
                 m_jniGamePtr = XwJNI.initJNI();
 
@@ -1408,6 +1405,7 @@ public class BoardActivity extends XWActivity
 
             XwJNI.game_dispose( m_jniGamePtr );
             m_jniGamePtr = 0;
+            m_gi = null;
 
             m_gameLock.unlock();
             m_gameLock = null;
diff --git a/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/GameUtils.java b/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/GameUtils.java
index d202df276..b3b79dd1f 100644
--- a/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/GameUtils.java
+++ b/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/GameUtils.java
@@ -460,6 +460,23 @@ public class GameUtils {
         }
     }
 
+    public static String[] dictNames( Context context, long rowid,
+                                      int[] missingLang ) 
+    {
+        byte[] stream = savedGame( context, rowid );
+        CurGameInfo gi = new CurGameInfo( context );
+        XwJNI.gi_from_stream( gi, stream );
+        if ( null != missingLang ) {
+            missingLang[0] = gi.dictLang;
+        }
+        return gi.dictNames();
+    }
+
+    public static String[] dictNames( Context context, long rowid ) 
+    {
+        return dictNames( context, rowid, null );
+    }
+    
     public static boolean gameDictsHere( Context context, long rowid )
     {
         return gameDictsHere( context, rowid, null, null );
@@ -471,17 +488,10 @@ public class GameUtils {
                                          String[][] missingNames, 
                                          int[] missingLang )
     {
-        byte[] stream = savedGame( context, rowid );
-        CurGameInfo gi = new CurGameInfo( context );
-        XwJNI.gi_from_stream( gi, stream );
-        final String[] dictNames = gi.dictNames();
+        String[] dictNames = dictNames( context, rowid, missingLang );
         HashSet<String> missingSet;
         String[] installed = dictList( context );
 
-        if ( null != missingLang ) {
-            missingLang[0] = gi.dictLang;
-        }
-
         missingSet = new HashSet<String>( Arrays.asList( dictNames ) );
         missingSet.remove( null );
         missingSet.removeAll( Arrays.asList(installed) );