diff --git a/tests/xwgame.pl b/tests/xwgame.pl
index 73ee93ef9..1afb9af50 100755
--- a/tests/xwgame.pl
+++ b/tests/xwgame.pl
@@ -6,11 +6,12 @@ use strict;
 
 my $xwdir = "../linux/linux";
 
-my $cookie = "COOKIE";
+my @cookies = ( "COOKIE" );
 my $nPlayers = 2;
 my $port = 10999;
 my $dict = "~/personal/dicts/SOWPODS2to15.xwd";
 my $quit = "";
+my $gettingCookies = 0;
 
 my @names = (
     "Fred",
@@ -23,7 +24,8 @@ while ( my $param = shift( @ARGV ) ) {
     print STDERR "param $param\n";
 
     if ( $param =~ m|-C| ) {
-        $cookie = shift( @ARGV );
+        $cookies[0] = shift( @ARGV );
+        $gettingCookies = 1;
         next;
     } elsif ( $param =~ m|-nplayers| ) {
         $nPlayers = shift( @ARGV );
@@ -33,36 +35,44 @@ while ( my $param = shift( @ARGV ) ) {
         $port = shift( @ARGV );
     } elsif ( $param =~ m|-quit| ) {
         $quit = " -q ";
+    } elsif ( $gettingCookies ) {
+        push @cookies, $param;
+        next;
     } else {
         usage();
         exit 1;
     }
+    $gettingCookies = 0;
 }
 
-my $cmdBase = "cd $xwdir && ./xwords -d $dict -C $cookie $quit -p $port";
+foreach my $cookie (@cookies) {
 
-for ( my $p = 0; $p < $nPlayers; ++$p ) {
-    print STDERR "p = $p\n";
-    my $cmd = $cmdBase;
-    if ( $p == 0 ) {            # server case
-        $cmd .= " -s ";
-        
-        for ( my $i = 1; $i < $nPlayers; ++$i ) {
-            $cmd .= " -N ";
+    my $cmdBase = "cd $xwdir && ./xwords -d $dict -C $cookie $quit -p $port";
+    print "$cmdBase\n";
+
+    for ( my $p = 0; $p < $nPlayers; ++$p ) {
+        print STDERR "p = $p\n";
+        my $cmd = $cmdBase;
+        if ( $p == 0 ) {            # server case
+            $cmd .= " -s ";
+            
+            for ( my $i = 1; $i < $nPlayers; ++$i ) {
+                $cmd .= " -N ";
+            }
         }
-    }
-    $cmd .= " -r $names[$p]";
+        $cmd .= " -r $names[$p]";
 
-    my $pid = fork;
-    print STDERR "fork => $pid.\n";
-    if ( $pid ) {
-        # parent; give child chance to get ahead
-        sleep 1;
-    } else {
-        exec "$cmd";
-        last;
-    }
-} 
+        my $pid = fork;
+        print STDERR "fork => $pid.\n";
+        if ( $pid ) {
+            # parent; give child chance to get ahead
+#            sleep 1;
+        } else {
+            exec "$cmd 2>/dev/null &";
+            last;
+        }
+    } 
+}
 
 sub usage()
 {