diff --git a/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/GameListItem.java b/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/GameListItem.java
index ff5f673c0..112c670a7 100644
--- a/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/GameListItem.java
+++ b/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/GameListItem.java
@@ -351,26 +351,30 @@ public class GameListItem extends LinearLayout
         @Override
         protected GameSummary doInBackground( Void... unused )
         {
-            return DBUtils.getSummary( m_context, m_rowid, SUMMARY_WAIT_MSECS );
+            GameSummary result = null;
+
+            JNIThread thread = JNIThread.getRetained( m_rowid );
+            if ( null != thread ) {
+                GameLock lock = thread.getLock();
+                if ( null != lock ) {
+                    result = DBUtils.getSummary( m_context, lock );
+                }
+                thread.release( false );
+            }
+
+            if ( null == result ) {
+                result = DBUtils.getSummary( m_context, m_rowid, SUMMARY_WAIT_MSECS );
+            }
+            return result;
         } // doInBackground
 
         @Override
         protected void onPostExecute( GameSummary summary )
         {
             if ( 0 == --m_loadingCount ) {
-                if ( null == summary ) {
-                    // Try again. Maybe it's open
-                    JNIThread thread = JNIThread.getRetained( m_rowid );
-                    if ( null != thread ) {
-                        summary = DBUtils.getSummary( m_context,
-                                                      thread.getLock() );
-                        thread.release();
-                    }
-                }
-
                 m_summary = summary;
-                boolean expanded = DBUtils.getExpanded( m_context, m_rowid );
 
+                boolean expanded = DBUtils.getExpanded( m_context, m_rowid );
                 makeThumbnailIf( expanded );
 
                 setData( summary, expanded );
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 dd087a0cd..f88d18c90 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
@@ -752,7 +752,9 @@ public class JNIThread extends Thread {
         return this;
     }
 
-    public void release()
+    public void release() { release( true ); }
+
+    public void release( boolean save )
     {
         boolean stop = false;
         synchronized( s_instances ) {
@@ -766,7 +768,7 @@ public class JNIThread extends Thread {
 
         if ( stop ) {
             waitToStop( true );
-        } else if ( null != m_lastSavedState ) { // has configure() run?
+        } else if ( save && null != m_lastSavedState ) { // has configure() run?
             handle( JNICmd.CMD_SAVE );         // in case releaser has made changes
         }
     }