diff --git a/xwords4/android/app/src/main/java/org/eehouse/android/xw4/RelayService.java b/xwords4/android/app/src/main/java/org/eehouse/android/xw4/RelayService.java
index 2c64fe4a1..c7fa3ddcf 100644
--- a/xwords4/android/app/src/main/java/org/eehouse/android/xw4/RelayService.java
+++ b/xwords4/android/app/src/main/java/org/eehouse/android/xw4/RelayService.java
@@ -389,6 +389,13 @@ public class RelayService extends JobIntentService
         DbgUtils.assertOnUIThread( false );
         Log.d( TAG, "%s.onHandleWork(cmd=%s)", this, cmdFrom( intent ) );
         handleCommand( intent );
+
+        boolean goOn = mThreads.serviceQueue();
+        if ( !goOn ) {
+            Log.e( TAG, "onHandleWork(): need to exit... HELP!!!!" );
+            mThreads.killThreads();
+        }
+
         resetExitTimer();
         Log.d( TAG, "%s.onHandleWork(cmd=%s) DONE", this, cmdFrom( intent ) );
     }
@@ -405,6 +412,8 @@ public class RelayService extends JobIntentService
         }
 
         if ( startImmediately ) {
+            // Log.d( TAG, "onDestroy(): restarting: %d in queue",
+            //        mThreads.m_queue.size() );
             timerFired( this );
         } else if ( shouldMaintainConnection() ) {
             long interval_millis = getMaxIntervalSeconds() * 1000;
@@ -1068,9 +1077,12 @@ public class RelayService extends JobIntentService
         // continue to use the instance for a short while after returning.
         void unsetService()
         {
+            // RelayService oldService;
             synchronized ( mServiceHolder ) {
+                // oldService = mServiceHolder[0];
                 mServiceHolder[0] = null;
             }
+            // Log.d( TAG, "unsetService() DONE (was %s)", oldService );
         }
 
         private RelayService getService() throws InterruptedException
@@ -1163,6 +1175,49 @@ public class RelayService extends JobIntentService
             }
         }
 
+        // Break out the work of sending queued packets so it can be called
+        // from several threads. Fixes starvation problems on some devices.
+        private synchronized boolean serviceQueue()
+        {
+            Log.d( TAG, "serviceQueue()" );
+            boolean shouldGoOn = true;
+            List<PacketData> dataListUDP = new ArrayList<>();
+            List<PacketData> dataListWeb = new ArrayList<>();
+            PacketData outData;
+            try {
+                long ts = s_packetsSentUDP.size() > 0 ? 10 : 1000;
+                Log.d( TAG, "blocking %dms on poll()", ts );
+                for ( outData = m_queue.poll( ts, TimeUnit.MILLISECONDS );
+                      null != outData;
+                      outData = m_queue.poll() ) {         // doesn't block
+                    Log.d( TAG, "removed packet from queue (%d left): %s", 
+                           m_queue.size(), outData );
+                    if ( outData == sEOQPacket ) {
+                        shouldGoOn = false;
+                        break;
+                    } else if ( skipNativeSend() || outData.getForWeb() ) {
+                        dataListWeb.add( outData );
+                    } else {
+                        dataListUDP.add( outData );
+                    }
+                }
+
+                sendViaWeb( dataListWeb );
+                sendViaUDP( dataListUDP );
+
+                getService().resetExitTimer();
+
+                runUDPAckTimer();
+
+                ConnStatusHandler.showSuccessOut();
+            } catch ( InterruptedException ie ) {
+                Log.w( TAG, "write thread killed" );
+                shouldGoOn = false;
+            }
+            Log.d( TAG, "serviceQueue() => %b", shouldGoOn );
+            return shouldGoOn;
+        }
+
         private void startWriteThread()
         {
             Assert.assertNull( m_UDPWriteThread );
@@ -1170,59 +1225,34 @@ public class RelayService extends JobIntentService
             m_UDPWriteThread = new Thread( null, new Runnable() {
                     public void run() {
                         Log.i( TAG, "write thread starting" );
-                        for ( boolean gotEOQ = false; !gotEOQ; ) {
-                            List<PacketData> dataListUDP = new ArrayList<>();
-                            List<PacketData> dataListWeb = new ArrayList<>();
-                            PacketData outData;
-                            try {
-                                long ts = s_packetsSentUDP.size() > 0 ? 10 : 3600;
-                                Log.d( TAG, "blocking %d sec on poll()", ts );
-                                for ( outData = m_queue.poll(ts, TimeUnit.SECONDS);
-                                      null != outData;
-                                      outData = m_queue.poll() ) {         // doesn't block
-                                    Log.d( TAG, "removed packet from queue: %s", outData );
-                                    if ( outData == sEOQPacket ) {
-                                        gotEOQ = true;
-                                        break;
-                                    } else if ( skipNativeSend() || outData.getForWeb() ) {
-                                        dataListWeb.add( outData );
-                                    } else {
-                                        dataListUDP.add( outData );
-                                    }
-                                }
-
-                                sendViaWeb( dataListWeb );
-                                sendViaUDP( dataListUDP );
-
-                                getService().resetExitTimer();
-
-                                runUDPAckTimer();
-
-                                ConnStatusHandler.showSuccessOut();
-                            } catch ( InterruptedException ie ) {
-                                Log.w( TAG, "write thread killed" );
+                        for ( ; ; ) {
+                            if ( !serviceQueue() ) {
                                 break;
                             }
                         }
 
                         Log.i( TAG, "write thread killing read thread" );
-
+                        killThreads();
                         // now kill the read thread
-                        m_UDPSocket.close();
-                        try {
-                            m_UDPReadThread.join();
-                        } catch( java.lang.InterruptedException ie ) {
-                            Log.ex( TAG, ie );
-                        }
-
-                        m_UDPSocket = null;
-                        Log.i( TAG, "write thread exiting (with %d in queue)",
-                               m_queue.size() );
                     }
                 }, getClass().getName() );
             m_UDPWriteThread.start();
         }
 
+        private void killThreads()
+        {
+            m_UDPSocket.close();
+            try {
+                m_UDPReadThread.join();
+            } catch( java.lang.InterruptedException ie ) {
+                Log.ex( TAG, ie );
+            }
+
+            m_UDPSocket = null;
+            Log.i( TAG, "write thread exiting (with %d in queue)",
+                   m_queue.size() );
+        }
+
         private int sendViaWeb( List<PacketData> packets ) throws InterruptedException
         {
             int sentLen = 0;