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 930a54263..583c70b23 100644
--- a/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/BoardActivity.java
+++ b/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/BoardActivity.java
@@ -273,6 +273,9 @@ public class BoardActivity extends Activity implements UtilCtxt {
     protected void onPause()
     {
         Utils.logf( "BoardActivity::onPause()" );
+        if ( null != m_jniThread ) {
+            m_jniThread.handle( JNIThread.JNICmd.CMD_SAVE );
+        }
         super.onPause();
     }
 
@@ -303,19 +306,12 @@ public class BoardActivity extends Activity implements UtilCtxt {
             interruptBlockingThread();
 
             if ( null != m_jniThread ) {
+                // one last command
+                m_jniThread.handle( JNIThread.JNICmd.CMD_SAVE );
                 m_jniThread.waitToStop();
                 m_jniThread = null;
-                Utils.logf( "onPause(): waitToStop() returned" );
             }
 
-            // This has to happen after the drawing thread is killed
-            // to avoid the possibility of reentering the jni world.
-            GameSummary summary = new GameSummary();
-            XwJNI.game_summarize( m_jniGamePtr, m_gi.nPlayers, summary );
-            byte[] state = XwJNI.game_saveToStream( m_jniGamePtr, null );
-            GameUtils.saveGame( this, state, m_path );
-            DBUtils.saveSummary( m_path, summary );
-
             XwJNI.game_dispose( m_jniGamePtr );
             m_jniGamePtr = 0;
         }
@@ -661,7 +657,7 @@ public class BoardActivity extends Activity implements UtilCtxt {
                 }
 
                 m_jniThread = new 
-                    JNIThread( m_jniGamePtr, m_gi, m_view, this,
+                    JNIThread( m_jniGamePtr, m_gi, m_view, m_path, this,
                                new Handler() {
                                    public void handleMessage( Message msg ) {
                                        switch( msg.what ) {
diff --git a/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/jni/JNIThread.java b/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/jni/JNIThread.java
index 30b13f3ff..bdc80d770 100644
--- a/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/jni/JNIThread.java
+++ b/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/jni/JNIThread.java
@@ -32,6 +32,8 @@ import android.graphics.Rect;
 
 import org.eehouse.android.xw4.R;
 import org.eehouse.android.xw4.BoardDims;
+import org.eehouse.android.xw4.GameUtils;
+import org.eehouse.android.xw4.DBUtils;
 import org.eehouse.android.xw4.jni.CurGameInfo.DeviceRole;
 
 public class JNIThread extends Thread {
@@ -40,6 +42,7 @@ public class JNIThread extends Thread {
             CMD_DRAW,
             CMD_LAYOUT,
             CMD_START,
+            CMD_SAVE,
             CMD_DO,
             CMD_RECEIVE,
             CMD_TRANSFAIL,
@@ -80,6 +83,7 @@ public class JNIThread extends Thread {
 
     private boolean m_stopped = false;
     private int m_jniGamePtr;
+    private String m_path;
     private Context m_context;
     private CurGameInfo m_gi;
     private Handler m_handler;
@@ -101,11 +105,12 @@ public class JNIThread extends Thread {
     }
 
     public JNIThread( int gamePtr, CurGameInfo gi, SyncedDraw drawer, 
-                      Context context, Handler handler ) 
+                      String path, Context context, Handler handler ) 
     {
         m_jniGamePtr = gamePtr;
         m_gi = gi;
         m_drawer = drawer;
+        m_path = path;
         m_context = context;
         m_handler = handler;
 
@@ -116,7 +121,7 @@ public class JNIThread extends Thread {
         m_stopped = true;
         handle( JNICmd.CMD_NONE );     // tickle it
         try {
-            join(100);          // wait up to 1/10 second
+            join(200);          // wait up to 2/10 second
         } catch ( java.lang.InterruptedException ie ) {
             Utils.logf( "got InterruptedException: " + ie.toString() );
         }
@@ -255,6 +260,14 @@ public class JNIThread extends Thread {
             args = elem.m_args;
             switch( elem.m_cmd ) {
 
+            case CMD_SAVE:
+                GameSummary summary = new GameSummary();
+                XwJNI.game_summarize( m_jniGamePtr, m_gi.nPlayers, summary );
+                byte[] state = XwJNI.game_saveToStream( m_jniGamePtr, null );
+                GameUtils.saveGame( m_context, state, m_path );
+                DBUtils.saveSummary( m_path, summary );
+                break;
+
             case CMD_DRAW:
                 if ( nextSame( JNICmd.CMD_DRAW ) ) {
                     continue;