diff --git a/xwords4/common/comms.c b/xwords4/common/comms.c
index 1f9f46452..f7570fd50 100644
--- a/xwords4/common/comms.c
+++ b/xwords4/common/comms.c
@@ -961,16 +961,16 @@ removeFromQueue( CommsCtxt* comms, XP_PlayerAddr channelNo, MsgID msgID )
             XP_Bool knownGood = XP_FALSE;
             next = elem->next;
 
-            /* remove the 0-channel message if we've established a channel
-               number.  Only clients should have any 0-channel messages in the
-               queue, and receiving something from the server is an implicit
-               ACK -- IFF it isn't left over from the last game. */
-
-            if ( (elem->channelNo == 0) && (channelNo != 0) ) {
-                XP_ASSERT( !comms->isServer );
-                XP_ASSERT( elem->msgID == 0 );
-            } else if ( elem->channelNo != channelNo ) {
-                knownGood = XP_TRUE;
+            /* If I'm the server and there's more than one guest I have
+               multiple channels to worry about.  Not so for the guest.  So
+               while the guest's messages are labeled with two versions of the
+               channelNo, the 0th message having the two low bits clear and
+               all subsequent messages having at least one set, that's not an
+               issue here: the client needn't test channelNo. */
+            if ( comms->isServer ) {
+                knownGood = elem->channelNo != channelNo;
+            } else {
+                knownGood = XP_FALSE;
             }
 
             if ( !knownGood && (elem->msgID <= msgID) ) {