diff --git a/xwords4/relay/configs.cpp b/xwords4/relay/configs.cpp
index 50374e052..681a1f0ab 100644
--- a/xwords4/relay/configs.cpp
+++ b/xwords4/relay/configs.cpp
@@ -105,6 +105,8 @@ RelayConfigs::parse( const char* fname )
                     m_nWorkerThreads = atoi( value );
                 } else if ( 0 == strcmp( line, "SERVERNAME" ) ) {
                     m_serverName = value;
+                } else if ( 0 == strcmp( line, "IDFILE" ) ) {
+                    m_idFileName = value;
                 } else {
                     logf( XW_LOGERROR, "unknown key %s with value %s\n",
                           line, value );
diff --git a/xwords4/relay/configs.h b/xwords4/relay/configs.h
index 34703f06e..66eda2175 100644
--- a/xwords4/relay/configs.h
+++ b/xwords4/relay/configs.h
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ class RelayConfigs {
     time_t GetAllConnectedInterval() { return m_allConnInterval; }
     time_t GetHeartbeatInterval() { return m_heartbeatInterval; }
     const char*  GetServerName() { return m_serverName.c_str(); }
-
+    const char*  GetIdFileName() { return m_idFileName.c_str(); }
 
  private:
     RelayConfigs( const char* cfile );
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@ class RelayConfigs {
     int m_port;
     int m_nWorkerThreads;
     std::string m_serverName;
+    std::string m_idFileName;
 
     static RelayConfigs* instance;
 };
diff --git a/xwords4/relay/permid.cpp b/xwords4/relay/permid.cpp
index 0d8b5e2bf..d9a68cea8 100644
--- a/xwords4/relay/permid.cpp
+++ b/xwords4/relay/permid.cpp
@@ -27,10 +27,12 @@ using namespace std;
 
 pthread_mutex_t PermID::s_guard = PTHREAD_MUTEX_INITIALIZER;
 string          PermID::s_serverName;
+string          PermID::s_idFileName;
 
 string
 PermID::GetNextUniqueID()
 {
+    const char* fileName = s_idFileName.c_str();
     MutexLock ml( &s_guard );
 
     string s = s_serverName;
@@ -39,12 +41,12 @@ PermID::GetNextUniqueID()
     
     char buf[32];               /* should last for a while :-) */
 
-    FILE* f = fopen( "/etc/xwrelay/xwrelay_id.txt", "r+" );
+    FILE* f = fopen( fileName, "r+" );
     if ( f ) {
         fscanf( f, "%s\n", buf );
         rewind( f );
     } else {
-        f = fopen( "/etc/xwrelay/xwrelay_id.txt", "w" );
+        f = fopen( fileName, "w" );
         assert ( f != NULL );
         buf[0] = '0';
         buf[1] = '\0';
@@ -66,3 +68,9 @@ PermID::SetServerName( const char* name )
 {
     s_serverName = name;
 }
+
+/* static */ void
+PermID::SetIDFileName( const char* name )
+{
+    s_idFileName = name;
+}
diff --git a/xwords4/relay/permid.h b/xwords4/relay/permid.h
index a7c2b5e1c..438e01494 100644
--- a/xwords4/relay/permid.h
+++ b/xwords4/relay/permid.h
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@
 class PermID {
  public:
     static void SetServerName( const char* name );
+    static void SetIDFileName( const char* name );
     static std::string GetNextUniqueID();
 
  private:
@@ -42,5 +43,7 @@ class PermID {
                                                  this, which is supposed to be
                                                  unique to this relay
                                                  instance. */
+    static std::string        s_idFileName;   /* The incremented part of the
+                                                 name is stored where? */
 };
 #endif
diff --git a/xwords4/relay/xwrelay.conf b/xwords4/relay/xwrelay.conf
index 1ca10dd0d..812c81a8f 100644
--- a/xwords4/relay/xwrelay.conf
+++ b/xwords4/relay/xwrelay.conf
@@ -22,4 +22,8 @@ CTLPORT=11000
 
 # Need a unique name for every instance of the relay so they can
 # create game ids guaranteed to be unique
-#SERVERNAME=eehouse.org
+SERVERNAME=eehouse.org
+
+# Where will the file live that stores the last ID used for a new
+# connName.
+#IDFILE=/home/ehouse/xwrelay_id.txt
diff --git a/xwords4/relay/xwrelay.cpp b/xwords4/relay/xwrelay.cpp
index efd4844bb..a11889d19 100644
--- a/xwords4/relay/xwrelay.cpp
+++ b/xwords4/relay/xwrelay.cpp
@@ -394,6 +394,7 @@ enum { FLAG_HELP
        ,FLAG_CPORT
        ,FLAG_NTHREADS
        ,FLAG_NAME
+       ,FLAG_IDNAME
 };
 
 struct option longopts[] = {
@@ -421,6 +422,12 @@ struct option longopts[] = {
         NULL,
         FLAG_NAME
     }
+    ,{
+        "idFile",
+        1,
+        NULL,
+        FLAG_IDNAME
+    }
     ,{
         "ctrlport",
         1,
@@ -493,6 +500,7 @@ int main( int argc, char** argv )
     int nWorkerThreads = 0;
     char* conffile = NULL;
     const char* serverName = NULL;
+    const char* idFileName = NULL;
 
     /* Verify sizes here... */
     assert( sizeof(CookieID) == 2 );
@@ -503,7 +511,7 @@ int main( int argc, char** argv )
        first. */
 
     for ( ; ; ) {
-       int opt = getopt_long(argc, argv, "hc:p:l:n:",longopts, NULL);
+       int opt = getopt_long(argc, argv, "hc:p:l:n:i:", longopts, NULL);
 
        if ( opt == -1 ) {
            break;
@@ -522,6 +530,9 @@ int main( int argc, char** argv )
        case FLAG_NAME:
            serverName = optarg;
            break;
+       case FLAG_IDNAME:
+           idFileName = optarg;
+           break;
        case FLAG_CPORT:
            ctrlport = atoi( optarg );
            break;
@@ -549,8 +560,12 @@ int main( int argc, char** argv )
     if ( serverName == NULL ) {
         serverName = cfg->GetServerName();
     }
+    if ( idFileName == NULL ) {
+        idFileName = cfg->GetIdFileName();
+    }
 
     PermID::SetServerName( serverName );
+    PermID::SetIDFileName( idFileName );
 
     g_listener = make_socket( INADDR_ANY, port );
     if ( g_listener == -1 ) {